Karnataka Bandh Peaceful, Say Cops; Siddaramaiah Meets With Experts Over Cauvery

Video Producer: Mayank Chawla

Video Editor: Karuna Mishra

Amid the Karnataka bandh on Friday, 29 September, state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar held a meeting with retired Supreme Court judges, irrigation experts, and former advocate generals over the Cauvery water dispute, ANI reported.

The meeting came shortly after the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) directed the Karnataka government to release 3,000 cusecs of water (in addition to the remaining 12.5 TMC yet to be released) to Tamil Nadu till 15 October, as per The Indian Express.

While Tamil Nadu sought the release of 12,500 cusecs of Cauvery water, Karnataka urged the CWMA to reconsider, as the state is facing an acute shortage of water in its reservoirs.

Protests by pro-Kannada groups erupted across Karnataka amid the statewide bandh over the Cauvery water dispute. In a press conference on Friday evening, Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda said that while the bandh was peaceful, a total of 785 protesters were detained as a preventive measure, as per PTI. They were all released later.

Kannada Film Fraternity Joins Bandh

The 12-hour bandh, backed by nearly 2,000 organisations, disrupted normal life in most parts of the state. It was called by Kannada Okkuta – an umbrella organisation representing pro-Kannada outfits – in protest against the Karnataka government releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

The Kannada film industry also joined the bandh on Friday. Several members of the film fraternity, led by actor Shivrajkumar, staged a dharna near the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) in Bengaluru.

Section 144 has been imposed in Bengaluru Urban, Mandya, Mysuru, Chamarajanagara, Ramanagara, and Hassan districts of the state until 12 am on Saturday, 30 September, as per PTI.

Kannada Okkuta had planned a rally from Town Hall to Freedom Park in Bengaluru, but the protesters who gathered at Town Hall were detained by the police. Vatal Nagaraj, who has been leading the pro-Kannada groups' protest over the Cauvery dispute, was also detained.

At least 100 platoons had been deployed in the city, as per the police.

Earlier this week, on Tuesday, 26 September, a Bengaluru Bandh was called by farmer and pro-Kannada outfits, which received the support of Opposition parties in the state, BJP and JD(S).

Here are some visuals from across the state:

'Bandh Was Not Needed': DK Shivakumar

The bandh was called after the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directed Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days earlier in September. Later, the state was asked to release 3,000 cusecs from 28 September to 15 October.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said that the state would challenge the latest order before the Supreme Court. The government, however, has been complying with the order and releasing water to Tamil Nadu.

Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said that the bandh was "totally peaceful," opining that it was "unnecessary" as the "state was committed to protecting the interests of its people."

"People are cooperating. We have given full protection to everyone. We requested the institutions not to call for a bandh since there is no consent from the Supreme Court or High Court. So, Bengaluru and Karnataka are safe..." he said, as per The Indian Express.

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, however, claimed that if the Cauvery water was released to Tamil Nadu, the people of Bengaluru would not have enough drinking water. "The Karnataka government has failed to present its case properly," he alleged.

Former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy demanded that the protesters detained during the bandh be released immediately by the state government.

"Today's bandh has received good response from all over. When it comes to the question of land, language, and groundwater, everyone should be united. This harmony and unity in the Kannada family should be a wake-up call to the neighboring states," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

ಕಾವೇರಿ ಹೋರಾಟಕ್ಕೆ ಇಡೀ ಕರುನಾಡು ಮಿಡಿದಿದೆ. ಇಂದಿನ ಬಂದ್ ಗೆ ಎಲ್ಲೆಡೆಯಿಂದ ಉತ್ತಮ ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆ ವ್ಯಕ್ತವಾಗಿದೆ. ನಾಡು, ನುಡಿ, ನೆಲಜಲದ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ ಬಂದಾಗ ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ಒಂದಾಗಬೇಕು. ಕನ್ನಡ ಕುಟುಂಬದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾಸುಹೊಕ್ಕಾಗಿರುವ ಈ ಸಾಮರಸ್ಯ, ಐಕ್ಯತೆ ನೆರೆ ರಾಜ್ಯಗಳಿಗೆ ಎಚ್ಚರಿಕೆ ಗಂಟೆ ಆಗಬೇಕು. @INCKarnataka ಸರಕಾರವೂ ಕನ್ನಡ ಭಾವನೆಗಳನ್ನು…

— ಹೆಚ್.ಡಿ.ಕುಮಾರಸ್ವಾಮಿ | H.D.Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) September 29, 2023

'Cauvery Not Property of Karnataka': DMK Leader

On the other hand, Tamil Nadu's Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan said, "We will again demand the release of 5,000 cusecs of water from Karnataka... We will appeal to the Supreme Court and they will direct the Karnataka government."

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader TKS Elangovan, meanwhile, accused the BJP in Karnataka of "provoking the government of Karnataka not to release water."

"Because of local politics, the ruling party is also submitting to that," he alleged.

"Cauvery is not the property of Karnataka, they should know that. Wherever Cauvery runs through, water should be given to those states and particularly to lower riparian states... The strike is just political," he said, according to ANI.

44 Flights Cancelled: All You Need To Know

Here is all you need to know about what was operational and not operational during the statewide bandh.

• As many as 22 incoming and 22 outbound flights at the Bengaluru airport were cancelled over operational issues.

• Schools and colleges in Bengaluru remained closed.

• State transport corporations cancelled many of their bus services, especially in Mysuru, Mandya, and Chamarajanagar, where the bandh had been strong. Only about 60 percent of buses were operated in south Karnataka, as per the KSRTC.

• The state's Autorickshaw Drivers Union (ARDU) extended support to the bandh and urged autorickshaw drivers to participate.

• Karnataka's Private Transport Association also extended support to the bandh, requesting transport operators to ply their vehicles at their discretion.

• Hotels remained closed in Bengaluru.

• Grocery shops and non-emergency services were also suspended.

• Cab aggregators like Ola and Uber participated in the bandh.

• Karnataka Film Exhibitors' Association said it would not screen any movies till 6 pm on Friday, across the state.