Karnataka: In battle of heavyweights, Bantwal loses its peace

Mangaluru: Strife-torn Bantwal is in the news again and this is not the first time it has happened. The involvement of politicians and organisations in aggravating differences over even trivial issues has further increased the tension.

One important reason for the violence could be the fact that Bantwal is the hometown of two rival leaders-RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat and Congress leader and Minister Ramanath Rai. 

Prabhakar Bhat hails from Kalladka, a village about 7 kms from Bantwal Town. He has been actively involved in RSS activities and is the supreme leader of saffron outfits in the coastal districts. He had the final say in finalising tickets from Panchayats to Parliament. Bhat no doubt is the unquestioned leader in the coast. 

Ramanath Rai who started his political career in 1985 as MLA of Bantwal has been an influential Congress leader since then. He has held portfolios including Home, Transport, Excise and Forests. He is considered the unquestionable leader of the Congress in Bantwal. 

According to sources, the active involvement of these two leaders in even trivial issues makes it difficult for the police to discharge their duties. "Even a road accident  or an issue related to land assumes communal colour in Bantwal if the two are from different communities," a former police officer who served in Bantwal told Deccan Chronicle.

"The moment police initiate action against one person, the community leaders of that person approach the leader they support. If Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat tries to defend Hindus, Rai tries to prove his secular stand. Both leaders take their stand due to political reasons. Amidst this, police find it difficult to take action  as they are pressurised by both sides," he said.

"The best example is the incident that took place on May 26 at Kalladka where two persons had a fight. Similarly on June 13 too, it was a fight between  two individuals. But ultimately both incidents assumed  communal colour," he said. 

"Communal elements take advantage of leaders. The recent video clipping of Ramanath Rai which went viral is one of the examples of how the police are influenced. Similarly police are influenced by Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat and his supporters too," he added.