Hubbali: The bandh called by pro-Kannada organisations over the Mahadayi water dispute may have received little response over most of North Karnataka, but the day saw auto drivers in Hubballi “auction” unresponsive politicians and a Bagair Hukum farmer stage a nude protest and attempt suicide in Ranibennur town, Haveri district demanding ownership of his farmland.
While several farmers held a semi-nude protest, covering their body with leaves for right to their land, one of them staged a naked protest and tried to commit suicide by consuming poison. The police, however, intervened to stop him.
In Hubballi not only did the auto drivers hold mock funerals of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Water Resources Minister, M B Patil for their failure to resolve the dispute , but they also “auctioned” Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders before burning their effigies and taking out a procession at Channamma circle.
Mr Modi went for a mere Rs 1,001 with the protestors claiming he did not deserve more as he had failed to come to the rescue of drought-hit farmers by intervening in the water dispute with Goa on their behalf.
The highest bid for Union Water Resources Minister, Uma Bharati was even less at Rs 450 and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parikkar was “auctioned” for a mere Rs 25.
However, the bandh call by pro-Kannada organisations made no impact on normal life in Hubballi-Dharwad, where business establishments functioned as usual.
Only KSRTC and private bus owners suspended their services for fear of stone pelting by the protestors and some schools and colleges shut for the day.
It was a different scene at Nargund and Navalgund, where farmers blocked National Highway 218 between Hubballi and Vijayapur by sleeping on the main streets and dumping thorny plants and water pipes across it.
Converging on the two towns from several villages, the farmers raised slogans against Congress and BJP leaders for failing to resolve the Mahadayi water dispute and the main streets wore a deserted look as business establishments, schools and colleges and government offices remained shut. But the bandh passed off peacefully as the police had beefed up security in view of the violence last year that left many government properties damaged.
