The Karnataka bandh called by Kannada organisations on August 13 over the Cauvery water issue received a lukewarm response in Bengaluru and several parts of the State, with normal life largely unaffected.

The bandh was scheduled from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., but public transport and commercial activity continued as usual in Bengaluru. BMTC and KSRTC buses operated normally, while private buses, autorickshaws and cabs remained on the roads. Auto and cab unions had extended only moral support to the bandh and did not withdraw their services.

Shops, hotels, restaurants and other commercial establishments remained open, while schools and offices functioned as usual. Essential services, including hospitals, pharmacies, grocery stores and banks, also continued without disruption.

Airport services in Bengaluru were reported to be operating normally, with no major impact on passengers.

Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj, who had called for the bandh, was detained by the police in the morning before he could begin a rally from Town Hall towards Majestic.

A team of police officers visited the residence of the former MLA and took him into custody. When officers attempted to speak to him, Mr. Nagaraj reportedly refused to respond and instead tied tape around his mouth, indicating that he was observing a silent protest.

The bandh was called by certain groups to protest against the directive to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu at a time when Karnataka is reeling under drought-like conditions following poor rainfall.

Little response in other parts of State

In Mysuru city, shops and commercial establishments remaining open and schools and colleges functioning normally. KSRTC buses and autorickshaws also operated as usual.

Barring symbolic protests by pro-Kannada activists and moral support from sections of the trade and business community, normal life remained largely unaffected by the muted response to the shutdown call.

Hotels and restaurants remained open, and normal activity was witnessed across the city. Businesses on busy commercial hubs D. Devaraja Urs Road and Sayyaji Rao Road functioned without any disruption.

As a precautionary measure, police personnel were deployed in sizeable numbers in the central business district to prevent any untoward incident.

Some pro-Kannada activists and members of the Cauvery Action Committee were taken into preventive custody when they attempted to block buses at the Sub-Urban Bus Stand. The activists had earlier staged a demonstration on Ashoka Road, demanding that Cauvery water should not be released to Tamil Nadu under any circumstance.

Farmers under the banner of State Sugarcane Growers’ Association, led by Bhagyaraj, marched on the streets carrying empty pots. Karnataka Kavalu Pade and other pro-Kannada groups staged a symbolic protest at Sri Jayachamarajendra Circle in protest against the directive to release water.

KSRTC Mysuru Rural Division Controller Veeresh said bus services were being operated normally despite the bandh. “All scheduled services are being operated, with passengers being ferried to their destinations without any disruption,” he said.

Poor response to bandh call in Belagavi

The bandh call did not evoke much response in Belagavi district in northwestern Karnataka.

Buses and private vehicles moved as usual. All schools and colleges, government and private offices were open. Shops, hotels and hospitals conducted their routine business.

The central committee of Kannada organisations had decided to express moral support to the bundh, but not to participate in it. They had complained that activist Vatal Nagaraj, who had agreed to include faster implementation of the Mahadayi river basin projects among the demands for the bandh, had failed to keep his promise.

Some Kannada groups, however, had announced they would participate. But in effect, there was no impact of the bandh.