Buses roll, shops open, autos ply as city refuses to slow down
Mysuru
The Karnataka bandh called by various Kannada organisations to protest the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s (CWMA) direction to release 12,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu failed to make an impact in Mysuru on Thursday, with normal life continuing across the city.
The bandh call was issued in protest against the water release order at a time when Karnataka is facing uncertainty over the monsoon and the storage position in its reservoirs. However, the proposed shutdown received little support in Mysuru, with major trade, transport and hotel associations staying away from the protest.
City buses operated as usual, while autorickshaws continued to ply on the roads. Shops, hotels, commercial establishments and markets remained open, ensuring that the city’s daily routine was largely unaffected.
‘Mysuru chose normalcy’
The Mysuru Hoteliers Association, Autorickshaw Drivers and Owners Association and several other organisations did not extend their support to the bandh. As a result, the call failed to evoke the expected response. “There was no disruption to normal life. Public transport, autos, shops and business establishments functioned as usual. The people of Mysuru have chosen normalcy,” a city resident said.
Educational institutions also remained open, and students attended classes as usual. Government offices functioned normally without any major disruption.
Inter-State government buses too operated according to their regular schedules, providing relief to passengers travelling to neighbouring districts and States.
Police keep a tight vigil
Although the bandh had little impact on the city, the police did not take any chances. Elaborate security arrangements were made at important junctions, government offices, bus stands and other sensitive locations as a precautionary measure.
Police personnel were deployed at several places to prevent any untoward incident. Small groups of activists who staged demonstrations in different parts of the city were taken into custody as a preventive measure.
“Our priority was to ensure that the bandh did not disturb public life or lead to any law-and-order problem. Adequate security was deployed across the city as a precaution,” a police official said.
The peaceful movement of traffic and uninterrupted functioning of commercial establishments presented a picture of a city largely indifferent to the bandh call.
The bandh organisers had sought public support against the CWMA’s order, arguing that Karnataka should not be compelled to release water to Tamil Nadu when the State itself is facing water concerns.
However, the lack of support from key sections of the transport, hotel and business community meant that the protest failed to translate into a citywide shutdown.
By evening, Mysuru had remained largely peaceful and busy, with buses running, autos moving, shops doing business and educational and government institutions functioning normally. In total, the Cauvery bandh call may have raised slogans on the streets, but it failed to bring Mysuru to a standstill.
