Vatal Nagaraj Detained In Bengaluru Ahead Of Protest Again Cauvery Water Dispute

Vatal Nagaraj, a Kannada activist, was arrested on Thursday (13 August) in Bengaluru under preventive custody ahead of an organised protest against the Cauvery water-sharing dispute. However, the bandh called by various Kannada and farmer groups was met with mixed reactions with normal life continuing in most parts of the state.

The police took Nagaraj into custody at his residence in Dollars Colony, after he allegedly resisted arrest. He was to organise a rally from the BMTC-KSRTC bus stand to Town Hall and then to Freedom Park where a protest was to be held.

The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) decision on Cauvery water release to Tamil Nadu has led to several Kannada organisations and farmer organisations to call off the day-long bandh.

August 13 will have a 6-6 hour shutdown. But this effect was not widespread enough in some areas, as the essential services and public transport continued to operate mostly unaffected.

Schools, banks, hospital and pharmacies were open. The bandh did not have significant impact on public transport as employee associations of BMTC and KSRTC opposed the bandh. Other bus operators, transporters and autorickshaw organisations also reportedly boycotted the strike.

The Bengaluru City Police called upon the protesters and the citizens to ensure peace and public order in the city. Police said that several organisations had called for the bandh, while others had told them that they will not be participating.

The police reminded citizens of their right to peaceful protest according to the law, and pointed out that other residents should be able to go about their lives without being obstructed.

The police called on organisations and people to help maintain “normalcy” in Bengaluru.

The protests were outraged over the direction on release of 12,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu for 15 days from August 12th by CWMA.

The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) had directed for the decision. The water will be let out at interstate water measurement point Biligundlu.

Additionally, farmer unions staged protests in some parts of Karnataka, such as Mandya, and later several Kannada organisations demanded a Kannada statewide bandh.