Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB/SP)
Udupi, Jun 12: As part of Karnataka bandh call given by it in support of various issues on Monday June 12, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) held protest meeting at the clock tower near the private bus stand here at around 10.15 am on Monday June 12. The police intervened and bundled them away in police vans.
President of KRV district unit, Ansar Ahmed, speaking on the occasion, expressed concern at not addressing the grave issue of sand shortage affecting the district, and accused both district administration and district in-charge minister, Pramod Madhwaraj, for failing to take remedial measures. He pointed out that rainy season has begun, and if permits to extract sand are issued now, the situation will become easier as the permit holders can begin to extract sand immediately after the end of the ban period.
Ahmed wondered by sand licences are not being issued even though the National Green Tribunal has got resurvey done and given its clearance for issuance of sand permits. he charged the district administration of having failed to add ress this issue. he said that the minister and administration have been giving different treatments to rich andpoor people and charged lack of will power on the part of the district administration for the current crisis.
He said that the PWD and the department of mines and geology have been indirectly supporting illegal sand mining business. He gave the examples of the accused who are arrested, getting released within a few hours. Ahmed urged for the granting of sand licences now to address shortage.
State convener of KRV,Prasannakumar Shetty, termed the response to the organization's bandh call today as mixed. He said that his organization will continue to fight for Kannada but stressed that the leaders of his organization are not against regional languages. He demanded the state and central government to place ban on the activities of Maharashtra Ekikarana Samiti because of problems being created by it in Karnataka and their repeated attack on Kannada and Kannada activists. He said that the state has to assert its rights and execute projects like Mekedatu without delay.
Shetty gave a deadline of a month to the concerned to address the issue of sand shortage. He demanded for issuance of sand permits now itself and warned of holding district bandh if the problem is not addressed within the said deadline. "We have faith and confidence in the district administration but not in the district in-charge minister in solving this problem. Stronger methods of protest will be held if nothing is done within the deadline now given," he stated.
He noted that people speaking all languages live in Karnataka and that they have been given freedom to live as they desire. He pointed out that people of Karnataka are not pressurizing them to follow a specific language and culture. He demanded for rolling back of the policy of compulsory imposition of Malayalam on Kannadigas in Kerala. "If Malayam is made compulsory in Kerala, all Keralites in Karnataka will be driven back to Kerala," he warned.
Convener of Sarva Sanghatanegala Maraligagi Horata Samiti, M G Nagendra, stated that he has no faith in the district in-charge minister. He questioned why issuance of permits for sand mining is being postponed although the officials have the authority to issue them. He sought clarification from the officials for this postponing. He pointed out that the government provides Rs 1,20,000 to poor families for building houses under housing scheme and wondered how can the poor build houses if they have to shell out about Rs 20,000 per load of sand. He branded the current government as not pro-poor. He accused PWD and mines departments of doling out promises and suffering from want of will power to solve the problem. He pointed out that sand is now permitted to be extracted at select points that can used only for government projects.
The protesters under the banner of KRV then wanted to symbolically block national highway as part of their protest. But the police stopped them from undertaking any acts of mischief and took them to Chandu Maidan near police training school. Police sub-inspector, Anantapadmanabha, who was present along with several police personnel, did not allow the protesters from going ahead with their plan although he held discussions with them. Sudden downpour which started at the time also seemed to have dampened the spirits of the protesters.
The bandh call given today had no affect in the city.
Karnataka Rakshana Vedike leaders, Sahil Rahamathulla, Aravind Padubidri, Praveen Barkur, Asif Padubidri, Madhukar Poojary etc were present.