High drama as protestors barge into railway station and sit on tracks

The bandh call given for condemning Union Government’s decision to establish Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Dharwad instead of Raichur evoked an overwhelming response with all taluk and hobli centres, along with the district headquarter, observing complete bandh on Thursday. Widespread protests that erupted in different parts of the district and in the city threw normal life out of gear for hours.

In Raichur, thousands of students, workers, activists associated with various Kannada organisations, Dalit outfits, Hyderabad-Karnataka-based groups, leaders and cadres of different political parties and lawyers, wearing black armbands, took out several processions and bike rallies. Agitating activists burnt tyres in Station Circle, Ambedkar Circle and Basaveshwar Circle.

High drama

The situation got tense when IIT Horata Samiti president Basavaraj Kalasa, Raichur Lok Sabha member B.V. Naik, NSUI leader Ravi Boseraju, Congress leader Ravindra Jaldar and others attempted to barge into the railway station to sit on the tracks in protest. After much persuasion, the police and railway authorities allowed a few leaders to sit on the tracks for a while as a token of protest. A large number of youth had continued the agitation outside on the main road.

“The Union government meted out a historical injustice to backward Hyderabad-Karnataka region by denying the premier institute to Raichur,” B.V. Naik said during the agitation.

Bandh complete

Public transport buses operated by NEKSRTC remained off roads. Theatres, shops, trading units at APMC yard and business establishments did not raise their shutters. All roads and market places in the city wore a deserted look. All educational institutions, both private and government ones, were closed. As precautionary measure, Deputy Commissioner S. Sasikanth Senthil had declared holiday for government schools.

Assistant Commissioner (Raichur) M.P. Maruthi rushed to the Mahatma Gandhi Stadium where all the agitating rallies were converged and tried to persuade the agitators to call off the strike. He received a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister.

Lathi-charge

The agitators marched to the Union government’s southern power grid, located about 6 km from the city, which connects the four southern States with the national grid. They blocked the inter-State highway bringing the traffic movement to a standstill for about two hours.

The police resorted to baton-charge to disperse the agitating mob that attempted to disrupt power transmission, which would have resulted in power outage in all the southern States. Mr. Naik, Mr. Boseraju and Raichur MLA Shivaraj Patil were arrested and later released. As many as 30 agitators were injured in the clash.