Uneasy calm in Bangalore

Tech companies function as usual; state-wide bandh on Feb 12.

It was business as usual in Bangalore and many other parts of Karnataka even as protests against the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's final award continued on Tuesday.

The day was marked by stray protests by farmers and Kannada activists throughout the state, but no violence was reported.

Thousands of people, including farmers and workers, resumed their blockade of the Bangalore-Mysore highway and several roads in Mandya, Mysore and Chamarajanagar districts in protest against the verdict.

The protesters used huge boulders, burning tyres, tractors and bullock carts to block the Bangalore-Hassan and Bangalore-Tumkur highways, sources said.

According to Karnataka additional DGP (law and order) Shankar Bidri, traffic on the busy Bangalore-Mysore highway came to a halt with the police diverting state road transport buses, private vehicles and trucks to the old Kanakapura road. Bus services to the neighbouring Tamil Nadu were also suspended.

However, buses were plying upto the border districts of Tamil Nadu. Consequently, there was a heavy rush for rail tickets for the Bangalore-Mysore route.

Several IT firms and private offices, though functioning normally, have reported a drop in attendance. Essential services and supply of commodities, however, remained normal. Shops and business establishments in the central business district have decided to open late depending on the situation.

Cable operators continued to block Tamil channels in the city, fearing attacks by Kannada activists. News and entertainment channels, which were also blacked out on Monday, resumed this morning. Cinema theatres showing Tamil films in the city have decided to remain shut till this weekend.

"In Bangalore, though the situation is under control, there is an uneasy calm in the sensitive areas where there is a large Tamil-speaking population. Police picketing and patrolling has been intensified to prevent any untoward incident. There have been no reports of violence so far," Bangalore police commissioner N Achut Rao said.

Vatal Paksha leader and legislator Vatal Nagaraj and various other Kannada organisations, which had given a bandh call on February 8, have put it off to February 12, following a request from Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.

Meanwhile, an all-party meeting convened by the CM today to discuss the fallout of the tribunal verdict has been put off to tomorrow.