Karnataka   

Ready to protest at the drop of a hat

By T.S. Ranganna

BANGALORE, MARCH 6. He has been arrested more than 1,300 times and an equal number of cases have been filed against him. He has been in the police lock-up and has defied prohibitory orders by trying to block speeding vehicles carrying VVIPs including the late Union Home Minister, Y.B. Chavan. In short, Vatal Nagaraj, Kannada Chaluvali leader, has been a "menace" to the police.

He has adopted many strategies to hoodwink the police, including wearing a sari, a burkha, a police uniform or saffron robes. All this for a cause: primacy for Kannada and Kannadigas in all walks of life.

He has espoused using Kannada in administration, screening Kannada films, retaining Belgaum in the State and getting the State's due share of Central projects and Krishna and Cauvery waters. He has even raised the flag of protest in Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi.

Starting out as a Kannada Chaluvali activist (one demanding primacy for Kannada), he became a councillor. Mr. Nagaraj was elected to the Legislative Assembly four times from three different constituencies. He is confident of wresting the Chamarajanagar seat this time.

He has taken up many causes on behalf of the people. The Government held a meeting of intellectuals last year to discuss the issue of suicide by farmers. Mr. Nagaraj organised a "meeting of fools" to taunt the Government and say that it was action not discussion that was required. Leading a one-man political outfit named Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha, he holds seminars on topical issues.

Mr. Nagaraj, who is in his 60s, has criticised the BJP, the Congress and the Janata Dal (S) for "engineering defections".

Coming down heavily on defectors, he says that it is a disgrace. However, he has not lost hope. He is planning to bring together the Communist parties, the two factions of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sanghas, the Dalit organisations and the Bahujan Samaj Party to form an alliance that could play a meaningful role in making the Government work for the people.

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