The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Gadi Horata Samiti calls for road bandh on February 29

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Tuesday, Jan 29, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Gadi Horata Samiti calls for road bandh on February 29

Special Correspondent

It is aimed at drawing Centre’s attention to various issues

Protest will be from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Dharna to be staged in front of Prime Minister’s residence

Vatal Nagaraj

BANGALORE: The Akhila Karnataka Gadi Horata Samiti, which is a forum of about 200 pro-Kannada organisations, has decided to observe a 12-hour “road bandh” in the State on February 29 as part of its second phase of struggle to seek classical language tag for Kannada and also draw the Centre’s attention to the various demands related to Karnataka.

Announcing this at a press conference in Bangalore on Monday, samiti president Vatal Nagaraj said no vehicle would be allowed to ply on that day in the State, as the samiti activists would block all the roads from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The samiti activists would also stage a dharna in front of the Prime Minister’s residence in Delhi on February 18 to press for the demands. Mr. Nagaraj said the activists would submit a memorandum on their demands to the Prime Minister on February 19 and request him to specify the reasons for the delay in according the classical language tag to Kannada.

He warned that the samiti would observe a “Karnataka bandh” on March 15 if the Centre failed to announce a favourable decision on the classical language tag by then. He would undertake a State tour from February 11 to mobilise support and also create public awareness on the proposed road bandh, he said.

The other demands of the samiti include providing jobs to Kannadigas in the Railways, sanctioning new railway projects for the State, implementation of the Sarojini Mahishi report on jobs for Kannadigas and the reports by committees headed by Mr. Nagaraj himself and writer Baragur Ramachandrappa on border area Kannadigas.

Protest

The samiti has decided to stage a black flag demonstration in front of the international airport at Devanahalli, near here, on January 31 demanding jobs for Kannadigas there. Mr. Nagaraj told The Hindu that the airport had ignored Kannadigas in its recruitment. He demanded that adequate representation be given to Kanndigas at all levels while the Group D jobs should be totally earmarked for local people.

He threatened to intensify the agitation if the authorities concerned did not give preference to Kannadigas in recruitment.

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