Pro-Kannada Stir Turns Violent; Signboards Torn in Karnataka
Vandals from a fringe language group, the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Narayana Gowda faction), carried out attacks on businesses and tore down signboards in the city of Bengaluru on Wednesday. The group, which has been demanding that 60% of all stores’ signage bear the local language of Kannada, took their protests to a violent level.
The attacks occurred in key markets and business hubs across the city, including MG Road, Brigade Road, Lavelle Road, UB City, Chamarajpet, Chickpet, Kempe Gowda Road, Gandhi Nagar, St Marks Road, Cunningham Road, Residency Road, and Sadahalli Gate near Devanahalli.
In response, the Bengaluru police detained the members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, including their state chief, TN Narayana Gowda.
The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike activists initiated a march from Sadahalli Gate in north Bengaluru early in the morning, headed for Cubbon Park. Their demand was that businesses in the city comply with a municipality law from 2018, mandating that 60% of a store’s signboards be in Kannada. The group had set a deadline of December 27 for businesses to adhere to this law.
Prior to the violent incidents, a video of a KRV supporter threatening shopkeepers went viral. The video depicted a campaign vehicle in a narrow alley with shops on both sides. A woman holding a microphone could be seen threatening the shopkeepers, urging them to display pride in the Kannada language. She warned non-Kannadigas, particularly the Marwari community, that they would become targets if they did not comply with the language rule.
The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike’s state president, TN Narayana Gowda, expressed the group’s stance as the march began, stating, People from various states are doing business in Bengaluru. But they don’t put Kannada nameplates on their shops… If they want to stay back in Bengaluru, then they have to put nameplates on their shops in Kannada or else they have to move to other states.
Karnataka’s Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, vowed to take action against those involved in vandalism, asserting that Whoever takes law into their own hands will be punished.
As the police detained Gowda, members of the group responded violently and split up into different segments. Numerous reports began to surface, revealing that the mobs had ripped out or defaced signboards belonging to major shops, showrooms, hotels, and eateries throughout Bengaluru.
Notably, the protesters also targeted the Mall of Asia in Hebbal, where they smashed flower pots and vandalized English signboards.
Gowda, before his detainment, declared, Today, police are providing full protection to the Mall of Asia, but tomorrow who will provide protection? Our activists will protest again until our demand is fulfilled.
In response to the escalating situation, Phoenix Marketcity in Whitefield, another prominent mall in the city, chose to close its shutters early. As news of the violence spread, staff across various establishments in Bengaluru followed suit and closed their shops. Frightened shoppers sought safety as mobs armed with sticks roamed through the city.
The Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry requested that the state government refrain from penalizing businesses until February 28, the deadline set by the civic body. Tushar Giri Nath, the chief commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), had previously announced that establishments failing to comply with the rule by February 28 next year would face penalties.
As tensions continue to rise and the city deals with the aftermath of the violent protests, Karnataka remains at the center of a language-related controversy. The clashes between language groups and the destruction of property highlight the complex challenges of preserving cultural identity while ensuring harmony in a diverse society.
The situation has also revealed the urgency for effective dialogue and understanding between different communities to prevent further unrest and damage to public and private property.
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