The hype about the call for bandh of North Karnataka districts seems to be fizzling out, with various Kannada organisations, farmers groups, and labourer unions deciding not to support it.

Addressing a joint press conference here on Monday, Amrut Ijari of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, Mahesh Pattar of CITU, Shivanna Hubballi of Mahadayi Kalasa Banduri Horata Samanvaya Samiti, and others said that bifurcation of the State was not the solution to sorting out regional imbalance.

The Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) too has decided not to support the bandh demanding bifurcation of the State. KCCI president V.P. Linganagoudar and former president Vasant Ladwa said that injustice was done to North Karnataka in the State budget, but they were not in favour of the demand for separate statehood.

Mr. Ijari said that people of North Karnataka were the first ones to come out with the idea of building a unified State of Karnataka. The objective behind the State unification movement was to bring all Kannada-speaking areas under one rule and achieve overall development of the unified State. Now, some people demanding bifurcation is against the very objective of the unification movement for which Dharwad was the epicentre, he said. “Everyone is aware of the fact that political leaders of North Karnataka, who got a chance to rule the State after unification, have failed to ensure overall development of this region and this was the prime reason for the backwardness. The demand of statehood for North Karnataka is made to cover up their faults,” said Mr. Ijari.

“Political leaders and parties, who are supporting the demand for bifurcation of the State, should tell people what they have done for finding a solution to the Mahadayi dispute,” said Mr. Hubballi. They said formation of small States would result in the them facing shortage of resources.

“The BJP, which is in power at the Centre, is hoping to exercise more control over the States by fuelling the demand for formation of new States,” said Mr. Pattar.