By IANS
Bangalore : There was widespread relief in Karnataka Tuesday over the central government’s decision to impose president’s rule and recommend dissolution of the state assembly, but people felt the image of the state and especially IT hub Bangalore has taken a beating due to the unsavoury political happenings.
From auto-rickshaw drivers to industry leaders, management experts, IT honchos, educationists, students and homemakers — all were unanimous in their view that governance in the state has been in a limbo for far too long.
The state administration had virtually come to a standstill since August when the issue of power transfer between the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took centre-stage.
Only a handful was ready to bet on the longevity of the BJP-led government when it took over Nov 12 as it was dependent on the maverick politics of the JD-S. Hence, the resignation of B.S. Yeddyurappa Monday after the JD-S withdrew support, just seven days after he had taken over as chief minister, did not come as a surprise to most.
There was, in fact, fear that the Congress and JD-S might try to come together again to form an alternative government.
“Bangalore has become an oxymoron. It is industry stable and politics unstable,” said Harish Bijoor, brand domain specialist and chief executive officer of Harish Bijoor Consultants.
“I think the image of Karnataka and Bangalore has certainly taken a beating due to the political instability in the state. Wherever we travel in India, people laugh at us. We are made to feel small nowadays,” said T.V. Mohandas Pai, Infosys Technologies Ltd board member and director of HR, education, research and administration.
“Karnataka is going down as an industrial state and all-round growth is being severely affected because of long political instability,” said M.C.R. Shetty, president of Karnataka Small Scale Industrialists Association (Kassia).
“The Karnataka political leadership does not deserve even the slightest sympathy a condemned human being deserves,” said K.E. Radhakrishna, a leading educationist.
“All that interests our political leaders is power and not our welfare,” said A. Azmath, a three-wheeler driver.
“I have never seen such a farce in Karnataka politics. What an irony, and at a time when the world is looking up to Bangalore and Karnataka for its achievements in the information technology and biotechnology spheres,” said R. Sashikala, a homemaker whose son and daughter work in a leading IT firm in the city.
“Every political leader in the country urges the youth to enter politics. But seeing what is happening in Karnataka, a so-called well-ruled state, the youth are better off staying away from politics,” said S. Deepthi, a second year post-graduate student of English literature.
Pai said: “The political instability and fall of three governments in 41 months has severely affected the economic development of the state and the growth of Bangalore. Investment flow has declined over the last two-three years.
“The image of Bangalore is sinking due to stagnant growth of its infrastructure.”
Bijoor said: “Political cynicism is on the rise in Bangalore. The biggest worry is the collapse in the administration. Karnataka is getting a new image of being politically rustic.”
Som Mittal, president-designate of Nasscom and head of services, Hewlett Packard (HP) Asia-Pacific and Japan, said: “It is an odd situation. It is a matter of deep concern. The state’s image is affected within the country though not in the world at large.”
Suresh Senapaty, vice-president and CFO of Wipro Ltd, said: “Unstable governments over the past two-three years have almost brought development in the state to a grinding halt.
“The quality of life in Bangalore has deteriorated severely. The Bangalore international airport is getting ready but there is no road connectivity to the airport. This is the pathetic state of affairs in Karnataka.
Everyone has high expectations from central rule.
“Till assembly elections take place, we hope the administration will focus on development, growth and completion of various infrastructure projects across the state, and especially in and around Bangalore during president’s rule,” said Pai.
“Karnataka boasts of having some of the best administrators in the country. The administration may be streamlined but major policy decisions cannot be taken. That is where we will be hit,” said Bijoor.
“Routine administrative work which had come to a standstill should be on course now,” said Radhakrishna.
Views on whether the assembly polls will throw up a fractured verdict again were varied.
“I only hope people will give a clear mandate in the next assembly election. I think the people are fed up of the way coalition governments were formed and pulled down so brazenly,” Pai said.
“I feel it will be a fractured verdict again. That is the biggest disaster,” said Bijoor.
“I think in the next polls people will give a clear verdict as they are fed up with the way the three major parties have conducted themselves,” said Radhakrishna.
“During president’s rule, we hope the executive works efficiently to complete all the pending projects and steps up growth,” said Senapaty.
Azmath, Sashikala, Deepthi and Shetty too hoped that a single party would get a clear majority to end the political instability and hopefully provide good governance.