By IANS,
Bangalore : The Karnataka High Court Friday dismissed pro-Kannada organisations’ plea against unveiling of Tamil saint-poet Thiruvalluvar’s statue in Bangalore and told the government to deal with any agitation with a free hand.
The organisations, however, stuck to their opposition to the unveiling of the statue Sunday and said they will go ahead with their call for a Bangalore shutdown that day.
“If the petitioner or their followers or any others attempt to hold agitation, the state has free hand to deal with the matter,” Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran and Justice V.G. Sabhahit ruled, dismissing the petition filed by Kannada Gadi Rakshana Horata Samithi (committee to protect Karantaka interests).
“We are going ahead with the agitation and Bangalore ‘bandh’ (shutdown) as planned,” former legislator and Kannada Chaluvaligaru (Kannada protagonists) leader Vatal Nagaraj, one of the petitioners, told IANS.
Asked about the court directive against any agitation, he asserted that “it has given its ruling and we will stick to our decision”.
On the possibility of violence during the agitation as Bangalore has several areas with substantial Tamil speakers, Nagaraj said: “We have given strict instructions to our supporters that the agitation should be peaceful. I do not think there would be any violence.”
He said the shutdown would not affect milk supply nor would medical shops be forced to close for the day.
“Only other commercial establishments would be told to shut shop and auto-rickshaws and other modes of public transport would be off the road,” Nagaraj said.
The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation spokesperson said its buses would run as usual on Sunday, a holiday for government and most of the private companies.
The statue of the celebrated Tamil poet, who wrote “Thirukkural” considered the masterpiece of Tamil literature, was installed near Halasur lake in Bangalore central business district 18 years back but could not be unveiled in the face of opposition by pro-Kannada groups.
“Thirukkural” is written in the form of couplets (two line poems) expounding various aspects of life. It contains 1,330 couplets, divided into 133 chapters of 10 couplets each.
The pro-Kannada groups have stalled the unveiling of the Thiruvalluvar statue for the last 18 years on the ground that Tamil Nadu has not been fair to Karnataka over the sharing of Cauvery river waters and its Hogennakkal drinking water project.
The Hogennakkal project is to meet the drinking water needs of two Tamil Nadu districts bordering Karnataka.
Reciprocating Karnataka’s gesture in installing statue of Thiruvalluvar, who is believed to have been born 30 years before Jesus Christ, the Tamil Nadu government had agreed to install the statue of revolutionary Kannada poet Sarvajna in Chennai.
The Sarvajna statue will be unveiled Aug 13.
Sarvajna, believed to belong to 18th century, is known for his ‘Tripadis’ (three-line poems) on life, religion, beliefs and problems of daily living.
Last month, Karnataka Chief Ministers B.S. Yeddyurappa and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi agreed at a meeting in Chennai on the dates to unveil the two statues.
Karunanidhi, who is holidaying in Bangalore, is expected to participate in the function to unveil the statue of Thiruvalluvar.
The Sarvajna statue was sent to Chennai in the last week of July.
The Karnataka government’s decision to go ahead with the unveiling of Thiruvalluvar’s statue has received support from the Congress, Janata Dal (Secular) and other small parties as also from leading Kannada writers such as Jnanpith awardee U.R. Ananthamurthy.