Cauvery row | Bandh observed in Mandya in protest against release of water to Tamil Nadu

Mandya District Farmers’ Struggle Committee leader Sunanda Jayaram said they had given a call for bandh only in Mandya town, but had received reports from all the taluks of the district that the people have voluntarily downed their shops and business establishments.

Several shops and business establishments remained closed in Mandya on September 23 in response to a call for bandh by Mandya District Farmers’ Struggle Committee in protest against the release of Cauvery water from the reservoirs to Tamil Nadu.

Private buses and autos stayed off the roads while theatres, hotels and most commercial establishments downed their shutters as activists of Kannada organisations and farmers’ outfits staged demonstrations in different parts of Mandya.

Banks remained closed on account of a holiday on fourth Saturday, but many private educational institutions declared a holiday for their students. A number of students from different colleges joined the protestors at Sanjay Circle and formed a human chain.

Mandya District Farmers’ Struggle Committee leader Sunanda Jayaram said they had given a call for bandh only in Mandya town, but had received reports from all the taluks of the district that the people have voluntarily downed their shops and business establishments.

“The call for bandh has elicited a very good response from people across Mandya district,” she claimed.

In Maddur, where shops and business establishments remained closed, Kannada activists took out a bike rally through the thoroughfares of the town.

Mandya district police has beefed up security across the district to prevent any untoward incident.