Karnataka bandh: No holiday for schools and colleges today

Alongside the language war, the protestors have demanded a withdrawal of Bengaluru Metro fare hike and the Greater Bengaluru Authority Bill, passed by the state government in the ongoing Budget session.

However, the state government has not supported the bandh, indicating that schools and colleges across the state are set to function normally.

Meanwhile, Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools of Karnataka (KAMS) has declined to actively participate in the bandh, but have extended moral support to the protestors. They argue that the bandh will affect the ongoing examination schedule and hamper the students and staff. While the SSLC examination began on Friday, CBSE and ISC boards have their examinations on Saturday. Class 12 students of CBSE will be appearing for the Political Science exam and ISC students will appear for Home Science-Paper 1 (theory) on Saturday.

Robert Khin, principal of Bethany School said, “The home science paper for the ISC exam is scheduled on Saturday. The council has not taken any decision to shut down the school in view of the bandh. Additionally, it is also not a state-supported bandh, is what we understand. Parents have collectively agreed to drop their wards on their own to school for the examination without depending on public transport.”

Meanwhile, some of the staff belonging to CBSE schools will be working for evaluation purposes.

On Saturday, associations representing KSRTC and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) employees expressed solidarity with the bandh but their services are set to continue. Drivers of Ola, and Uber, along with several auto-rickshaw unions, have pledged support for the bandh, suggesting limited availability of their services during the day.

Meanwhile, the hotel and film industry representatives have extended moral support to the protest and said their services are likely to continue.

The organisers of the bandh have outlined several demands, including a ban on pro-Marathi groups and Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) within Karnataka, accusing them of perpetuating violence and disrupting harmony. They have also sought to implement measures to safeguard the rights and dignity of Kannada-speaking individuals, especially in border areas like Belagavi. They are also opposing the proposed division of Bengaluru into multiple administrative zones, which some believe could dilute Kannada’s cultural identity. Additionally, the cab drivers and autorickshaw associations are also protesting seeking a ban on two-wheeler taxi services, which they argue is affecting their business.