Date:25/02/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/02/25/stories/2007022523900300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

It becomes a bitter pill for them

Staff Reporter

Doctors, nurses protest against Cauvery tribunal award

BANGALORE: Doctors, nurses and teachers took to the streets in Bangalore on Saturday to protest against the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.

Around 500 doctors, nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists took out a procession from the Mahatma Gandhi statue to Minsk Square.

When the police did not allow them to proceed towards the Raj Bhavan, the protesters returned to Mahatma Gandhi statue and staged a dharna there.

Later, a delegation led by Indian Medical Association's Karnataka Rakshana Samiti president G.K. Ramachandrappa submitted a memorandum to the Governor.

The Intellectuals and Teachers' Forum also staged a demonstration in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue. Around 600 teachers participated in the dharna.

Forum president K. Mallaiah told The Hindu that they would submit a memorandum, signed by 3,000 teachers, to the President, seeking his intervention on the issue. The police arrested around 500 activists of various Kannada and Dalit organisations, including Vatal Nagaraj, MLA, when they tried to march towards the Vidhana Soudha to protest against the tribunal award.

Hundreds of activists, under the banner of Karnataka Gadi Horata Samiti, took out a procession from Mysore Bank Circle to lay a siege to the Vidhana Soudha.

The police stopped them near the K.R. Circle and took them into custody for violating the ban orders.

The former MLA K. Prabhakara Reddy, Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce vice-president Sa. Ra. Govindu, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike leaders Praveen Kumar Shetty and Shivarame Gowda were among those arrested.

CPI (M) protest

Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers staged a demonstration in front of the Sir Puttanna Chetty Town Hall. Later, they took out a procession, which culminated in a public meeting at Banappa Park.

The police did not allow them to march towards the Vidhana Soudha. The CPI (M) has urged the State Government to make public its stand on the issue and also file a review petition before the tribunal.

Around 1,000 people participated in a protest rally organised by the Banashankari Block Congress Committee near the Banashankari temple on Kanakapura Road. The former Minister Ramalinga Reddy and Kanakapura MP Tejaswini Sriramesh addressed the protesters.