Karnataka Assembly Elections are around the corner, as major national parties gear up for the battle of Karnataka before the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. Karnataka as a state has flourished ever since IT revolution in India, with state’s capital Bangaluru becoming the IT Capital of the country. But with the prosperous development, there are issues that are major concerns for the people as well as the state government. The uneven development in the state favoring the major cities, while neglecting the peripheral and rural areas, has made the people in the state more agitated. The upcoming Karnataka elections will give the incumbent Congress party, BJP, and JD(S) a chance to bring the issues of state in the public foray and make them a part of their election manifesto so that the next government can work on these issues.
Here is a list of top 10 issues in Karnataka:
Kannada Flag
The issue of a separate Kannada flag has been pertinent since the mid 1960s, when MA Ramamurthy, a social activist and a champion of the Kannada cause, was the leading figure of Kannada Movement. He created the yellow-red flag. It acted as a unifying agent for him during the creation of a new state, as he wanted to preserve the Kannada identity. Since then, it was considered as an unofficial flag of Karnataka and Kannadiga identity. There were demands from some sections of the politicians time and again to declare the Kannada flag as the official flag of the state. But, according to the Indian Constitution, there is no provision for states to have separate flag as the official flag of the state, except for the state of Jammu&Kashmir. The Siddaramaiah government in the last few years have tried to influence the decision related to state flag through constitutional means, while claiming that an official Kannada flag would not represent separatism, instead would always stay below the national flag.
Lingayats Issue
Basavanna, a social reformer and philosopher in the 12th century Karnataka, founded the Lingayats, as under the rule of King Bijala II, Brahminical Hindu values became a dominant part of the social structure within the state. Thus, Basavanna wanted to move away from a social structure based on a feudal economy and caste system, as he himself believed in the value of human freedom, brotherhood, rationality, and equality. Lingayat movement was part of the larger Bhakti movement that occurred in many different parts of India between 8th century and 12th century. Although the movement saw leaders like Basavanna advocating a path of spiritual liberation without caste and creed, the movement became popular but none of the leaders created a different religion or sect except for the followers of Basavanna. In the present-day Karnataka, people from all walks of life come for employment opportunities, while some migrate to the state in search of better living options. People of Karnataka along with some section of politicians have been in favor of declaring Lingayats as a religious minority, a claim that Siddaramaiah government has been trying to work on in collaboration with the Central government.
Mahadayi River
Mahadayi or Mandovi river has become a bone of contention between the states of Karnataka and Goa. The issue has become a significant cause of distress in the state of Karnataka, as farmers and social organisations have time and again staged protests and held rallies. The Mahadayi river originates from the Western Ghats in the North of Karnataka. While the 29 km long upstream flows in the state of Karnataka, the remaining 52 km river stretch flows downstream towards Goa and culminates in the Arabian Sea. Since the early 2000s, Karnataka Government has requested Goa to release 7.6 thousand million cubic feet water, so that Karnataka can fulfill the water demands of the people in the four drought-prone regions of the state. In December 2017, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar sent a letter to the Karnataka BJP Chief BS Yeddyurappa stating that the state would be willing to provide water from the river to Karnataka for drinking purposes, while doing a u-turn by January 3rd, when Manohar Parikar stated that it was ‘inevitable’ to share the water resources with the state of Karnataka.
Farmers Plight
Farmers are the backbone of the economy in an agrarian country like India. The state of the agricultural sector in Karnataka has been on a downward trajectory for the past few decades, due to mismanagement and lack of implementation of government policies. In the recent years, a number of farmers committed suicide due to loan debts and ever so frequent droughts. The opposition party has questioned CM Siddaramaih’s policies and inability to take stringent actions to protect the farmers in distress. More than 3500 farmers have ended their misery by committing suicide in the period of four years between 2013 and 2017. The issues impeding the growth of agriculture in Karnataka range from water management issues to feeble institutional and policy measures. The north Karnataka region is a drought-prone region and farmers in this region are the worst affected compared to other regions of the state. Mahadayi river issue is also another factor that stagnated the growth of the agricultural sector in Karnataka.
Corruption
Corruption has been a prevalent problem in Karnataka, as the majority of the politicians in the state are facing corruption charges. The current Siddaramaiah government has faced several charges and allegations of corruption against several top-level ministers of the government. The BJP Chief Ministerial candidate for the upcoming Karnataka Elections BS Yeddyurappa had to resign midway due to corruption charges against the government, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi labeled the Siddaramaiah government by mocking them as “0 percent commission government”, certainly taking a dig at the Karnataka Chief Minister. So, it remains to be seen whether the parties can walk the talk on their stand on corruption if they get elected.
Cauvery Water Dispute
Cauvery water dispute dates back to 1892, when the Madras Presidency and the Princely State of Mysore were part of the erstwhile British India. In the year 1892, the states were given the task to divide the longest river basin in southern India, the 802 km long Cauvery river was to be shared between both the territories. Since then, the dispute has ravaged homes and cities as in the 20th century violent clashes took place between both the states. The issue was handed over to Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal. They were given the task to figure out a peaceful settlement to the water sharing issue between the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. The Tribunal’s awarded decision was not acceptable by any of the parties involved and thus, in 2017 the matter moved to the Supreme Court, which recently gave a verdict on the Cauvery water dispute by directing the state of Karnataka to release 177 tmcft water towards the state of Tamil Nadu, while giving 14.75 tmcft of additional water to Karnataka. The state governments were prepared to control any incident that could have erupted due to the Supreme court’s verdict on the Cauvery issue in both the states.
Law and Order
The law and order situation in the state has been debatable, as the government’s inability to tackle the growing crimes and lawlessness in the state has become a major issue for the urban population. The number of high-profile murders of politicians, whistleblowers, and journalists have been on the rise in the last few years. On 7th March, 2018, Karnataka Lokayukta P Vishwanatha Shetty was ruthlessly stabbed several times inside his office. In another brutal incident, journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh was murdered while entering her house. Only a single arrest has been made till date as Karnataka Police is still on the lookout for the murderers. Such high-profile crimes and growing concerns related to women safety in the state have become major issues for the present Siddaramaiah government.
Governance
Karnataka government has become more of a Siddaramaiah Government as the Chief Minister is considered by many in the party as an authoritarian leader. It is reflected in the growing discontent among the bureaucracy. The opposition has also alleged that there is prevalent nepotism in the government. CM’s son Yathindra Siddaramaiah is alleged to has received favor for his company Matrix Imaging Solutions that got the tender for setting up a pathology lab inside the site of Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, a superspeciality hospital owned by the government. The growing discontent with government’s role in infrastructure, development, security, and other aspects are receiving public scrutiny as more and more people are becoming aware of their surroundings and political issues taking place in their localities.
Uneven Development
The face of development in Karnataka has a starking contrast. The urban landscapes that account for the major revenue for the state have world-class facilities available, while in the rural and backward region the progress has been slow compared to the development in cities. Bangalore, the IT hub of country, accounts for major portion of the state’s revenue and receives sufficient electricity, while there are small towns and villages that have 6 hours of powercut to maintain the deficient power supply in the state. Inter-state migration due to uneven development in the states have overpopulated the major cities in the state. These cities are unable to cope with the demands of overpopulation. Environment and security in the cities have become major issues that are affecting the lives of millions of urban population in Karnataka. The growing regional disparities can surely affect the state’s economy in long run. All regions of the state should get adequate resources and development to improve the economy of the state.
Environment
The development in the state has come with its own cost. The rapid urbanization has seen large-scale deforestation, on the other hand, overpopulation in the cities have choked the river system in the cities. Bangalore faces a similar situation to that of Cape Town, as the city faces acute water shortage due to mismanaged water management in the city. According to some reports, the city could be on the verge of its own Day Zero, as the water resources are depleting at a rapid speed. The capital city has seen chemical foam deposited on the drain and sewer lines floating inside the city, while affecting the local residents and commuters. Environment has become an important issue for the urban cities as choked drains and polluted air is affecting the whole population. Droughts are frequently affecting the farmers in the state as well as hampering the agricultural output of Karnataka. The politicians from all the parties should ensure policies that can protect the environment, and move on a path of sustainable development in Karnataka.
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