Udupi, 17 August 2011: Perhaps, people of Udupi never before protested in such a huge numbers! From Wednesday morning until evening, elders - youngsters, women – men, students – employed, all got to streets in thousands and supported Anna the biggest voice ever against the corruption. Wednesday morning processions were conducted in every street of Udupi city. Protest was conducted in front of Deputy Commissioner’s office. Strike conducted near Service bus stand.
88 year old freedom fighter Vitoba Kamath came along with thousands of College students and gave petition to Deputy Commissioner and expressed disgust that after fighting for the country’s Independence now unfortunately again had to fight like this. As per the call from the All India Student Parishad, the students of most of the Colleges went out of their classes and in support of Anna Hazare went from their respective colleges in processions through various streets of the city and came to Deputy Commissioners office.
Udupi’s Mahathma Gandhi Memorial College, Poornaprajna College, Upendra Pai Memorial College, Madhava Pai Memorial College, Dr. T.M.A. Pai Polytechnic, Katpadi’s S.V.S. College, Brahmavar’s Milagres College, Tenkanidiyoor’s Government College and from many other Colleges thousands of students came and gathered in front of Deputy Commissioner’s office and conducted protest against the detention of Anna.
Before this Pathanjali Yoga Samiti and Bharat Swabhiman Trust activists conducted protest movement in front of Deputy Commissioner’s office. In this protest, Samiti and Trust leaders; Umesh Kotyan, Raaghavendra Acharya, Shivananda Shetty, Vasudeva Bhat and others participated and strongly condemned the cowardly act of the central government who could not face Anna Hazare and instead arrested him.
Later, under the banner of progressive thinkers platform, activists of various associations of Brahmavara region came in processions along with the students of local Colleges and conducted protest movement in front of Deputy Commissioner’s office. In this procession the students of Heradi ITI and National College Barkur had participated. Koteshwara Spoorthi Society Director Keshava Koteshwara, National Highway sufferer’s Samiti President Ramdasa Nayak, Dasamsa leader Shekara Hejamadi, Environmentalist Premananda Kalmadi, Jilla Nagarika Samiti Secretary Nityananda Volakadu and others participated and expressed support to Anna Hazare.
After this, CPI(M) activists conducted protest in front of Deputy Commissioner’s office. In this protest under the leadership of Party State leaders; Veeraswamy, Prasannakumar, Udupi leader K. Shankar, Vishwanath Rai, Venkatesha Koni and Kaviraj hundreds had participated and rebuffed saying that the central government has hit the basic freedom of democracy by arresting Anna Hazare.
At noon the students of Shri Dharmastala Manjunatheshwara Udyavara and the group of lawyers of the district separately arrived to Deputy Commissioner’s office and expressed their opposition on the detention of Anna, through the petitions.
Altogether, the road in front of Deputy Commisioner’s office was appearing like a battle field on Wednesday. But unfortunately in this fight against the corruption, everyone preferred to get identified under the banners of their own individual associations and no attempt was made to demonstrate the unity as one unit. With this, the ones who were under severe pressure were only the Police and the press reporters.