Coastal protest goes through flux

The anti-corruption forum of Mangalore, which had brought Anna Hazare’s movement to the state’s coast, fell silent over the past couple of days.

The reason: Political parties and their associates have bulldozed their way to the centre stage.

“We have neither the lung power nor the organisational ability that fringe groups belonging to political parties command. With their networks and the mass support, they override all other groups,” said TR Bhat, who had emerged as the leader of the anti-corruption movement in the coastal region.

Bhat, however, is quick to point out that silence does not mean inactivity. “Our silence should not be misunderstood. We are waiting for the din created by mass movements to subside,” he said. Meanwhile, students’ groups from Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad took out a panjina meravanige (torchlight procession) in the city on Friday.

At a pre-university college in the city, ten students were rusticated for participating in the ABVP-led procession on Thursday. The management later revoked the rustication after a large group of ABVP activists demonstrated in front of the college on Friday.

“The rustication was not because they participated in the drive. The students created a ruckus on campus, and we had unruly scenes. They put pressure on the management to close the college,” said the principal. The names of the college and the principal have been withheld on request, as the college feared a backlash.