Kannada activists mar inaugural ceremony of BangaloreIT.in 2006

The inaugural ceremony of Karnataka Government’s showcase IT event – BangaloreIT.in 2006 – was marred by a black flag demonstration staged by slogan shouting Kannada activists.

Minutes before the opening of the event at Palace Grounds in Bangalore on Friday, Kannada protagonist and MLA Vatal Nagaraj led a group of protestors to the dais with black flags, catching the dignitaries including Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and British High Commissioner to India Sir Michael Arthur by surprise.

Slogans of “Down with IT, Down with BT” rent the air the Kannada protagonists marched close to the podium. But, the police personnel moved in quickly and whisked away the Kannada activists, who were demanding reservation of jobs for Kannadigas in IT and BT (Biotechnology) companies.

Speaking to reporters later, Vatal Nagaraj said the IT and BT companies demand land, power, water and other infrastructure in Karnataka. In return, they should employ more Kannadigas in their companies. “They should set aside at least 90 per cent of the jobs for Kannadigas”, Nagaraj demanded.

Things returned to normal at the Palace Grounds soon after the Kannada activists were whisked away and the proceedings began with the Chief Minister’s inaugural address to about 1,000 delegates.

Kumaraswamy said the Karnataka Government was working towards equipping Bangalore with wireless broadband Internet, which would facilitate IT professionals and others to work from home. This, Kumaraswamy felt, would help commuters overcome the nightmarish traffic on the roads to Bangalore. “My Government is conscious of the difficulties in commuting that Bangalore citizens face every day”.

Pushing for efficient traffic management along with integration of web-based technology to decongest Bangalore, Kumaraswamy said his Government was putting in place a wireless broadband Internet system that covers a radius of 40 kms in Bangalore.

He said the Government had also decided to set up five sector-specific, fully integrated self-sufficient townships in cities around Bangalore. “This would obviate the need for travel to and from Bangalore, reducing the pressure on transport infrastructure”, Kumaraswamy said.

As Mysore near Bangalore was emerging as an IT hub, Kumaraswamy said the Government was setting up a Knowledge City on 9,000 acres of land at Bidadi near Ramanagaram, which lies between Bangalore and Mysore.

“As one of the favourite investment destinations in the country, Karnataka continues to attract four new IT companies every week”, Kumaraswamy said. More than 1,700 IT companies are located in Bangalore alone.