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A 115-day protest against the privatisation of public healthcare in Vijayapura has forced the Karnataka government to reconsider its plans, at least in principle.
On January 9, Friday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the state would drop the proposal to establish a medical college under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, following sustained agitation demanding a government-run institution.
Referring to the indefinite strike by the Vijayapura Government Medical College Agitation Committee, Siddaramaiah said there was no need for the protest to continue as the PPP proposal would not go ahead. He added that government medical colleges were already functioning in 22 districts and that in the remaining districts, including Vijayapura, the state would establish government-run medical colleges, along with super-speciality hospitals and trauma centres. The Chief Minister also described the PPP proposal as one formulated during the previous BJP government.
The statement led the Sarkara Medical College Sthapana Horata Samiti to temporarily pause its agitation. The organisers’ demand to quash the police cases registered against the protesters, however, still remain unresolved.
Speaking to TNM, Srinath Pujari, coordinator of the Dalit Vidyarthi Parishad (DYP) in Vijayapura, said the committee was awaiting clarity on the fate of those arrested during the protests. “We are pausing the dharna for now, and we are happy that the Chief Minister made this announcement. But six of our people are still in jail. We sent bail applications, but their bail hearing has been deferred to January 13. We want all false cases filed against them to be withdrawn,” he said.
The agitation, which began as a local protest against the proposed privatisation of the Vijayapura district hospital, had gradually grown into one of Karnataka’s longest-running public health agitations in recent years. The movement, led by the Sarkara Medical College Sthapana Horata Samiti, brought together students, doctors, Dalit organisations, trade unions, and civil society groups, who argued that healthcare and medical education must remain public goods rather than commercial ventures.
According to protest organisers, the agitation was triggered by the Congress government’s proposal to establish a medical college under the PPP model, reportedly in line with NITI Aayog policy recommendations. Over time, opposition to the proposal widened into broader public anger over what protesters described as the creeping privatisation of public healthcare.
The Samiti has maintained that government medical colleges in at least seven districts — Tumakuru, Davanagere, Chitradurga, Kolar, Udupi, Bengaluru Rural, and Vijayapura — are currently operating under the PPP model. Protesters alleged that despite repeated representations, the state government had so far failed to respond to demands to hand over the functioning Vijayapura district hospital to be run entirely by the government.
The agitation escalated on January 1, 2026, when the police registered FIRs against activists associated with the protests. Six protesters — Aravind Kulkarni, B Bhagavan Reddy, Anil Hosamani, Bhogesh Solapur, Siddarama Hallur, and Sangana Basava Swamiji — were arrested following a late-night police action at Ambedkar Circle, where the protest site was located.
Protesters alleged that police arrived in the middle of the night, dismantled the pandals, and verbally abused those present. They said that 21 activists were later booked under serious charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, criminal intimidation, unlawful assembly, and obstruction of government work.
Condemning the arrests, Karnataka Jana Arogya Chaluvali (KJC) and the Sarkara Medical College Sthapana Horata Samiti demanded the immediate release of those detained and the withdrawal of what they described as false and exaggerated cases. KJC termed the police action illegal and unconstitutional, alleging that it was aimed at suppressing dissent.
Srinath Pujari said the agitation was also about protecting public resources from being handed over to private players. “A government-run medical college would ensure affordable treatment, give students from poor backgrounds access to medical education, and bring medical researchers to our city,” he said. “We already have nearly 153 acres of land, staff, equipment, and infrastructure. More than 100 organisations have supported this movement.”
Dr Teena Xavier, a member of KJC from Raichur district, said the indefinite protests began in September 2025 and spread across all taluks of Vijayapura district. “Healthcare and education cannot be commercialised. It is the responsibility of the government,” she said, adding that memoranda submitted to MLAs during the winter session of the Assembly did not receive a response at the time.
Beyond Vijayapura, KJC has also demanded that several public health centres (PHCs) currently managed by non-governmental organisations be brought back under direct government control. The organisation has urged the state government to increase its allocation for health and family welfare from the current 4% of the total budget to at least 8%, arguing that this is necessary to reverse the outsourcing of critical healthcare services and strengthen the public health system.