Not men, but two donkeys led a protest in Bengaluru recently. The protest organised by Kannada Para Sanghagala Okkoota chief Vatal Nagaraj had donkeys braying for justice. The group was protesting against what Vatal termed as "the total failure of the Karnataka assembly in addressing issues pertaining to the people in the state."
On the last day of the winter session of the legislative assembly in Belagavi, it was not just his supporters who were out on the streets to mark their agitation. Two donkeys were also part of the protest that took place in Bengaluru’s Majestic area.
Speaking to The News Minute, Vatal Nagaraj said that issues pertaining to the people of Uttara Kannada and those living Hyderabad-Karnataka were not addressed in this session.
“They had the opportunity to discuss pressing issues in the state. The state government has not taken up enough development projects, especially in the border areas. Over and above this, they whiled away precious time by arguing on other less important matters. On most days, not all the members would be present in the house. There’s been absolutely no fruitful discussions this winter session,” he says.
“The government has not met the demands by humans. Now, humans and animals are together demanding that the government take up development projects,” Vatal explains.
Interestingly, this is not the first time Vatal has used animals as a prop in his politics. In January 2015, Bengaluru was witness to a rather unusual award ceremony, when Vatal honoured two donkeys for their hard work.
“I have decided to honour all domestic animals like donkeys, dogs, buffaloes, cows and oxes, as they are more loyal than human beings, hard-working, disciplined and obedient,” he had then told journalists.
He also chose to name the awards Rajyotsava, as a dig against the state government’s awards ceremony, which honour eminent persons from different walks of life.