On Tuesday, members of the Gokak Zilla Horata Samiti (GZHS), led by Murugharajendra Swamiji of Shoonya Sampadan Mutt, organized a protest rally in Gokak to demand district status for the area. The Lawyers Association and several other organizations joined in support of the cause.
After a large rally through Gokak, protesters submitted a memorandum to the government via the Gokak tahsildar. Addressing the crowd, Murugharajendra Swamiji emphasized that district division is inevitable from an administrative standpoint. He noted that over the past 40 years, continuous efforts have been made to secure district status for Gokak and gain government support.
Swamiji further urged district Minister Satish Jarkiholi and Minister Laxmi Hebbalakar to advocate for the cause during the winter session and rally support from all district legislators to designate Gokak as a new district headquarters. Youth leader Sarvottam Jarkiholi pledged the full support of Gokak’s youth in the movement. Bar Association president Basavaraj Kotagi pointed out that Belagavi is the largest district in Karnataka outside of Bengaluru, dividing based on population and development a necessity.
Kotagi called on the government to address the issue seriously and consider bifurcating or even trifurcating Belagavi soon. Congress functionary Ashok Pujari countered claims that border and language issues could obstruct the division, stressing that the two issues are separate and that district division would complement regional development. Other leaders present included Brahmanand Swamiji, Dr. Mahantesh Kadadi, Shashidhar Demashetti, CD Hukkeri, Arjun Pangannavar, Basavaraj Khanappanavar, Dastagir Pailvan, Shankar Goroshi, Sadashiv Gudagagol, and Ningappa Kurbate.
