Bangalore worse than Kashmir

Bangalore worse than Kashmir

Kargil hero beaten up, threatened for taking on city's water mafia

BK Lakshmikantha Bangalore



Fighting the enemy in Kargil is easier than getting the water supply fixed in Bangalore.
R Balakrishna, an Army subedar from the Madras Engineering Group (MEG), was badly beaten up by Horamavu corporator's husband and his associates when he tried to stop them from removing the water supply to his house.
Balakrishna's house in Rajanna layout gets water from a borewell in the area. "There's only one borewell. I used to pay a monthly rent of Rs200 for the supply. In April, a waterman stopped the supply. When I asked him to restore it, he told me that I should talk to corporator Tejeshwani's husband Raju who collects the money from the people in my area," said Balakrishna.
Raju turned him away. Peeved, Balakrishna decided to pay Rs150 for water from a tanker. This angered Raju, who got the water supply to Balakrishna's house disconnected. When the subedar opposed the move and questioned his authority, Raju's men pounced on him and beat him up mercilessly. Balakrishna took up the matter with his commanding officer who suggested that he should go for a "compromise" because "he'll be staying at the house for the rest of his life."
Balakrishna then wrote to the BBMP mayor for help. He has also written to the city police chief but till now there has been no word of assurance.
"I served in Kashmir for nine years, took part in 55 counter-insurgency operations in various Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. Bangalore is worse than Kashmir. The local politicians here are worse than militants I fought in the Valley," said a distraught Balakrishna, who has served the Indian Army for almost 20 years.