Hooligans attack rail exam candidates in Karnataka

Railway recruitment exams were disrupted on Sunday morning in Bangalore and Mysore as activists of the Kannada Rakshana Vedike protested at the exam centres. Their demand was greater representation of Kannadigas in the railways.

In what is a disturbing trend, the media was invited, the police weren't, and they arrived after the event. Those carrying out the attacks in both cities have been arrested. This was certainly not something that candidates at this railway recruitment exam in Mysore were expecting.

However, unfortunately for them, this was how the Kannada Rakshana Vedike decided to make their point - and not for the first time.

Ravi Varma came all the way to Mysore from Bihar because he needs a job and is concerned about the extra expenditure now involved.

"We have come from thousands of kilometres away. The exam has been postponed to the 17th. Where to stay until then? If this kind of thing happens, it is very difficult. We only come here because it is difficult for us at home. Those who protest should understand this," said Ravi.

Many believe these attacks are misguided, but at the Bangalore exam centre, it was misguided in a different way - a centre holding KPSC exams was also attacked.

"The railway exam was happening there, and here was the KPSC exam. They confused the two and did this. For whoever it is, this is unfair. If they want to protest they should follow the right procedure," said KPSC candidate Vishwanath Dev.

It should have been one routine railway recruitment exam, instead of which, question papers and answer papers were lying torn up by the activists of the Kannada Rakshana Vedike. The exam has been postponed, but it is one more disturbing example of growing regionalism.