Konkani speaking people predominant in Karwar

Konkani-speaking people predominant in Karwar

Karwar: The electioneering is hotting up in Karwar constituency with film actors and the political leaders touring on the constituency canvassing for various parties. Karwar Assembly Constituency consists of Karwar and Ankola taluks and is the best example of social and political culture.
Ankola taluk, which is a Kannada majority area, has the majority of illiterate poor people.
But Ankola, which is known as the pride of Uttara Kannada district, is known as the “Bardoli of Karnataka” for the valiant fight put up by people participated in the salt Satyagraha during the freedom fight. Ankola and Siddapur were the two taluks which became a headache for the British Government. So, although the literacy rate is less, political awareness is high among the people.
Contrary to this, Karwar taluk has Konkani majority and literacy rate is high. Karwar, which borders with Goa, has the cultural commonality with that State. A majority of the people are affluent compared to Ankola. Still here, the money matters in the elections and the development issues take back seat.
Of the 1,89,000 votes in the constituency, Ankola has about 65,000 voters and Karwar has almost double the number of voters compared to Ankola. Before delimitation of the constituencies, Ankola and Karwar were separate constituencies and in the last elections these two were clubbed together.

Dec. 16, 2008