Mangaluru : The Narayana Guru Vichara Vedike will hold a State-wide agitation seeking the establishment of Billava Development Corporation, naming Mangaluru International Airport after Koti and Chennayya, legendary folk heroes of Tulu Nadu, and inclusion of Billavas in Backward Class 1 category.

Talking to reporters here, vedike president Satyajit Surathkal said that the modalities of the agitation will be worked out during a meeting of the vedike in Bengaluru in October.

Accusing the BJP government in the State of sidelining Billavas, Mr. Surathkal said that the State government is also continuously misguiding Billava youth. The government has not so far released any grants for development of Billava community, where a majority are backward in economic, social and literary terms.

Mr. Surathkal said that the demand for inclusion of Billavas in Backward Class 1 category has been pending for a long time. The State government cited COVID-19 and did not release funds to Devaraj Urs Backward Classes Development Corporation. This has hurt not just Billavas but all other Backward Class communities, he said.

He said that Narayana Guru Jayanti organised by State government here on September 10 did not appear to be a State-level function. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai did not garland the statue of Narayana Guru. He failed to make any announcement for the development of Billavas, he said.