Kushalnagar, (Kodagu): The Kushalnagar bandh called by Cauvery Taluk Horata Kendriya Samiti demanding creation of Cauvery Taluk was total on Thursday, with the entire town witnessing a complete shut-down.

Shops, commercial & other business establishments, barring medical shops & milk booths, remained closed since morning. Hotels and  Cinema theatres too were closed in support of the bandh.

However, buses, both KSRTC and private, maxicabs, autos, cabs and other public transport vehicles plied as usual and schools and  colleges functioned normally.

As part of the bandh, Gram Panchayat (GP) members from Nail Hudikeri, Nanjarayapatna, Gudde Hosur, Suntikoppa, Shirangala and Kudige, marched in a padayatra from their respective GPs to Kushalnagar.

The protesters who took out a rally on B.M. Road, staged a demonstration at Masjid Circle and TMC Circle blocking the road for some time.

Later, they formed a human chain at Cariappa Circle and raised slogans demanding formation of Cauvery Taluk with Kushalnagar as headquarters.

Congress MLC Veena Achaiah visited the spot where an indefinite  stir was launched a couple of days ago and enquired the health of the protesters.

The MLC assured the protesters of taking up the issue with Chief Minister Siddharamaiah when he visits the district on Jan. 9.

Meanwhile, M.E. Mustafa, a Samiti member, who was on fast for the past three days, collapsed yesterday, following which he was given first aid and shifted to the District Hospital at Madikeri in an ambulance.

Cauvery Taluk Horata Kendriya Samiti President V.P. Sashidhar, Member K.S. Rajashekar, ZP Members P.M. Latif, Kumuda Dharmappa, Sunitha Manjunath and K.P. Chandrakala, TMC Members T.R. Sharavanakumar, Madhusudhan, M.K. Cariappa and Promod Muthappa, leaders K.N. Devaraj, N.K. Mohan Kumar, Abdul Khadar, M. Krishna, K.B. Raju and others were present.