Karnataka Schools and Colleges to Remain Closed Tomorrow in Honour of Former CM SM Krishna
The Karnataka government has declared a public holiday on Wednesday, December 11, for all government offices, schools, and colleges to honour former Chief Minister SM Krishna.
The last rites of the stalwart leader will be conducted at Maddur, the home town of SM Krishna on Wednesday.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar expressed deep sorrow over the death of veteran leader and former Chief Minister SM Krishna, terming him as a father figure and a political guide. Speaking emotionally to media persons, Shivakumar paid tribute to the outstanding contributions made by Krishna in the development and the legacy of Karnataka.
SM Krishna was almost like my father. His guidance and advice are visible in my life. He is the architect of ‘Nava Karnataka’,” said Shivakumar. Reiterating Krishna’s visionary leadership, he further went on to say, “Kengal Hanumanthaiah built Vidhana Soudha and SM Krishna built Vikasa Soudha. The Bengaluru International Airport and the Metro train are his contributions.”.
Shivakumar enumerated many transformative projects initiated by Krishna such as Vikasa Soudha for state development, Udyoga Bhavan for employment generation, and Karnataka Beverages Corporation for adding to the state exchequer.
He also recalled the unflinching commitment Krishna displayed at crucial moments. “He offered to resign for the sake of Cauvery. Only we know the efforts that he put in during Rajkumar’s kidnap by Veerappan,” he recalled.
Acknowledging Krishna’s role in turning Bengaluru into an IT hub, Shivakumar credited him with initiatives like the mid-day meal scheme, ‘Sthree Shakthi’, ‘Yashaswini’, and the ‘Bhoomi’ app. “His contribution to making Bengaluru the IT capital is immense. His work in branding Bengaluru as a global city is visible today with its growth,” he said.
Shivakumar described Krishna as a relative and mentor, vowed to carry forward his legacy. “He has left behind a legacy, and we need to carry it forward. I will walk in his footsteps. He was a visionary, and it would take hours to talk about him.”
The government announced that Krishna’s final rites will be performed with full state honours in his native village, Somanahalli, Madduru taluk. “The public can pay homage at his residence in Sadashivanagar until 8 am on Wednesday. His mortal remains will then be taken to Somanahalli and displayed until 3 pm,” Shivakumar informed.
A state holiday has been declared for all government offices, schools and colleges on Wednesday and a three-day mourning period will be observed. “We have organized a tribute event at Bharat Jodo Bhavan of the KPCC office at 5 pm. All party events and the Legislature party meeting have been postponed,” Shivakumar announced. Mandya district in-charge Minister Chaluvaraya Swamy and Shivakumar will oversee arrangements for the funeral.
Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna (May 1, 1932 – December 10, 2024) was an Indian politician who served as Karnataka’s Chief Minister from 1999 to 2004 and as the Minister of External Affairs from 2009 to 2012. He played a crucial role in transforming Bengaluru into a global IT hub. Krishna died at the age of 92, and the Karnataka government declared three days of mourning and a public holiday for his last rites on December 11 in his hometown, Maddur123. He is remembered for his significant contributions and leadership in Indian politics.
#What were SM Krishna’s major achievements as Karnataka’s Chief Minister?
As Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1999 to 2004, SM Krishna achieved the following:
-Transformation of Bengaluru: He saw to public-private partnerships, made it “India’s Silicon Valley” and brought in entire IT investments into Bangalore in the hands of bodies like Bangalore Agenda Task Force.
-Infrastructure Development: He thought to develop the Outer Ring Road etc and developed the physical infrastructure of the city.
-Digital Reforms: He came up with BHOOMI as an attempt for digitization and revamped the power sector in restructuring it for increasing governance effectiveness .
-Crisis Management: He facilitated the safe release of the kidnapped actor Rajkumar and dealt with the dispute over the water of river Cauvery very aptly. So, he indeed proves to be a great crisis leader.
SM Krishna handled the Cauvery water issue as a chief minister when he was still an advocate for negotiations and frameworks in the law. He called for a distress formula by the riparian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry, so that water sharing could be efficiently done during drought periods. Krishna was also there in most of the meetings initiated by the Prime Minister to discuss resolutions. But most of these tensions turned into protests and court cases, even to the extent of Supreme Court intervention. His strategy was cooperation and legality in dealing with water resources to avoid conflict.
#What role did the Supreme Court play in the Cauvery water dispute during the time of CM SM Krishna?
The Apex Court played a very crucial role in the Cauvery water dispute during the tenure of CM SM Krishna. Earlier, the court established the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) in 1990. The tribunal was constituted for judgment on the dispute that was raised by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In 2007, the tribunal passed judgments about water allocations that were contested by Karnataka. The Supreme Court had intervened on multiple occasions directing Karnataka to supply determined quantities of water to Tamil Nadu, especially during the distress years. The judicial control ensured adherence to the orders issued by the tribunals and smooth handling of the tension between states regarding water.
#What have been the long-run effects of the Supreme Court interventions in the Cauvery water dispute?
The interventions made by the Supreme Court into the Cauvery water issue have had very significant long run effects:
-Legal Framework: The Supreme Court confirmed the 2007 award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) that provided a legal basis for water sharing, since this distributed 284.75 TMC to Karnataka and 404.25 TMC to Tamil Nadu, thereby formalizing the state entitlements.
-National Asset Declaration: The Supreme Court declared the Cauvery a national asset in 2018, which reiterates the states’ cooperative management and adds greater importance to equitable distribution.
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-Continued tensions: Even after judicial pronouncements, disputes persist leading often to demonstrations and violence particularly in Karnataka. This gives the impression that just resolutions by the courts may not help problems regarding resource management and mutual relationships between states.
#In what manner have the Supreme Court orders affected the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka relationship over time.
Supreme Court orders have mainly affected the relationship between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka throughout the years:
-Heightened Tensions: The courts’ orders enhance agitation and riots in Karnataka while implementation of water release orders creates a furore in public life, causing a tiff in inter-state relations that deteriorates further.
-Law Background: Judicial pronouncements establish law, but both the States contest compliance and move to set aside the orders as inappropriate while challenging others and this does not encourage cooperative steps at any level.
-Political maneuvering: The politics in both states have used this for political mileage, so this conflict further creates mistrust because political maneuvering often seems to overrule collaborative solutions especially when there is a situation that involves a crisis.
All in all, the Supreme Court wants to give them an amicable solution. Their verdict, however has resulted in creating more tension.
#SM Krishan family background
He is popularly known as SM Krishna and was born in Somanahalli village in the Mandya district, Karnataka, on May 1, 1932. His father was SC Mallaiah. Krishna passed out of Maharaja’s College, Mysore. He got his law degree from the Government Law College in Bengaluru and went on to do postgraduate studies under a Fulbright Scholarship in the US as well at Southern Methodist University and George Washington University.
Krishna was married to Prema Krishna and had two daughters, Malavika and Shambhavi. His family background reflects a mix of academic excellence and political engagement, which influenced his extended career in Indian politics.
#How did SM Krishna’s role as External Affairs Minister impact India’s international relations?
As India’s External Affairs Minister from 2009 to 2012, SM Krishna impacted the country’s international relations through several key initiatives:
-Engagement with Pakistan: Krishna worked to reinitiate dialogue with Pakistan after the 26/11 attacks, which helped in increasing communication between the two countries and meeting Pakistani leaders, which further helped stabilize bilateral relations.
-UNSC Membership: He ensured India’s non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council in 2010, interacting with more than 100 countries for their support, which helped India raise its global diplomatic standing.
-Strengthening Ties with Super Powers: Krishna co-chaired strategic dialogues with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and had good relations with leaders from China, Russia and other key nations that advance India’s interest on the international platform.
-Crisis Management: His tenure witnessed evacuations during the Arab Spring, especially in Libya, highlighting India’s commitment to its citizens abroad and enhancing the image of the responsible nation across the world.
The end overall was more assertive, by Krishna’s diplomatic efforts to his and country’s relationships with various others.
#How did SM Krishna’s efforts impact India’s UNSC non-permanent membership?
SM Krishna’s efforts indeed led to a significant impact during India’s bid for its seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for 2010. More than 100 countries received Krishna to engage foreign ministers and other leaders, thus developing some relation and support. His initiative included meeting 89 dignitaries, which ensured India won 187 out of 192 votes in favor of its candidacy. This success was augmented by high-profile visits from leaders of the P-5 countries, enhancing India’s global standing and reinforcing its aspirations for greater influence in international affairs.
#How did SM Krishna’s rapport with foreign leaders help India’s UNSC bid?
Good rapport with foreign leaders became essential for India’s successful candidature for the UNSC non-permanent seat. His own engagements, he met over 100 leaders across the world, built this solid relationship, and sought support for Indian candidature.
Indeed, public support from the then US President Barack Obama during his November 2010 visit to India gave a huge nod and emphasized the deservingness of India’s permanent seat on this council. Krishna’s diplomacy ahead in order has been the reason India obtained 187 votes for and against, which goes onto confirm how international consensus is achieved to vote for India in the management and rule of this world.
#How did the strategies of SM Krishna with the Asian Group affect India’s UNSC membership?
The strategies by SM Krishna with the Asian Group had influenced India’s non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. The diplomatic strategies used included the following:
-Building Alliances: Krishna engaged Asian countries to win their support, making them aware of India’s contributions towards peacekeeping and regional stability, which was an argument that appealed to many members of the group.
-Formal Endorsement: The Asian Group formally endorsed India’s candidacy in February 2010, which showed there was a collective stance by all Asian countries in favor of India’s election.
He highlighted contributions, mentioning India’s position in international peace and security. It exercised its strong stand as a major contributor in UN peacekeeping operations by establishing a claim for itself on UNSC.
Due to such efforts, during the election, India successfully gained 187 votes, due to which it was supported enormously by other countries in the international circuit, especially in Asia in terms of diplomatic strength.