Bengaluru
oi-Madhuri Adnal
Actor-turned-activist Ahimsa Chethan is set to launch a new political party in Karnataka, bringing together activists, organisers and people involved in social movements. The proposed party will focus on equality, justice and constitutional values, with Chethan saying the aim is to build a more equal society.
Speaking to reporters during his visit to Mangaluru on Saturday, Chethan said Karnataka needed a political alternative that was more closely connected to people’s concerns. He said the new party would take up issues affecting ordinary citizens and push for governance based on the Constitution.
Actor-turned-activist Ahimsa Chethan is launching a new regional political party in Karnataka focused on equality, justice, and constitutional values, aiming to unite social activists, with a formal launch planned for January in Hubballi.
“Governments that are deaf and blind wake up the moment they realise their chair is shaking. Karnataka needs a solution and an alternative. We need a party based on equality and the Constitution,” he said.
Chethan plans regional political party
Chethan said the new organisation would be a regional party centred on equality, justice and constitutional principles. He said activists, organisers and members of different social movements from across Karnataka would be brought together under the proposed platform.
The party’s name has not been finalised yet. Chethan said it would be chosen in line with the values and principles the organisation intends to represent.
The registration process is already underway, he said. Meetings are also being held in different parts of Karnataka, including Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, as part of efforts to build the organisation and discuss the issues it should take up.
A larger convention is planned in Hubballi in January, where the party is expected to be formally launched.
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Chethan opposes Bidadi township project
Chethan also spoke against the proposed Bidadi township project, saying development should not mean taking away farmers’ land.
He said farmers should not be compelled to give up agricultural land for large projects and questioned who would ultimately benefit from such development.
“My demand is that Bidadi should not become a township and farmers should not lose their land. Taking away farmers’ land in the name of development, constructing buildings and benefiting the land mafia is not right. The project itself is wrong,” he said.
Chethan alleged that Bengaluru is being “destroyed in the name of development”, while several other parts of Karnataka were being left behind.
He pointed to Dakshina Kannada and the coastal region, along with North Karnataka, Central Karnataka, Kalyana Karnataka and the old Mysuru region. Development, he said, should not remain concentrated in a few parts of the state.
He also criticised the growing influence of political parties headquartered in Delhi, alleging that their priority was to expand their political reach and retain power.
‘Removing one minister will not change system’
Chethan said protests and political movements should focus on larger issues rather than targeting individual ministers.
According to him, replacing one minister does not necessarily solve a problem because another person could take the same position while the system itself remains unchanged.
“A protest should not be aimed at a minister or simply at removing them. If one minister steps down, another will come. But the system will remain the same,” he said.
He said social movements should instead push for changes in policies and the way the system functions.
Chethan refuses to comment immediately on FCRA Bill
On the Centre’s proposed FCRA Bill relating to organisations receiving foreign funds, Chethan said he would wait before taking a position.
He said he needed to read and understand the proposed legislation before commenting on it.
“I need to study it. I will respond after that. I will not say that everything done by the Central and State governments is wrong, nor will I say that everything they do is right,” he said.
Chethan’s response suggested that the proposed party would not automatically oppose every decision taken by the Centre or the Karnataka government, but would examine policies on a case-by-case basis.
NEET also comes under Chethan’s criticism
Chethan also raised questions about the NEET system, saying the discussion should not be limited to allegations of question paper leaks.
He said protests were an important part of democracy but argued that they should address the larger problem rather than focus only on demands to remove a particular minister.
He questioned whether a single examination system was suitable for a country as diverse as India and said education policies needed to take the federal structure into account.
Chethan described NEET as flawed and suggested that Karnataka should have greater priority in a system designed around the state’s students.
“To correct this, we should not look only at the interests of North India. We should look at the country as a federation and create a system, similar to the CET, that gives students from our own State priority within Karnataka,” he said.
Education and regional issues could therefore become part of the political agenda of the proposed party.
Chethan’s announcement marks a move towards electoral politics after his years of activism and involvement in social and public issues.
For now, the focus is on building the organisation. Meetings are being held across Karnataka and discussions are underway with activists and members of social movements.
The Hubballi convention planned for January is expected to provide a clearer picture of the party, including its name, structure and political agenda.
Chethan has so far positioned the proposed party around constitutional values, equality, farmers’ rights, balanced development and systemic change. Whether that translates into a significant political presence will depend on how successfully the organisation can build a network across Karnataka and move beyond its existing activist base.
