Outcry against VIP entry to Yuva Dasara at Hosahundi blocking access to nearby villages

Superintendent of Mysuru district police Mallikarjuna Baladandi claims that information about an alternative route has been communicated to villagers

Published - October 15, 2026 04:07 pm IST - Mysuru

Choreographer Prabhudeva performing a few steps after inaugurating Yuva Dasara in Mysuru on October 13, 2026. | Photo Credit: M A Sriram

The barricades erected near Hosahundi Junction on the outer ring road in Mysuru to facilitate the vehicular movement of VIPs visiting Yuva Dasara is reported to be causing inconvenience to residents of nearby villagers.

The restriction at Hosahundi junction in the evening on entry to a road leading to a number of nearby villages to facilitate VIP entry for Yuva Dasara programmes is causing inconvenience to a large number of daily wage labourers, farmers, and others who use this route to return to their villages. The affected villages include Chikkagoundanahundi, Develapaura, Ayarahalli, Rayanahundi, Hadinaru, Someshwarapura, and some other villages along the outer ring road.

Unaware of the restriction, several commuters were prevented at Hosahundi junction from taking a road they normally take to reach their houses in nearby villages ever since Yuva Dasara began two days ago. An autorickshaw carrying a pregnant woman was among those stopped at Hosahundi junction, according to onlookers.

Journalist Kusuma Ayarahalli, a resident of Ayarahalli, who took to social media platform to voice her concern, said that villagers are helpless, and not in a position to protest against the authorities for denying them access to a public road. “The road is public property. Leave it open to the public,” she said while pointing out that even KSRTC bus services have been prevented from using the road.

“For the sake of a handful of VIPs, causing inconvenience to a large number of people is condemnable. It is distressing to see villagers pleading with security personnel to allow them to pass,” she said.

Though an alternative route has been chalked out by the authorities, most of the villagers are unaware of it.

Moreover, the alternative route — via Nanjangud and T. Narasipura — is circuitous and consumes more time, causing further inconvenience. The alternative route passes through secluded locations, raising safety concerns, especially in the evening, according to a villager.

Superintendent of Mysuru district police Mallikarjuna Baladandi told The Hindu, “The restriction is only for a short period of a few days, limited to two-three hours.”

He claimed that information about the alternative route has been communicated to villagers. “We have been implementing this arrangement for the last three years and people have been using alternative routes,” he said while pointing out that it was not possible to allow both VIPs and the general public through the same entry for two hours, considering crowd management issues. “It would be difficult to segregate them,” he said.

Published - October 15, 2026 04:07 pm IST

Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.