Karnataka

In recent years, a new confident Hindutva has enforced its presence in several districts of coastal Karnataka, seeking to consolidate its base among diverse castes. Yet, to combat the bonds of economic cohesion and cultural cohabitation that still retain their resilience among communities - Hindu and Muslim, this new Hindutva will need to continually build new identities and deconstruct existing ones.

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Using data from official statistics, census and surveys, this paper traces fertility transition of Karnataka and explains factors responsible for slow pace in comparison to other south Indian states. There exist considerable regional disparities with regard to health and demographic indicators. Fertility decline has been faster in southern and coastal regions, and at a tardy pace in backward northern districts characterised by low literacy, low female age at marriage, poor health infrastructure and low status of women.

Karnataka is reeling under its worst drought in 10 years in the wake of the failure of the south-west monsoon. The symptoms were visible two months ago, but the state machinery is only now gearing up to tackle the situation, even as incidents of crop loss, cattle deaths, and mass migration of labour come to the fore. The state has sought financial assistance from the centre, but the question is how efficiently the money is spent and whether it reaches the needy. Ultimately, however, only long-term measures, such as rejuvenating the natural resource base, will help to tackle the scourge of drought.