Dailies 2012, Issue 2
Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media
November 27, 2012
Minister’s visit turns into a farce A Health Minister’s visit to a cancer care hospital ended in farce when he threatened to sack one staff member and found patients sleeping on floors. One cancer patient was found lying under a staircase. He had been there for three days. What started as a photo opportunity for Health and Education Minister of Karnataka, S.A. Ramdas, at Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, soon turned into a brawl between the minister and the administration. The member of the legislative assembly, who is entrusted with the state’s medical portfolio, visited the hospital to celebrate Kannada Rajyotsava. He announced he would consider setting up a fund to provide children with free cancer treatment after doctors explained that the cost of treatment for each child exceeds Rs. 1,50,000. The hospital would require over Rs. 40 lakhs for an entire year’s worth of treatment. The minister and his entourage then paid a visit to the children’s ward, where he was accompanied by Kannada actress, Priyamani. When asked about her contribution to the fund, she said: “I have nothing to give to these children.” After browsing through an attendance log sheet the minister
Photo: Romana D’Souza
By Romana D’Souza
Mansur Ahmed’s father, Hussain, asleep under a hospital staircase. then threatened to sack a lab technician, S. Lokraj, for poor attendance. He also blamed the technician for sloppy work done on the log sheets. After a spat between them, he moved on to the celebrations awaiting him. Lokraj said: “I will file a case against the minister and the director of the hospital, M. Vijay Kumar if they fire me from my job. I have attendance sheets to prove that my attendance is not the reason why he is warning me.My job is just to collect blood samples, not maintain logs. He’s doing this to set an atmosphere and make it appear as if he is doing real work.” Encouraged by Lokraj’s ob-
jections Lingegowda, a union leader said: “We will go on a strike if any union member is fired. The hospital administration is very corrupt and so is the minister. We know about the embezzlement of the Vajpayee Relief fund that was allocated to provide free drugs to underprivileged cancer patients and we will not hesitate to file an RTI.” The presence of the press at the hospital, led to the kin of many patients to come forward and voice their discontent with the facilities at the hospital. The most shocking sight was to find cancer patients lying on the floor, while their families struggled to check them into wards. All these patients came
from rural Karnataka expecting to avail better treatment. “My father is so sick and has been lying here under the staircase for three days. They make us go through complicated procedures to admit him. It’s cruel to make us wait too long,”said Mansur Ahmed. Idris Khan, spouse of a patient at the hospital said: “I’ve seen the nurses inject a number of patients with the same syringe, which may or may not have been sterilized. Nurses sleep throughout the night and yell at patients if they’re woken up for help. The administration needs to realize that this is not a general hospital, but a cancer care hospital!” Patients complained of doctors prescribing medicines that are supposed to be available for free at the Kidwai cancer drug foundation but are not, leaving them doubtful of what the funds received by the foundation are being used for. When the director was asked about these issues, he said: “People do not know about the facilities. Those who come from villages that are far for tests, we provide them free housing till their biopsy report comes. We provide water, food and so on to them for free. The place is called Dharmashala.” Kidwai Institute of Oncology is a regional cancer centre funded by the Government.
Cops continue to target sexual minorities MORE than ten cases are falsely lodged against members of the transgender community by the Bangalore Police every month, says Sangama, an NGO. Though the number of false cases against the transgender community has reduced since 2000, when around 60-70 cases were registered every month, the police’s policy of falsely accusing members in the transgender community of crimes such as robbery, harassment and assault have not gone away. Sources in the Bangalore Police can confirm that less that 20 per cent of the accused transgenders end up getting convicted. Akkai Padmashli, who works with the NGO said: “In 2009, the number of harassment cases went up, but now it is much lower, though not completely gone away.” She spoke of the case in October of 2009, where police rounded up transgenders and sexually abused them. “In 2009, the police themselves became the tools of sexual violence,” she said.
Photo: Tulika Mall
By Rohan P & Kriti K
Activists and members of LGBT protest at Town Hall. “When the new Police Commissioner was appointed in 2008, he said that he would evict all the transgenders in Bangalore. And though we are much better off in terms of police protection now, we cannot be certain that it will be the case in the future.” Miss Olga, a model and a transgender said” “The level of abuse and discrimination transgender activists face is "extreme." "Your own flesh and blood doesn’t agree that you are a girl.
There is an extreme level of sexual abuse. Socially they are abused; publicly they are abused; it’s everywhere. This issue should come out in a peaceful manner," she said. "We as a minority are not restricted to sex work and begging," she said. According to her, the government of Karnataka is very supportive about transgenders and their community. But they have not implemented what was prom-
ised for them such as housing, education, employment and so on. Gee Ameena Suleiman, a transgender activist of Lesbit, an organization which supports bisexuals and transgenders, spoke out against the Karnataka Police Act: “The Karnataka Police Act is extremely discriminatory. Why should transgenders register ourselves with the police station like criminals?” she asked. The Joint Commissioner of Police, B Dayanand, refused to comment on the allegations when contacted. Activists and NGO’s have been vociferous in their disapproval of the Act. Parul, an LGBT activist believes that they have to fight the act. “They can’t be treated this way. They’re just people, like you and me.” She added: “The police have no business prying into who or what they are,” she said. Rakshita, another transgender working at Sangma, said: ““The Police look at us like we are animals. We often become the vehicles for sexual violence, like rape” she said. >Contd. Pg. 2
Real estate company faces over 600 complaints. >Page 4
Drought leaves state in acute financial crisis. >Page 5
Loksatta media co-ordinator chats to The Observer. >Page 6
Karnataka introduces new services for citizens. >Page 7
Health and education an issue for taluk children. >Page 8
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The Daily Observer
Book launched by Dalai Lama
RTI Activist, T J Abraham Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with the consortium. The state did not have sufficient funds to construct roads and bridges across the state. Due to the lack of funds the consortium decided to invest in the construction project that the state would have to pay back within a short duration of time. After the signing of the MOU the state government decided to proceed with the framework as a rental project. The state government then initiated the Bangalore-Mysore Highway project and this project has now been challenged under the Criminal Procedure Code under Section 26, 27 and 482 of CRPC. The state government and NICE signed a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) that favored both the parties legally. Since then there has been an increase in illegal encroachment of land. This is the only case in India which consists of 650 pages. Lokayukta Police filed an First Information Report (FIR) against three former Karnataka Chief Ministers over the NICE project.
By Udita Chaturvedi A chance airport meeting with the Dalai Lama resulted in the spirited leader’s endorsing an author’s book. Puneeta Khatri’s painting exhibition ‘In the footsteps of Buddha’ was inaugurated and her book ‘Santa gets Bangalored’ was released. “I couldn’t think of any better person to do the honours and inaugurate my work, since Buddha is very close to His Holiness’ heart,” said Puneeta Khatri. Khatri had casually met His Holiness last December at the airport and shared her last novel ‘Cockroach Scam and Other Stories’ with him. She then requested him to launch her next novel. She said: “He was very impressed by the book’s cover and said he would get back to me after reading the book and he did. I think it is all destiny that he could come here today. I am really honoured.” While ‘In the footsteps of Buddha’ is a collection of 21 paintings on the theme of Buddha and his teachings, ‘Santa gets Bangalored’ is a collection of 15 short stories for children. “’Santa gets Bangalored’ is nothing but a collection of stories with a handful of punctuation marks woven into a story that is short and simple, revolving around monsters, miracles and adventures,” she said. She added: “Short stories are
Photo: Satyajith GD
Karnataka State Governor vows to combat farmer suicides
Karnataka stands third in the number of recorded farmer suicides By Rohan Premkumar FARMER suicides are indicative of a “serious problem,” said Karnataka Governor H R Bharadwaj. Speaking at an event honoring scientists and farmers for their contributions toward agriculture at the GKVK (Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra) College, Mr. Bharadwaj spoke about problems the farmers across the country were facing, such as crippling debt and drought. He said that though farmers in the state were suffering, he believed that the situation would improve in the future. “Times are not far off when farmers will get what they need,” he said. The Governor also stressed the need to work for the welfare of farmers and the rural poor across India. Comparing the lives of farmers in India with those in America and Europe, Mr. Bharadwaj said that farmers in America are much better off than those in India.
like chocolate bourbons that are meant to be consumed in one delightful sumptuous session.” Khatri first came up with the idea of painting on this theme after her trip to Ladakh. She was very impressed with the simple lifestyle of the people and monks there. She said: “I wanted to picturise and capture that in the paintings. So, I got along with the
very appropriate for today’s world. She added: “Since then I’ve been reading teachings of Buddha and I feel they are very relevant in today’s world. people today are becoming too materialistic and have become more unhappy. It can be dealt with if we study the thoughts of Buddha. We need to make little changes in our lives to improve ourselves.”
Photo: Udita Chaturvedi
Photo: Priyanka Roy
By Priyanka Roy
The author, Puneeta with the 14th Dalai Lama. teachings of Buddha. As I started painting, one painting led to another.” Puneeta Khatri has used “soulful colours to create Buddha paintings to paint a colourful side of peace and tranquility.” She said: “I feel that the mind is like a canvas on which a person can paint anything. “If you paint a picture that is calm and spiritual, then the tempestuous thoughts would vanish.” Puneeta Khatri does not follow Buddhism herself but she finds the teachings of Buddha
Her writings are not influenced by Buddhism but she plans to write “general articles” for newspapers and magazines on Budhhism. Her next book is again for children, like the previous two. “The title has not been finalised yet but it should release in a few months,” she said. The lead story of the book is about Santa moving to Bangalore and his experiences here.. She said: “I feel the paintingss are the union of my conscience and subconscience self.”
>>Continued from Pg.1
Cops continue to target sexual minorities The victimization of the community works on many levels. According to Sunin, after the Karnataka Police Act came in, transgenders were not even allowed to stand on the roads by the police. Even with the help of various NGOs, transgenders continue to face abuse and discrimination in India. Mr. K. Venkatesh, a freelance news photographer, planned to spread awareness about this issue in his own way. In his photography exhibition, “Beauty and the Beholder,” at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat, Mr. Venkatesh used Olga B. Aaron as a model. "It's just a social cause and I'm helping a person, that’s all. It's just an opportunity for me to help," he said. He added: "Society should bring these issues to the forefront. My intention is to create awareness in the society." Miss Olga, who is also a social activist, said that modelling is something which reaches people. "Whatever we see stays in mind," she said. She continued: "I work towards family inclusion. Transgenders shouldn't move out of home. They should have access to education and jobs. They have no moral support. Education is not there. So when education and
family support is not there, they are on the streets." She added that people were very confused. One particular group thinks that they are different but the transgenders consider themselves as a part of the society. “So there are a lot of controversies going on." Miss Olga is currently working in an organization for transsexual woman called ‘Pehchaan’. "Most of the time at work we are covering people who leave their family, who are on the streets fighting for life," she said. She added: "Where do these people come from? They come from families. Inclusion in society should come from home." Akkai said, "People like Venkatesh and I, at the forefront, speak about these issues. Otherwise the society will not be aware of our issues and will not open their eyes," she said. When talked about major issues faced by the community, she said it’s their livelihood and acceptance by society. She said: "Acceptance should come from the heart of the society, not by force.The state should recognize the topmost priority of community."
He spoke of the need for rural households to have access to basic facilities such as healthcare and education. “Healthcare and Education must be provided free of cost,” he said. A farmer who was felicitated at the event, Pushpa Manjappa, said that she was “very happy” as her efforts had been appreciated by the governor. On migration of farmers to cities, Mr. Bharadwaj said if rural communities are given adequate opportunities, they would not migrate to “overcrowded cities” in search of work. Dr. Shiva Shankar, a researcher who released his book at the felicitation ceremony, had conducted environmental studies in Southern India.Shiva Shankar said that global warming was a grave threat facing the planet. He said that afforesting coastal areas which have just “five to six per cent” of forest cover could help in the sequestration of carbon, and help to offset global warming. A candlelight vigil remembering those killed in various acts of violence against LGBT.
Photo: Tulika Mall
High Court adjourns hearing in NICE case for the second consecutive day THE High Court adjourned the controversial NICE case on Tuesday. Karnataka High Court adjourned the case filed by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise seeking stay of the Lokayukta Court order. The hearing will continue tomorrow RTI activist, T J Abraham said: “Like 2000 other cases awaiting justice, I will also wait for the court to deliver justice on this issue.” Abraham said he had complete faith in the judicial system and believed that the court will take the right decision, eventually. A lawyer representing NICE (Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise) company claimed that: “Under Section 4, applicants aren’t allowed to file an application without the consent of the central and state government. The property details should be attached with the district jurisdiction. Applicants cannot approach the special courts directly.” H D Deve Gowda, S M Krishna and B S Yeddyurappa weren’t present at today’s hearing at the High Court. Giving an account on the background of this case, T J Abraham told the Observer that around 3,ooo farmers and their poor families have been displaced from their lands. In 1995, the state government had signed
November 27, 2012
State government gears up against advanced HIV cases
- Adult HIV prevalence is 0.69% - Estimated number of PLHIV in the state- 2, 45, 522 -The cumulative number of HIV cases registered at ART centres- 2, 32,761 -PLHIV or Anti Retroviral (ART)- 85,605 (39,950 are male, 39888 are female and 149 are transgenders) -Total number of blood banks in the state- 171.
Eminent members of NACO address the crowd at Press Club. has one Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) Centre. As of now, there are 49 art centres and 167 Link Art centres functioning in the state. The total number of children who are in ART are 5,618 (out of which 3214 are male and 2404 are female). By the end of 2012-13 the plan is to have 54 ART centres and 184 Link ART centres. There are 33 CD4 machines in the state at present with eight more proposed. The Karnataka State Aids Prevention Society (KSAPS) is aiming to bring down HIV to zero (0 %) by the end of 2015. Karnataka has 12 districts under Link workers scheme which essentially focuses on HIV
India is facing dementia time-bomb By Nikita Malusare OVER three million people are affected by dementia and it is likely to double in the next 15 years. Dr. Shankar Saxena,Director, Department of Mental Health and Substance Use, World Health Organisation (WHO), Geneva raised concern over the rise in deaths due to Mental, Neurological and substance use(MNS) disorders at a symposium on Public health priorities in MNS held at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Science (NIMHANS). The burden of the communicable problems has fallen over the years whereas that of the neurological problem is on rise. He stated, “Care has been taken to cure catastrophic diseases by government and WHO but other non-communicable diseases are over shadowed.” Neurological disorders are primary concern among both low income and high income group of young adult women from age group 15 to 44 years. The WHO report on leading causes of disease burden, 2004, indicated 21 percent of women are victims of unipolar disorders followed by schizophrenia. Alcohol abuse is on rise among the high income women compared to that of others. Nearly 3 percent of the population, especially the elderly are suffering from conditions like dementia and parkisons’ disease. Dr.Saxena believes in next 15 years the problem of Dementia will rise. Pointing out at the loop holes
of millennium goal development set up by UN, he said “Yes, education, poverty, HIV and other communicable diseases should have focus but other non-communicable diseases and MNS should have the same focus and priority.” The investment in neurological science in India is very less. Most of the Indian psychiatrists or neurologist go abroad in order to earn more. There are only 0.30 per 100,000 psychiatrists and neurologist sums up to 0.03 per 100000. Therefore, many neurological patients are left without any help. WHO has recognised this need and have initiated a programme Public Health Priority. It will pool in resources and train manpower and support institutions that recognises the need to develop neurological awareness and treatment in the country. National Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Science (NIMHANS) has recognised this priority and soon its public health centrewould be collaborated as WHO centre. He said, “:All over the world governments are investing only three percent of their budget on MNS while the disease burden is 13 % .” Talking about India he said: “India is very good for mental health care in big cities but poor in rural areas. Public health approach which the NIHMANS will initiate will be a very good guiding principle for making treatments available to the people of any part of the country.”
prevention and care and support in the rural areas. KSAPS undertakes various Mass and Mid media campaigns through radio and television programmes, by setting up hoardings and bus and auto rickshaw panels, through folk troupe and door to door campaigning at high and vulnerable HIV prevalent taluks in the state. There are 732 Red Ribbon Clubs more by the end of this year. During the year 2011-12, KSAPS has launched 41 legal AIDS clinics in collaboration with Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) in all Government supported ART centres across Karnataka.
Preserve your culture: Dalai Lama to Tibetans By Vintu Augustine Over 2000 Tibetan people flocked around Jnana Jyothi, Bangalore to have a vision of their spiritual leader. The Fourteenth Dalai Lama urged the Tibetan community of Bangalore to preserve the integrity of their culture and language by being faithful. This is the third day of his visit to Bangalore and it was his fourth address. He asked them to be truthful and integrated people of selflessness. He stressed the point of how generous Karnataka government has been to the Tibetan population in accommodating one of the largest Tibetan settlements. He was addressing the Tibetan people at Jnana Jyothi Auditorium, Bangalore on November 27. Tenzin Gyaltso, the Dalai Lama, asked the community not to lose the great heritage of Tibetan language and solicited them to be true followers of their religion. Addressing them on the base of their exodus to India, he discussed the political policies of Tibetan government in exile. Tibetan people from all over Bangalore gathered to have a glance of their spiritual leader and listen t o his message. They gathered in huge number just for the joy and spiritual
nourishment they gain from a glimpse of him and his words. “This is the first time I see him and I am so excited about the same,” said Sonam Wangchu, a student of Dalai Lama College. People began to assemble already from 9 a.m. and the auditorium of 1100 seat capacity was filled by 12’o clock for the talk at 1:30 p.m
Dalai Lama tells the crowd to be true to themselves. The hundreds squatting on the floor outside the auditorium not getting seats inside had to be satisfied with live telecast. The disciplined crowd, thronged to have a vision of his Holiness, was forced to practice patience further by the one hour delayed arrival of the spiritual Guru. There was a tight security arranged by the Bangalore police with over 100 personnel on duty in and around the auditorium.
Students agitate against government’s refusal to fill in vacancies
By Sumit Students from different districts of Karnataka protested at town hall against state government’s policy for seat allotment under Certificate in Physical Education course. Students from various districts of Karnataka protested under the banner of Karnataka Vidyarthi Sangathene at the town hall on Tuesday.
10, 000 seats vacant across the government schools in Bangalore, but the state government is not taking any action.” He added: “Though there was an announcement made for appointing 4000 teachers last week, by the education minister, but this is also not a suitable number.” The protesters were also very vocal about their demands for action to be taken by the state government for the allotment on the
years”, claimed the protesters. The government schools run without teachers and thus, parents are not willing to send their children to such schools. “In this way, the government is also promoting privatisation of educational institutions” said Muthhu Rajan, a student who completed his CPED last year. CPED is a qualifying exam conducted for Indian students. Those who have cleared their in-
Photo: Sumit
Snapshots of Karnataka
Photo: Shreya Mukherjee
By Shreya Mukherjee Karnataka is one of the four largest states in South India with relatively advanced HIV cases. As part of the National Aids Control Program (NACP) of the National Aids Control Organization (NACO), Karnataka has been conducting the HIV Sentinel Surveillance since 1998. The provisional rate of cases in 2010 was 0.69% among general population. There has been a significant decline in adult HIV cases in the state- from 1.5% in 2003 and 2004 to less than 1% (0.69%) in 2010. Further, declining number of cases among women in the age group 15 – 24 probably indicates halting new infections. Every district in Karnataka
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The Daily Observer
Photo: Vintu Augustine
November 27, 2012
Angry students protest against the government’s reluctance to hire them as Physical Education teachers Their demand, as told by a student activist Maligey, was, “We want the state government to give jobs to all the students who have completed the CPED (Certificate in Physical Education) course.” The students present at the protest said that there are enough seats vacant in government schools but still the government is not appointing physical education teachers. Ravi, a student from Hubli district said, “There are more than
25% seats reserved against the 75% reserved for the central government. “There are a total of 8, 621 seats under the CPED course in the year 2012. 75% of the allotments are to be made by the Central Government while 25% allotments are in the hands of State Government” said a senior activist who preferred to be unnamed. “In spite of the high number of vacancies, appointments have not been made for the past five
termediate exams can appear for it. It is a two year course upon completion of which, the successful candidates generally join government schools as Physical Education teachers. The protesters at the town hall had previously staged a protest in front of the state education department but the government has taken no action yet on the issue. However, they said, “If our demands are not met, we will carry on the protests.”
The Daily Observer
November 27, 2012
Customers allege fraud against real estate developers
By Shreya Mukherjee
the original layout.” Indrasudhee came to know this company through a broker called Anil Mungarwadi. The broker told him that in next 8-10 months time, the site will get approved and will be registered. So, he paid the initial amount which
The plot used for cheating customers in Devanhalli was Rs. 10 lakhs. The amenities that the buyers were promised included tar roads, street lights, water facility, swimming pool and parks. “Time passed and I asked them to show me the approval copy. Every time they had a reason and kept postponing, and after almost a year and half from the time of agreement, they still did not have any approval papers,” said Indrasudhee. Utkarsh Arabhavi, another victim, says that he started to call them continuously and they began to ignore or kept the phone switched off. He even visited the office in J P Nagar and found that they had closed down their office. Frustrated, he visited their home, and then they gave him a cheque which bounced. “I registered a police complaint but it was of no use. I then approached consumer court and the case is going on now. It’s been five years and I still have not got my money back. It was hard earned money,” said
No rehabilitation centre for rescued children in Bangalore
By Deepu Aby Varghese
THOUSANDS of abused children are being abandoned by the state as there are no rehabilitation facilities for rescued children. Past three years nine children have killed themselves after being rescued from abuse due to psychological presure. In many cases they are put back out on the streets or into a home where the abuse continues. “We need group of volunteering psychiatrists, counselors, and social workers who can work along with government to run rehabilitation homes,” :said Mr. Sharma. The only designated home for juvenile boys in Bangalore, under Special Juvenile Police (SJP) and Child Welfare Committee (CWC), has a capacity of just 200 beds. More than 200,000 children are reported runaways or abused every single year. At Bangalore Central Railway Station, about 18 such children are found on an average per week. More than 25 cases of child rights violation were reported to police from Jayanagar district alone in 2012. Most cases are not taken up by the police as they are reluctant to file a report in cases involving child abuse and child rights. Mr. Vasudeva Sharma, chairman of the Child Rights Trust of Karnataka, said: “Police won’t take any action unless an FIR is filed. Unfortunately many people are reluctant to file FIR, they just approach the police and say, ‘my child was tortured by so and so
person, so help us.’ “ Another problem hampering the maintenance of government juvenile homes is lack of proper funding. “Karnataka government allots eight percent of total budget for children and only 0.01 percent of this fund is for welfare and rehabilitation of children,” said Mr. Nagasimha, Director, Child Rights Trust. Watch dog committees are present in most of the taluks or panchayats to curb atrocities against women and children. Often they are dysfunctional, as state level committees constituted for supervising them fail to do their job. “The government is screening the watchdog committees from the bottommost level. There is a state level committee for that but unfortunately committee remains as a committee,” said Mr. Sharma. NGOs namely Bachpan Bachao Andolan(Bosco) Makal Shaya Vaani complain that they are often targeted by traffickers and other moral policing societies. There have been cases registered against them. Post rehabilitation situations faced by girl children are even more difficult. Four girls were found again by child rights trust after rehabilitation. “Our society, rather everyone is hesitant in accepting a girl that has been trafficked, probably abused or prostituted.Often that particular girl child is refused from rehabilitation in her own family and society,” said Mr. Sharma.
Utkarsh Arabhavi. ISIRI Properties is run by collaboration of three people Gopikrishna, the CEO; Rajesh VM and Somasundar who are the directors of ISIRI Properties. Gopikrishna, CEO of ISIRI properties, said: “These accusations are false. We never closed down the office, we had only changed our location. The customers misinterpreted us. If they have a problem they should come to us directly and speak.” But a lawyer representing clients, BT Ram, said: “They have been lying all this while and are still lying. These people have cheated the customer. I have carefully looked at all the details, and they are frauds. ” “ISIRI is coming up with a new project in Bannerghatta near DLF, Akshayanagar and I was interested in it but after knowing what they have done in the past, I am thinking of changing my decision,” said Chaitanyag, who was nearly duped by ISIRI Properties Pvt. Ltd.
KARNATAKA poultry industry is incurring a loss of Rs.6 crore due to the rampant spread of bird flu in the state. The president of Karnataka Poultry Traders Association, K. N. Nagaraju, said: “We are facing a huge crisis. We have cut down the cost for which we are at a loss of Rs. 37 per kilogram. It results in a major loss when calculated altogether.” The birds are generally affected by H1N1 virus during summer season but sometimes it affects them in other seasons too. According to the report from a laboratory in Pune where the test for detection is done, not a single hen is found to be suffering from bird flu at present in Karnataka. Only Turkeys have been detected with the disease. Mr. Nagaraju added: “In Karnataka, bird flu is only being detected in turkey birds. People have a wrong notion and on the top of that, newspapers have news about bird flu in Karnataka which is making people all the more conscious about it. People are not buying poultry products and at large, the state poultry is running in loss.” The news about the spread of bird flu in Karnataka has made common people conscious. Mr. N. K. Nagappa, a resident of Nagashettyhalli, said: “I came to know about bird flu from newspaper and television. So, my family is not having any of the poultry products since three weeks. But now, the president of the Poultry Association has announced that the flu is not among hens but it is
among turkey birds. Now we are confused. We don’t know what to do. At one point of time it is being told that there is a massive attack of flu among the birds and now they are saying that it’s only the turkeys which are affected by H1N1 virus.” There is a state of confusion going on because of bird flu. The Poultry Association has announced that the flu is only in turkey birds but, the people are not having poultry products out of fear. A Veterinary Surgeon, Dr. Srinivas, said: “There is no problem in having chicken. It should be cooked at 30 degree Celsius for more than 20 minutes.” He further added: “There is no hen suffering from bird flu as of now. It is only the Turkey birds which are affected. Moreover, the Central poultry Department
President of Karnataka Poultry Traders Association, K.Nagaraju. (CPD) in Heserghatta has buried all these infected turkeys 20 feet under the ground. So, there is nothing to worry about”.
Sexual harassment of women is rampant in the workplace By Urmi Sengupta SEXUAL harassment of women in the workplace has now become a major concern in Karnataka, according to police. More women than ever before are being molested at work and subjected to verbal and physical attacks, according to Assistant Commissioner of Police Anand Kumar. He said: “Crimes against women are increasing and among them molestation in the workplace is a now a major concern. Women these days get molested by their colleagues or senior officials at workplace.” Mr. Girisha J, a psychologist, said: “Around 10% of working women get sexually harassed in Karnataka.” He added: “Sometimes the harassment may be in the form of making verbal, lewd comments or cracking dirty jokes in front of them, unnecessary touching as well trying to take advantage when they are alone. They also get lewd calls from unknown people at night. Most of the time they are forced to stay late in their offices.” He added: “Generally a person in a higher post, a superior or a co-worker tries to take advantage. Girls between the ages of 18- 35 years generally are the victims of such cases”. “No concentration at work, breakdowns, tension and fear are the most common side-effects of harassment. They even leave their jobs. Counselling, along with stress relieving methods are
helpful in such cases.” Dr. Shaibya Saldanha said: “Sexual harassment of women in the workplace is very common but generally they don’t report it as most of them are either too scared that their reputation gets affected or scared that their career will get affected.” She said the abuse spanned all areas, including sexually suggestive comments and lewd jokes to outright rape and blatant propositions.
my workplace. A few men attacked me one night at around 8:30 p.m. in Majestic bus stand. The nightmare haunts me.” Poushali Ghosh, a BPO employee, said: “I work at night shifts and most of the time, I am scared to travel alone. Though I haven’t faced any harassment in the office, I always try to remain aware of my surroundings.” Mrs. Usha B., an activist of the Hengasara Hakkina Sangha, a women’s right resource
Photo:Urmi Sengupta
Pamphlet that helped in tricking consumers with false promises
Photo:Sumit
By Amrita Ray AT least 600 customers have been cheated out of over rupees one crore in a complex land scam. ISIRI Properties collected money in advance from their customers for their forthcoming layout called Golden Daffodils near Devanhalli in mid 2008, but the plots shown to the customers were never really bought by ISIRI. “They just kept on promising that the registrations will be ready in a month or two. Then they asked me to buy a plot in some other layout which was far away from the original site and was in a worse condition,” said Indrasudhee, a victim. He added, “They asked me to pay the remaining amount as promised for
Bird flu causes heavy losses to poultry industry in the state
Photo:Shreya Mukherjee
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Apoorva Khandelwal, victim of sexual harassment She added: “Most of the time the colleagues, seniors, team managers or cab drivers are the people who harass them. Recently the Government has passed the Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill and Vishakha guidelines, but they have not been implemented.” “Most of the companies don’t even have a sexual harassment complaint committee set up.” Apoorva Khandelwal, an employee of Texture Analytic Services, said: “I had faced harassment while returning from
(HHS), said: “Sexual harassment of women in the workplace has only recently come into the limelight.” A bill, proposed for checking the sexual harassment of women at workplace has been strongly opposed by some male NGOs like the Save Indian Family Foundation. “This bill should not be passed as there are many women who try to take undue advantage of such cases.” added Mr. Rukma Chary, an activist of SIFF.
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November 27, 2012
The Daily Observer
By Rohan Premkumar
such scales every time. They per acre of land. Nowadays how- catastrophe could lead to billions must invest in projects which en- ever, he says he will be lucky if of dollars worth of crop damage sure an adequate supply of the same amount of land can pro- over a period of time, and maybe water, even in distress years, to duce crops worth Rs. 40, 000. even extreme famines across the different agricultural zones.” Rajam says that he believes the Asia. said Ranjini. Ranjini beRanjini believes that that is a lieves that hole from which though such inthe country may frastructure projnot be able to reects, such as cover. She points the interlinking to the debt crisis of rivers might plaguing Europe involve a sizeand says that fisable initial incal deficits need to vestment, the be suitably manpayoff in the aged in order to long term could stave off our very be enormous. own debt crisis. Since 2005, “The Kelkar over 1000 farmCommittee report ers have killed clearly shows that themselves due Drought leaves state financially deprived & emotionally shattered. India is very close to massive debt, to the fiscal caused by crop failure and fall in agricultural production is precipice and we need to cut our drought. A moneylender in Ja- due to the drought which had af- subsidies in order to regain a balgalur taluk said, “Usually, farmers fected parts of Bangalore in ance,” she said. come to us when they have no 2007. Anil S, an economics profesmoney to buy seeds. They bor“After the drought, my yield sor, says that he believes in a row small amounts, and these suddenly decreased,” he said. predominantly agricultural coundebts keep adding up.” Researchers at the Indian In- try such as ours, rural India Droughts also lead to the de- stitute of Science believe that needs to be given more imporpreciation of mineral content in Asian countries, especially India tance than the rest of the country. the land. Rajam S, a farmer in could become the victims of the He believes that corporations Bangalore says that his land world’s consumption patterns. He that receive subsidies must be used to yield about Rs. 50,000 believes that the ensuing climate taxed. “Instead of cutting welfare
WITH 142 of the 177 taluks declared by the Karnataka government to be affected by the drought, the state has been left to fix a tremendously large fiscal hole. Shimoga, Chitradurga, Davangere, Chikmangalur, Bangalore, Mysore, Anekal and Hoskote are in the throes of one of the worst droughts that have hit the state for the last 42 years. Emergency welfare measures such as Rs. 3,500 farm loan waiver have been announced to help farmers with small landholdings. The state has also approached the center to sanction Rs. 5,864 crores towards drought relief measures. “All this puts an enormous burden --on the tax payer,” said Ranjini R, a researcher in economic trends. Roger Jewell, in a paper says that regions undergo periods of drought affliction quite regularly. He claims that the 1997-2001 drought cycle served as the precursor to this one, which he expects to continue till the year 2020. “The government cannot come up with relief measures on
By Satyajith GD
Droughts cripple state economy, calls made to end subsidies
to the farmers and the middle class, we need to start taxing the corporations,” he said. Meanwhile, back in Jagalur, Raman, another farmer, says that he is not even entitled to gain a loan waiver from the government, as he had to sell his land and settle his debt with a private moneylender. Raman now works as a farmhand, and says he has to migrate to the cities when work is scarce. “The government may be giving the farmers subsidies and loan waivers, but for poor farmers it doesn’t make a difference. We have to prove that our production fell by more than 50% to the inspectors. Sometimes they even ask for bribes,” he said. Ranjini and Suraj both say that the current government policy of patching up shortfalls in production and doling out welfare is untenable in the long run. They both call for a system where farmers do not have to depend on the benevolence of the state for their survival. “Establish water management schemes, invest in infrastructure and promote organic farming practices. That is the surest way of helping farmers help themselves,” said Suraj.
Farewell to the Indian Ambassador An invite to the fast
By Pushkar Banakar
By Hansa V
Photo: Deepu Aby Varghese
IN 1948, Hindustan Motors launched India’s first ever indigenous car. India had made a giant leap in the automobile industry. The Indian automobile market had its first self made, completely Indian car, the Ambassador. Even when it was launched, the Ambassador did not have the cutting edge technology in terms of speed and design. In fact, it was very primitive compared to foreign rivals like BMW and Mercedes. From the mid 1940’s till the late 1960’s Hindustan Motors was able to achieve a monopoly in the Indian automobile market. The Ambassador flooded the streets and the parking lots in almost all major cities. The rich and middle classes suddenly seemed to plug the gaps in the economic sector thanks to the car parked in their garages. From the late 1960’s, the monopoly of the Hindustan Motors product was jeopardized with the arrival of local and foreign players in the Indian automobile markets. The arrival of other Indian automobile companies was a new phenomenon but the existing foreign players in the market modified their machines in accordance with Indian tastes. This badly damaged the indiginous Ambassador and it quickly became an endangered species on the roads. The marque had reached the point of extinction. During the 1980’s and the 1990’s India reeled under severe riots. The riots affected the places which housed some of the most important people in the political scenario of the country. Hence, safety became a prime concern for these VIPs. An associate scientist in the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) said: “The government’s move of modifying the car to bulletproof and using it for safety reasons was a good
The Indian Ambassador ruled the Indian automobile industry between 1940-1960’s. one but it should have imposed design and technological enhancement for it to last longer in the global market.” The car’s fortunes were mildly rejuvenated when the government decided to use the Ambassador for all the VIPs in the political set up. This was because the car had a relatively strong body and this was upgraded to be bulletproof. This ensured the safety of the politicians and the extended lease of life for the car and the manufacturer. Unfortunately, due to many reasons, this step could only extend the life span of the Ambassador by a few years. This time the foreign players in the market played a major role in the downfall of the Ambassador. India had opened its doors to foreign investment and companies. This generated enormous employment opportunities. This resulted in a lot of people opting for other foreign makes for luxury purposes and some manufacturers ensured luxury with safety. The Ambassador was thus abandoned again and thistime neither the government nor its employees came to its rescue. The sales of the car plum-
meted at an alarming rate. The sight of an Ambassador on the street drew attention as it became a novel commodity. The company suffered huge losses and was on the verge of a shut down. It looked to the government for a bail-out option for a second time but this time the government gave the company the cold shoulder. They shut their doors after that. An ex-employee of the company, Navin Sarkar, said: “The management tried its best to revive the car and company. If the government had bailed us out the second time, maybe we would be a big player in the automobile industry today.” After a gap of a few years, the company regrouped and planned on re-launching ‘India’s Pride’ in an improved and better version. There was a lot of effort put on design and speed and the company was successful in making a supremely advanced version of its predecessor. But the car again lost out on its global competitors. New model could not create a buzz. The dream of reviving India’s very own automobile pride crashed and the Ambassador still lurks in the darkness of the abandoned garages.
ANNA Hazare and his team have been a major part of the Indian media ever since the ‘fast unto death’ method to eradicate corruption came into being. The whole idea of “indefinite fasting” clearly states that Anna Hazare and his supporters would refrain from having food or water. This had been the scenario ever since April 5th 2011, when Anna called for a hunger-strike the first time ever against the government. One such incident happened during my stay in Delhi, fortunately as the fasting by Team Anna was reaching its peak. And this was exactly the time when Anna's health was deteriorating. I was casually passing the destination of the first fast, Jantar Mantar, toward India gate, when I met him; let me call him ‘Hari’. He was in his late forties and retired, working for one of the private mobile networks in Delhi. In the early hours one saw him jogging along the path. At his request, I agreed to join him to sit for the fast just for that day. He frequently told me that the day would be quite entertaining and interesting for me as this was the first one I was attending. I agreed to go just for the sake of the curiosity he had aroused in me. All that the participants did was to yell and howl for justice without having food and drink. I was in for a delightful surprise. In the begining, there were screams and shouts which expressed that they would not eat or drink until and unless their demands were met.I promptly joined along. Hari was right beside me and kept telling what was happening and helped me identify the people in the scene. I asked him how he could remain calm about the whole issue while all others were ranting and
raving. He smiled. I did not understand the twinkle in his smile. I left it. Hari pointed at a man and said that he had his morning breakfast before joining us in the mass movement. He stayed during the period between breakfast and lunch, and then would return back home to have his lunch. He would come back from lunch, but go back for his evening snacks again. And finally he would return for one last time to remain till he had to go for his dinner and sleep the night. I did not believe what Hari told in its entirety. The next day, I came again just to observe this guy, who seemed very earnest about his support. Surprisingly that day his family had joined him. And the exact same routine took place, now the whole family following his suit, as Hari had narrated the previous day. I finally came to understand what Hari had meant when he told that it would be entertaining for me. Even though crusader Anna was fasting with honest intentions, not all his supporters were doing the same. And it was really astounding how the media was not able to spot such instances. I tried going for the fast whenever I could and whenever I did, I could definitely find at least twenty-five people among the gathering who succumbed to this practice simultaneously, pretending to be worthy supporters of Hazare as the rest were. It left me with the thought, if people were not able to live up to their demands and claims, why would they even try to join such things? Why would they expect from the government what they could not accomplish as individuals? Isn't this just pure blackmailing of the government at the risk of one's own reputation and dignity?
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The Daily Observer
November 27, 2012
In Conversation With...
Loksatta unveils plans for upcoming assembly elections
Mr. Anand Yedwad, addressing a press conference in Bangalore elections as well. We are going to contest in all the constituencies in the 2014 assembly elections and have already finalized two of our candidates. One is Dr. Meenakshi Bharat from Malleshwaram and Mrs. Shanthala Damle from Basavangudi. The other candidates will be finalized shortly and we are sure to get better results this time. How do you plan to extend your party’s foothold in other states of the nation? Mr. Yedwad: the party was founded in Andhra Pradesh and we are registered as a national party and not a regional party. We
hya Pradesh. The party’s unit is being set up in the north eastern states as volunteers are coming up from this region as well. Going by your past performance in the AP assembly elections, your party managed to get only one seat of all the contested seats in spite of having ample time for campaigning there. How different is your preparation for the forthcoming assembly elections in Karnataka? Mr. Yedwad: The political scenario in the two states is very different. The people here are agitated with the ruling party and
Art demands interest not ignorance: Dr. Rehana Shah ment of Visual Art but they don’t have an experienced faculty? What is your say in that? Rehana: I know as I told you previously that, nobody is interested in depth studies of visual art. Every thing is government oriented in India. They are the sole decision maker of everything and Bangalore University is facing the same problem because they don’t pay much to the faculty for their work. Education of art needs to be
Photo: NGMA website
In a chat with Dr. (Mrs.) Rehana Shah (Officer on Special Duty,H.O&DDO) National Gallery of Modern Art, The Daily Observer’s reporter, Reshma Tarwani, finds out art is being ignored in Bangalore even though Karnataka is known for its exquisite art and culture. What is the importance of visual art according to you? Rehana: Visual art is something which is really difficult to describe in words unless you have practi-
National Gallery of Modern Art, Bangalore cal exposure of this education. I have learned this in Delhi during my graduation, I was interested in that. At the time our faculty was experienced and very interested towards art. Why is this form of art in demand these days? Rehana: Because art has its own world to create. I have been learning and teaching art for the last 15 years and I love my profession a lot. People do admire the art but they are ignoring the depth of it. It’s in demand because visual arts are a new concept where lot of technology is involved. Bangalore University has started the separate depart-
rewarded but in Bangalore University’s visual art department, the faculty never receives the reward. I have been working there as a visiting faculty, I have faced the same problem. Students are eager to learn but the authorities are not taking an initiative. So the department has ended up with no experienced faculty and sometimes no faculty at all. Why is it so difficult to find experienced people in this field? Rehana: It’s not difficult, we do have very well trained and experienced people in that but they need the right platform to showcase their talent. Let me put in
this way, I have been working here in National Gallery of Modern Art (NAGMA) for the last 10 years. We have the most beautiful art gallery in Bangalore but nobody knows about it. I have been promoting the exhibition in different colleges and pleaded them, just to see and visit the gallery and exhibition once but nobody turned up. Is it true that the visual art field is really tough to understand or it is very boring as compared to other streams of education? Rehana: It’s not boring and it is not at all difficult to understand either. I have learned and I am teaching too; I know the beauty of this subject. It is one of the most interesting fields as compared to Engineering or the medical profession. Once you get used to it you will be engrossed in it, trust me. Do you think should visual art be compulsory or not? Rehana: No it should not be compulsory. Every compulsion has some disadvantages and visual art need not be compulsory. It all depends on the interest of the individual in this field. Could you please share your experience and how your career began? Rehana: Sure definitely, I would love to share my experience. I was interested in the art from my child hood. I picked up this profession because my father was visual art expert in Delhi. He was the permanent faculty of Delhi University. I learned from him. I am not the only person to build this institute. I just contributed like other officials.
they are in search of a party which plays clean politics and is not corrupt. Our party principles cater to the wishes of the people so we are sure to get a good result. You say you are a party which is very different from the other conventional parties. What’s the thing that makes you stand apart from the other parties? Mr. Yedwad: We are a party who do not elect members with criminal records. Any member charged with indiscipline is immediately suspended and if proved guilty is immediately expelled from the party. Another thing which makes us stand out is the decentralization of politics and the anti corrupt and corrupt free environment in the party. Your ideologies are similar to that of the IAC. Now that the IAC has made clear its intentions of foraying into politics, would we see an alliance between the Loksatta and the IAC in the forthcoming elections? Mr. Mr. Yedwad: We have always supported the IAC in all its movements. If the leadership of the AC does not have any problems aligning with us then we have all
doors open for them. In fact this will only help us realize our dream of clean and corruption free politics faster. Recently, the IAC had organized a protest for the delay being caused in the appointment of the Lokayuktha. If your ideologies match as you claim, why were your volunteers not seen in this protest? Mr. Yedwad: Our volunteers were part of the organizing committee in the rally. Although in the rally our volunteers directly participate , they supported it fully by making arrangements for the protest. Last week you organized a press conference and released photocopies of FIRs lodged against four BJP leaders, including two ministers on land grabbing cases against them. Have the police taken any further action on them? If not, what action do you plan to take? Mr. Yedwad: There has been no action taken against the ministers and we are planning to move court regarding one of the cases involving Narayana Swamy as he is one of the contesting candidates in the upcoming elections. We want the court to announce a judgment at the earliest and pun-
Bangalore no longer a favorable destination for migratory birds BANGALORE has seen a depreciating number of birds this season around its natural habitats, says Dr. MB Krishna in an interview with Sneha Banerjee. Dr. M B Krishna is an ecologist and ornithologist from Bangalore. He said that the loopholes in urban planning and unpredictable population explosion has created an enormous amount of destruction in the natural environment of the city. He added that the main reason for the decline in migratory birds is the reduction in the number of trees and an increase in pollution and contaminated lakes. Bangalore initially had over one lakh birds migrating to the city in a year which has now reduced to nearly 35,000 per year. There are several implications of this decline. Plants like sandal-
Dr. MB Krishna, ecologist wood depend on birds like barbets and bulbuls for the dispersal of seeds in the rural areas. Moreover the scenic beauty of the state has declined. Dr. Krishna also pointed out the lack of maintenance of city parks and the failure to create new ones. Dr. Krishna pointed out at the reckless cutting of trees between 2007 and 2010.
Photo: Kalyan Verma
What are your plans for the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka? Mr. Yedwad: Even when we fielded our candidate at the last moment in the 2009 BBMP elections, we managed to secure a
already have our presence in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa and Mad-
Photo: Kalyan Verma
As a new party, what is the biggest challenge you faced in setting up base in Karnataka during the previous election? Mr. Yedwad: One of the biggest challenges we faced as a party was the lack of awareness among the voters about the manifesto of the party and its presence in the state. We did not have much time to campaign as the 2009 BBMP elections were announced months after we had set up the party and hence the lack of volunteers cost us the campaigning strength and caused defeat of our candidate.
16% vote share. So it’s a very good beginning for us. We hope to translate this in the assembly
Photo: Pushkar Banakar
Mr. Anand Yedwad is the media coordinator for the Loksatta Party. In conversation with the Daily Observer’s reporter Pushkar Banakar, Mr. Yedwad talks about how the Loksatta Party is a party with a difference and their plans to establish their party in Karnataka and the strategies for the upcoming assembly elections. Here are few excerpts from the interview:
Denied migration: The Sandpiper He even pointed out at the faulty town planning system in the city. He said: “The phenomena of contour planning should have been adopted by developers rather than trying to broaden every other road to accommodate more traffic. “In the process they have reduced the greenery of the city by 25-30 percent.” The missing habitat of lakes, water shrubs and many tall trees prevent birds like sandpipers, parakeets, tailor birds, barbets and others from migrating down to our city. He feared that the situation could worsen if necessary steps weren’t taken. On asking for an immediate and effective solution, Dr. Krishna asked residential apartments, homes and corporate offices to promote a richer environment. Planting shrubs that are not monotonous in color and shape promotes biodiversity. Dr. Krishna said: “Every campus should contain one of the following elements at least. “These include damp areas and ponds, leaf filter, flower beds, variety of climbers, greenery on walls and numerous trees.” These factors will act as a noise barrier, promote well being, act as a wind barrier to the aesthetic element.
November 27, 2012
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The Daily Observer
KARNATAKA police is the first in the country to launch SMS gateway for empowering citizens. This initiative was inaugurated by Mr. R. Ashoka, Deputy Chief Minister and Mr. Suresh Kumar, Minister for urban development and Law and parliamentary affairs. Karnataka is the only state in the country where all the investigation records from FIR to charge sheet and even up to court progress are maintained on line in real time which means that any document related to investigation can be accessed by authorized officers by the click of button in real time. The entire Police department of the state worked for 48 months to collect all the required files for maintaining the database. The uniqueness of this initiative is that these services are delivered through computer network of Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS) and
are rolled in entire state. HP and Gran Thornton are the technological partner for five years. Mr. Praveen Sood, Addl. Director General of Police, Police computer wing said: “the response to SAKALA has been tremendous since its inception, as of now 4, 38,106 requests have been disposed off out of 4, 55,746.” Mr. R Ashoka praised the efforts of the police department for their good work, he said: “Karnataka police is the first in the country to have its own state-ofart data center.” He added: “This effort has proved beneficial for the citizen and has brought transparency to the system.” SMS gateway is another initiative which comes under SAKALA. Once a citizen makes a request for any services or registers a FIR; getting information about the status of the request or stage of FIR is a herculean task. Citizens have to repeatedly
DGP of Pachau with Law minister Suresh Kumar, Deputy CM Ashok and SP Gaonkar at the inaguaration. keep making trips to police stations and even after that they are not sure of getting the current status therefore SMS gateway is created to avoid these problems. Mr. R Ashoka said that
Photo: Sumit
ABVP demands guidelines for private universities in Karnataka
ABVP members, Balaji S & N Ravi Kumar at Press Club. By Sumit ABVP has demanded setting up of guidelines regarding the establishment of Private Universities in the State. ABVP is the world’s largest student organization and its spreads across various universities in India. ABVP is a right wing all India student organization working in the field of education. Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, in a press meet at the Press club of Bangalore, proposed for a state wide protest in case the state government fails to setup guidelines for the upcoming private universities in the State. Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad is an All India Students Organisation working in the field of education. In a press meeting convened at the Press Club, N. Ravikumar, South West Zone Organising Secretary of the ABVP said, “We don’t oppose the establishment of private universities in Karnataka. All that we want is a proper set of guidelines under which they are run.” He also laid emphasis on the admission of the local students of Karnataka in these Universities. National Executive Council Member of ABVP, Balaji S said:
“The State government has plans to pass the Bill to set up more than 10 private universities in Karnataka”. The names were those of Universities which had been black listed by the minister for HRD, government of India. “Previously black listed deemed universities may be trying to get the status of private university by registering under a different name.” acoording to Mr Balaji, “The Government should be cautious enough to identify such Institutions. There are two such private universities, namely, the Allianz University and The Azim Premji University in Bangalore as of now. However, if the government goes ahead with its plan, this number will drastically increase. The main demands put forth by the ABVP included the reservation of 50% of the seats for the students of Karnataka. Also, they demanded the state government bear the fees of 50% merit students. In a glaring example of the meagre number of students in these private universities Mr. N. Ravi Kumar said, “Only Six Kannada students are present there in the Alliance University as of now.” The ABVP also brought to
light the high fees demanded by these private universities. “The fees demanded by the Alliance University for MBA course in the year 2007 was 7.5 LPA which has been increased to 12.5 LPA in the year 2012” said Mr Ravi Kumar. The other demands of ABVP included this aspect of private universities. “We also demand the establishment of a fee structure making committee which should be headed by a retired Vice Chancellor” added Mr. Balaji. They also asked the government to set the fees for students of backward and poor class. ABVP is gearing up for disturbing the Belgaum session of the government on the 6th December if their demands are not met. Previous 3 protests by ABVP have yielded no result from thegovernment’s end. “As we have still not got a desirable result, we are planning to call a State wide protest this time. This will be carried out on December 3,” said Raghu Poojar, City Secretary, ABVP. In January 2012 Milind Marathe was chosen as the national president, Umesh Dutt, the national secretary and Sunil Ambekar, the national organizing secretary. The main objectivity of ABVP is to channelize student’s energy towards national reconstruction. Founded by students and teachers, ABVP’s inspiration came from RSS. It was registered in 1949. The sporadic growth process accelerated after Professor Yeshwantrao Kelkar a lecturer in Mumbai became the main organizer. He was considered to be the architect of ABVP. ABVP, as it seems from their demands, are not against the Private Universities but they want them to adhere to a certain set of regulations. Going by what they had to say, the increasing Private ownership in the education sector can prove fatal for students.
“SAKALA has greatly improved the work efficiency of the police department and it’s useful for the students too, issue of income certificate, caste certificate etc can be done online hassle free”.
This initiative will provide hassle free government services online to the citizens of Karnataka. The reputation of the police is believed to be enhanced by this initiative taken by them.
Open drain a death trap for slum children By Nikita Malusare DEEP open waste drains right outside homes are putting the lives of slum children at risk. Last month Pratap, a oneyear-old baby girl, fell into a toxic drain in Rajendra Nagar but was quickly pulled to safety by her mother, Deepa, 28. Deepa had been busy cooking food. She is scared that the same thing could happen again along the 200 metre-long drain when she is not close enough to save her child. She said: “We complained many times to the corporator Mr. Murugesh Modalliyaar of Rajendra Nagar, but all our complaints fell on deaf ears. The officials have even stopped visiting our area.” Rajendra Nagar is one of the biggest slums of Bangalore. There are almost 200 houses next to each other built parallel to the drain.The occupants have to cross the drain on a narrow bridge made out of bamboo and wooden planks to go out to purchase anything. Deepa complains: “During the rainy reason, this drain overflows and the water enters into our houses.Throughout the year it stinks, but we don’t have any other place to go,” she added. Though the city councillor said that work is being carried out
on the open drains of Rajendra Nagar, the slum dwellers complain no such work has started. The men living in this slum are either contract laborers or drivers. Their houses are too small to provide shelter to their families.Children are easily prone to disease. Malaria and Chikungunya are quite common among children from this area. Private clinics in the area charge Rs. 200 to Rs. 300. “I used to live in Rajendra Nagar when I was a kid, but I started falling sick a lot,” said 14year-old Satish. “My parents couldn’t afford medications and so we shifted our house and moved to a small rented house outside this place,” he added. On enquiring about BPL cards, the slum dwellers were clueless about it. BPL cards are an initiative by the central government to provide amenities to families living below the poverty line. Families whose monthly income is below Rs. 1,500 in rural areas and Rs. 1,700 in urban areas are eligible for the BPL cards. The card holder is entitled to receive medical concession at the hospital along with subsidized food rates.
Photo: Nikita Malusare
By Sidharth Shekhar
Photo: Sidharth Shekar
Online database at citizens’ service now
An open drain at a slum in Rajendranagar in Bangalore putting the life of many into risk.
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The Daily Observer
November 27, 2012
Village Affairs
Equality of sexes a myth in rural Karnataka By Rohan Premkumar
Photo: Udita Chaturvedi
Despite government efforts there are not too many girl students in Jagalur taluk. 25 of them are girls.” Dropout rates are also higher among girls. Remarkably, Vrumesh reveals that more than half of the girl students leave school by the time they turn 14. There are however, measures being taken by independent bodies such as aid groups and charities to help improve literacy rates among women. There is a missionary school setup in the taluk exclusively for girls. Janavi, a student of the school said, “They (the school) give us free books, food and lodging.” Janavi however, reveals that despite girls being given free access to education, most girls do dropout from school. Parents also do not wish their
Villagers complain of stench from open drains; officials indifferent By Udita Chaturvedi
Photo: Udita Chaturvedi
A number of open drains run between colonies of Kuknoor taluk of Karnataka, dividing the lanes into two. One such open drain runs the length of the Krishnappa lane in Kuknoor. Krishnappa houses a lot of lower middle class families. Most of the women of this area work as maids in another’s house and the men are field labourers or construction labourers. Hamida Begum (62), a lady who has lived all her life in that colony, said: “We have made many complaints to the Panchayat but they are all always ignored.” The open drains that act as
dividers in the colony lanes are always filled with drain water and give out a foul smell. Shilpamma, another resident of the colony, said: “We have lived here with this drain for so long that we’ve become used to it and the smell.” Panchayat Official, Basuraj Patil, said: “It is not something new but it has been there for many years. The people don’t have a problem. They only crib when it rains. What can we do about it?” It is the same case in a lot of residential areas of Kuknoor in Karnataka The Panchayat officials continue to ignore the situation. “Don’t worry. If they are not bothered, why are you?” said the Panchayat officer.
One of the many open drains in the middle of the lane.
daughters to study beyond the eighth grade, she said. Apart from the high dropout rates, wage disparities in the agricultural sector also persist. An average woman agricultural laborer earns up to Rs. 120 for each day of work, while men can earn up to Rs. 200 for the same work. “Schemes like the MNREGA are being implemented by the government to help women laborers. However, most people do not know of such schemes and work in the fields for very small amounts of money,” said VC Umesh, the agricultural officer at Jagalur. Loan assistance schemes such as Udyogini, Prime Minister Rozgar Yojana (PMRY) and Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar
Yojana (SGSY) are being implemented in the taluk. Such schemes provide loans to female beneficiaries to assist them in starting small businesses and micro industries. Around 200 women are supposed to have received a boost from these schemes, according to government records. Allegations of corruption and officials asking for a cut from the scheme are commonplace. Rajana, a weaver who was a beneficiary of the PMRY scheme says she had to bribe government officials in order to get the loans she required. “We needed the signature from the tasildar office. The officers there said that they will only clear our application if we agreed to give them money,” she said.
No room for new borns or their mothers
The Yelburga taluk in the district of Koppal tells a similar story. Development is almost negligent here as far as Millennium Development Goals go. This negligence extends up to the reluctance to educate female children in the village. The girls dream of becoming engineers and doctors but they do not seem to be provided sufficient opportunities. The girls attend primary schools but their teachers state that most of them do not study beyond eighth grade. A popular program called the National Program for Elementary Girl Child shows there has been 917 drop-outs among the girl students in the year 2011-2012. The age group of the study ranges between 6-14 years. The Block Development Officer, Venkatesh said: “They have been provided free books, textbooks, bicycles to encourage them to come to school. They are given the option of free education till 10th standard.” There is one college meant for girls known as Industrial Training Institute. However there are only about 40-50 girls studying in the college. Much against their will, the college has to admit male students too. In spite of the concessions most parents get their girls married as they do not see the point of continuing their education. To an extent the fear of social ostracization is also prevalent.
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Equality between the sexes is a concept that has existed in India for over half a century. The roots which originate from the constructs of feminism, have taken hold in the cities. However, in a more feudal hierarchical social structure, such as those that exist in the backwoods of rural India, gender equality and the empowerment of women requires much more work. The Millennium Development Goals outlined by the United Nations, of which the empowerment of women and promoting gender equality is one, provides a standard against which the emancipation of women from societal pressures can be measured. Primary education figures with the government reveal an increase in the number of female children being enrolled in schools at Jagalur. The number of girls admitted to primary schools in 2011 was 126, up from 110 the previous year. However, when compared with the number of boys who enroll in primary schools each year in the taluk, girls constitute only a quarter of the total number of students. Vrumesh, a school teacher at the Ambedkar Government School in Jagalur, said: “We have 120 students in our class. Only
By Aheli Raychaudhari
Hospital in Sandur taluk of Karnataka, have no room for its patients. By Sneha Banerjee live births the Maternal mortality THE scene at the Sandur General Hospital which looked more like a ‘war field’ triggered many questions on the initiatives taken to improvise maternal health care in the taluk. Last year, a huge argument broke out between maternity ward attendants and relatives of a patient. A patient, who had undergone a fresh caesarean, and her child were kept outside the ward on a stretcher for more than four hours as no room was available in the maternity ward. The patient’s mother screamed saying: “My daughter is out past four hours and you people haven’t allotted her a bed.” The heated argument led to the patient’s mother pushing the lady attendant. The hospital authorities had to step in to stop the chaos and shifted the patient to another empty room. One of the patient’s relatives said: “This is a regular scene at the hospital.” India has a Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) of 212 per 1 lakh
rate in Sandur is 12 per 100 live births. The Health Officer said that there were provisions for double food scheme, daily treatment and additional medicines. The hospital was also provided with 100 beds. On the other hand, Sandur General Hospital has no cots provided for the new-born and they were kept in a cradle made out of tying saris under the mother’s bed. The Taluk Health Officer Rita Sathey claims that Sandur is doing well when it comes to the MMR rate. Sandur has only one Gynecologist around who comes to the hospital at 10 AM and leaves at 4PM and has a 2 hour lunch break in-between the patients end up coming from far off villages and yearning to gain a glimpse of their savior. Ms Sathey says; “Having one gynecologist isn’t sufficient, we are waiting for government authorities to appoint another specialist.”This clearly goes to show that having satisfying numbers on the chart doesn’t really portray the right image of the taluk before us.
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Editor Pushkar Banakar Chief Sub-Editor Satyajith GD Photo Editor Krishnaprasad S Page Editors Udita Chaturvedi Hansa V Aheli Raychuduri Reshma Tarwani Nupur Gour Proof Readers Debanti Roy Nijhum Rudra Kakoli Mukherjee Sneha Banerjee