The Observer Volume 18 Edition 30 Dailies 4

The Observer An IIJNM Publication

Vol 18 Issue 30

Both houses of Parliament saw numerous disruptions; voters say government wasted opportunities | P2

Thursday, April 11, 2019

Dance therapy can improve physical and mental well-being of a person | P4

Frequent power outages leave citizens miserable

Electricity cuts affect their appliances too Yohanjali R

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engaluru has seen frequent power cuts this summer, affecting citizens’ daily schedules.

“The power cuts are so frequent and so long that I feel as if I live without electricity.

Bescom should take necessary action to fix this problem,” said Shakti Sree, a resident of Banashankari.

Navneeth K, an IT employee in Whitefield, said: “The power cuts are awful, they are affecting my daily life. I need electricity in

Data by Bescom revealed that more than 500 power cuts occurred in Bengaluru in the first two weeks of January | Courtesy: Pexels the morning to charge my phone and laptop, to iron my clothes, and to cook food on an induction stove, but it’s not there. In the evening, I need current to cook, watch TV and relax after a hectic day. Even then, current is not there.”

ELECTION THEATRE

Violence in AP mars phase one polling Polling for 91 LS constituencies, across 18 states and two Union territories, took place on Thursday in the first phase general elections.

The polling was largely peaceful except in AP, where workers of Telugu Desam and YSR Congress clashed at various places. A leader each of TDP and YSRCP died in clashes in the Tadipatri assembly constituency. In WB, clashes were reported between workers of BJP and TMC in Cooch Behar.

UP has recorded 50.86 percent voting till 3 pm, with WB at 55.95 percent, Assam at 63 percent, Andhra Pradesh at 41 percent, Meghalaya at 55 percent, Sikkim at 62 percent and Mizoram at 46.5 percent.

At the close of voting in many places till 6 pm, UP recorded 63.69 % voting, with WB at 81 %, Uttarakhand at 57.85 %, Assam at 68 %, Andhra at 66 %, Meghalaya at 62 %, Sikkim at 69 %, Mizoram at 66 % and J&K at 54.49 %, Telangana at 60% and Nagaland at 78%.

“For my job, I need to keep my phone and laptop charged at all times. The power cuts are affecting my work as well,” Navneeth added.

Data by Bescom revealed that more than 500 power cuts occurred in Bengaluru city from January 1 to 14. These power cuts lasted up to five hours.

A Times of India item quoted Bescom as saying that “faulty power feeders, tripping of feeders, transformer failure, wire cuts, pole replacement, tree pruning, cable laying, incoming supply failure and special transformer designs” are some of the reasons for constant power cuts during summer.

Shreeja S, a homemaker in Vijayanagar, said: “Bengaluru is experiencing the worst summer this year. We need air-conditioners, coolers and fans. Cutting of power

frequently not only affects us but also our equipment. They should have known that we will use more electricity during summer.”

Bescom has asked citizens to learn to use electricity efficiently.

It has suggested turning off lights and fans when not in use, using ACs and air coolers for a minimum period, using fluorescent light bulbs and solar power to conserve electricity. “I tried to shift to alternative methods like buying solar panels, but they are very expensive,” Shiva Kumar, a resident of Sampangirama Nagar, said.Ayanti Bera, a journalism student, said: “Because of frequent power cuts, we sweat a lot. This leads to health problems like fever. People are affected by heat strokes outside; but we fall ill inside our homes due to power cuts.”

Continued on page 2

News Briefs National lThe Indian Meteorological Department announced that El Nino conditions have weakened considerably across the equatorial Pacific, bringing respite to Indian farmers across the region. US agencies had forecasted a 60% chance of El Nino continuing through the summer, raising fears of erratic weather patterns in the Indian Peninsula like extremely high temperatures in some areas along with drought or floods in other regions.

International lBritish authorities today arrested WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after the Ecuadorian government withdrew the asylum it granted to Assange seven years ago. Assange had been evading a US extradition warrant for an alleged conspiracy ‘to break a password to a classified US government computer.’ He also faces two separate allegations in Sweden since 2010 – one of rape and one of molestation.

Pvt bus fares soar in poll time

Travellers look at alternatives to book tickets Sahana S

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head of Karnataka’s polling days, April 18 and April 23, private bus operators are charging excess fares from passengers travelling from Bengaluru to other cities. Passengers have complained to the transport authorities, but the operators have refused to decrease fares.

“It is unfair to charge more

The operators are also accused of charging more amounts around festivals |Courtesy: Pexels than the usual during long weekends. I have a four-day holiday the next weekend and was planning to travel to my hometown. But to my surprise , I realised the fare from Bengaluru to Mangaluru has been raised to Rs 1,499 from Rs 800,” Ayush, an Accenture employee

and regular passenger, informed The Observer.

Anjali M, a civil engineering student and regular traveler from Bangalore to Belagavi, said: “I don’t mind paying more to private bus operators if there is a logical reason for increasing the fare over the poll weekend.”The operators are also accused of charging exorbitant amounts around festivals.

Krithika Gowda, a student who regularly commutes from Bengaluru to Tamil Nadu, said: “The fare is more during festivals and long weekends. This festive season, they are charging Rs 1,960 for a one way trip to Tamil Nadu.”

Continued on page 2

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ELECTION THEATRE

Voters: Govt gave leeway to the fringe, wasted opportunities

‘Failed to field allegations on divisive issues’ Pranay Prakash

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hough the BJP enjoyed a commanding majority in the Lok Sabha and an even distribution of seats in the Rajya Sabha, both Houses saw numerous disruptions and adjournments.

The Observer spoke to voters from around the country about the loss of Parliament’s time.

Rahul Thakur, a resident of Gwalior, said: “The government wasted a lot of time by not responding to opposition allegations on issues like ghar wapsi, love jihad and gau rakhsa. This gave a handle to the opposition to slam the government for giving a free hand to fringe elements to take the law into their own hands.”

Azaan Bhat, a Kashmiri who feasible. The government should has permanently settled in Ne- tweak the rules for entrance expal, said: “The government was ams for medical scholarships to opaque in its operations in J&K. set a precondition of mandatory It should have made an effort to 3-4 years’ service in government create a broad consensus on its hospitals in rural areas....”

While people acknowledged agenda in Jammu and Kashthe government’s efforts for mir.”

Mahamood Fahim from Patna legislation on GST and the Insaid: “The government needs to solvency and Bankruptcy Code, According to an audit report published by the NGO PRS Legislative Research, the current Lok Sabha has seen a general decline in the number of sitting days | Courtesy: KPN News become more sensitive to regional demands in drafting its policies and strategies.”

Devraj Patil, founder of a NGO named Hodabelaku in Raichur, said: “Although the government came up with the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, there is still a lot that needs to be done for improving the primary healthcare infrastructure in the country. Empanelling second- and third-tier hospitals to provide primary healthcare services under the scheme doesn’t look too

they slammed demonetisation and the “needless debate” on issues like Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid and nationalism versus anti-nationalism.

Utkarsh Kumar Shardul, a resident of Varanasi, said: “The parties will be better served if they make a genuine effort to alleviate distress in various sectors of the country.

Cosmetic solutions to large institutional problems will only yield cosmetic and unsustainable solutions.”

Saurya Upadhyay from Delhi said: “Parties need to consider that they are planning for a country of 1.25 billion people.

Such a situation requires adoption of innovative and fiscally prudent solutions.”

According to an audit report published by the NGO PRS Legislative Research, the current Lok Sabha has seen a general decline in the number of sitting days. On an average, a full-term Lok Sabha sits on 468 days, but the House sat only on 331 days.

It worked for 1,615 hours, 40% less that the average working time of a full-term Lok Sabha.

It lost 16% of its scheduled working hours to disruptions —worse than the 14th Lok Sabha (13% disruptions) but better than the 15th Lok Sabha (37% disruptions).

The BJP-led NDA had 341 seats in the Lok Sabha and 101 in the Upper House. pranay.p@iijnm.org

SC’s VVPAT order will Bartenders will keep an eye delay results: Prakash Raj on frequency of liquor sales Ileena Dutta

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Shrabona Ghosh

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ounding baffled by the Supreme Court’s judgment on electronic voting machines actor Prakash Raj, independent candidate from Bangalore Central, informed The Observer: “We have not been given any chance to think about the EVM issue. It seems that our opinion does not matter. We cannot express our views. We have no choice but to abide by the apex court’s decision. I hope this decision does something concrete for the carrying out of free and fair elections. We expect transparency in the polls.’’

According to a report in The Indian Express, the Supreme Court on Monday ordered the Election Commission to increase tallying of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips with EVM count from one to five polling stations per assembly constituency. The change has to be rolled out during the ongoing elections.

The actor-turned-politician stated: “This will considerably

Prakash Raj is contesting from Bengaluru South, represented by BJP’s PC Mohan | Credit: Shrabona Ghosh delay the announcement of election results. But I hope it benefits democracy.”

About the political system in India, he stated: “There is no transparency in the system.

Opacity is not what citizens deserve. We need people’s politics, for only the same can eventually ensure good governance.”

He believed that at the end of a year, each MP should come up with a report containing a list of his/her achievements and failures. This, according to him, is the only way by which the public can remain aware of development status.

Shrabona.s@iijnm.org

head of Lok Sabha elections on April 18, bartenders in Bengaluru have decided to keep a check on how frequently customers buy liquor.

“Since the Election Commission has decided that the city will have dry days during election time…, it is better to keep a check on the frequency of customers visiting pubs, restro bars and purchase of pints or bottles of alcohol so that it becomes easier to prevent misuse of alcohol during elections,” said Manish, a bartender at a restro bar at M.G. Road.

According to a report in the Deccan Herald, the Election Commission has decided that sale of liquor will be banned from 6pm on April 16 to 6pm on April 18. On May 23, when votes are counted, there will be no sale of liquor.

Some believe that this will prevent candidates from luring of voters. “Though we will not make good business for four

The Observer Thursday, April 11, 2019

Not receiving what we pay for: Citizens Continued from page 1

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arshita Rao, a student who lives at South End Circle, said: “When power is cut off, water supply stops after a while. As the motor gets turned off, we don’t get water. We can manage a few times, but when it happens constantly, that’s when it becomes annoying.”

Pallavi A.K., another resident of Sampangirama Nagar, said: “We pay high electricity bills every month but don’t get supply that is worth that bill. Bescom needs to fix this immediately.”

According to a news story in The Hindu on April 11, the highest peak load was in the first week of the month, with 5,901 MW being used, a six-year high.

Karnataka Power Corporation MD Kumar Naik told the New Indian Express in an interview: “On normal days, Karnataka consumes 214 million units, but touched 240 million units on Wednesday. We have sufficient power to supply up to 260 million units.” yohanjali.r@iijnm.org

Fare woes

Continued from page 1

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EC has decided that sale of liquor will be banned on polling and counting days | Credit: Sayantan days, it is a good decision to maintain peace and security at the time of voting. This will also prevent violence,” said Rahul Goyal, a bartender at a gastro pub, Phoenix Marketcity.

“It is a measure to maintain peace and regulations and also to prevent any instance of influencing votes,” said Sanjeev Kumar, chief electoral officer, Karnataka, said.

Citizens do not seem happy with the decision. “I don’t know how it will be enforced as there are local counters and they might sell behind closed doors.

There needs to be a check on the small local counters.” ileena.d@iijnm.org

he transport commissioner has directed officials concerned to book cases against private bus operators for overcharging.

Anjan S, a regular traveller to Kochi, complained: “They don’t state a valid reason for exorbitant fares and try to avoid the topic. Moreover, there is no use complaining to officials.”

Many passengers head to websites like Redbus in for better price than those quoted by private operators.

“Initially, I used to visit my native place a lot during weekends by private buses. Now I choose websites like Redbus to book tickets because they are much cheaper than VRL,” said N. Jaganath, who travels to Wayanad.

According to a New Indian Express report, transport commissioner VP Ikkeri has said: “During special occasions and long weekends, prices of the ticket”. sahana.s@iijnm.org

CITY

The Observer Thursday, April 11, 2019

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Caries in childhood can lead to permanent teeth being affected Moms’ awareness key to prevention, say dentists

Abbinaya Kuzhanthaivel

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hildren who suffered Early Childhood Caries continue to be at risk of developing caries in their permanent teeth “There are high chances of a child developing new lesions in their permanent teeth. As high as 70%, I would say, if Early Childhood Caries is left untreated. It is advisable to visit a doctor once in every six months. Undergoing fluoride treatment may help prevention of new lesions,” Dr Raghu Kumar, a dentist at Khushi Dental Clinic, Banashankari, informed The Observer.

ECC is also called nursing bottle caries, where a child suffers tooth decay or cavity formation due to nursing on milk bottles for longer periods of time. This dental disease is usually diagnosed from birth to 71 months.

Permanent teeth, called permanent dentition, can also be affected if ECC is left untreated.

Doctors say that lack of awareness among mothers is a significant reason for ECC. “Permanent teeth can be affected in later stages of a child’s life if the child suffered from ECC as a baby. Parents should take

Around the City lNo Bake Dessert Workshop (eggless) @ Flourish school of baking cake decor, Thu, 11 Apr 10:30AM lLet’s talk travel @ Lahe Lahe, East Bengaluru,Thu, 11th April 7.30PM. lCircle of event story telling with somya srinivasn @ Atta Galatta, Thu 11 April 6.30 p.m. lAsk me anything with Hiring Manager @ Thu 11th April 9.00AM. lPot painting for kids @ Blue Matchbox studio, Thursday 11th April,11.00 a.m.lKydzadda Turns Five @ KYDZ Adda, Banashankari, Thursday 11th April, 5.00 p.m. lLate evening weekday pottery @Friday 12th april 7.00AM.

ECC is a condition where a child suffers tooth decay or cavity/ lesion formation due to nursing on milk bottles | Credit: Abbinaya extreme care of their kid’s dental health. Parents must avoid feeding through bottle for long periods. There are many mothers who leave the bottle in the child’s mouth through the night.

The milk in the bottle and the child’s teeth develop microbes and affect its dental health in thelong run,” said Dr A.S. Shalini, a dentist at the MGM Dental Clinic in Rajajeshwari Nagar.

A recent study conductedby a group of dentists at the department of pedodontics and preventive dentistry at KLE Society’s Institute of Dental Sciences and Sir Rajiv Gandhi College of Dental Sciences revealed that despite efforts in restorative therapy, children who suffered ECC continued to be at risk of getting

new lesions in their primary and permanent teeth. The study revealed that mother’s education has a direct effect on a child’s oral health. Only 13.52% of the mothers said they got prenatal oral health care/counseling.

“Children diagnosed with ECC might have problems in their permanent teeth. Oral health of children depends on the parents. Parents should never feed using bottles. A child should not be allowed to sleep before drinking water after taking milk. We conduct dental health programs for parents and teachers to ensure good oral health,” said Dr Madhu Kakanur, professor and head, department of pedodontics and preventive dentistry at KLE Society’s Institute of Dental Sci-

ences. Doctors suggest using finger brush, dental floss and fluoride application.

“Parents can use finger brush to clean their baby’s gums and teeth. It should be done immediately after the first tooth emerges. A baby’s brushing methods are different from adults. Any toothpaste with fluoride content is advisable. Right amount of toothpaste should be used, maybe a pea size or smeared lightly over the brush. Excessive gargling should be avoided after brushing. Food and water intake should also be avoided for at least 30 minutes after brushing,” Dr Kakanur added.

According to the doctors, ECC is avoidable if proper care is given to dental health. “Parents can take good care of their child’s oral health through fluoride applications. Visiting a doctor regularly and taking treatments like pit and fissure sealments , remineralising procedures, using crowns/caps for ECC can prevent further damages. Parents should be more careful.

They should bring their child to a dentist immediately if they see any brown or black dots in their child’s tooth,” Dr Shalini added.

A mother, Suma Girish, said: “My daughter Bhavini suffered ECC while she was 2 years old because of extensive bottle nursing and doctor suggested tooth filling”. abbinaya.k@iijnm.org

Companies fret as two-wheeler sales go down Sahana S

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he sale of two-wheelers in Bengaluru has gone down by 8%, prompting automobile companies to come up with several offers to attract potential buyers.

“Sales have been steadily decreasing since last month. Due to lack of sale, we thought that the company will not be able to meet the given target,” Subash Nachar, a product manager with Bajaj Motors, informed The Observer.

Shankar S, an assistant sales manager at Meghadoot Motors, said: “Last year, we had reached the specific target of the company, but this time we are struggling to reach the average target. There are more scooters in the market and few costumers.”

According to The Economic Times, scooters recorded sales of 67 lakh units in 2018-19, down 0.27% from 67.2 lakh units in the previous year. Last time, the sale of these vehicles saw a downturn was in 2005-06. The sale of motorcycles has struggled since January, 2019. Companies such as Hero Motors, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India and TVS have cut production.

The introduction of norms such as Bharat Stage IV, child lock systems and anti-lock braking system (ABS) have had a direct effect on the sales of twowheelers. sahana.s@iijnm.org

At most Metro stations in the city, ticket vending machines don’t work: Passengers Ileena Dutta

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icket-vending machines at most Namma Metro stations do not work anymore. As a result, passengers form long queues at ticket counters. Things have become worse after the BMRCL increased the minimum balance in smart cards to Rs 50.

“Ticket-vending machines don’t work at most Metro stations. After the imposition of a minimum card balance of Rs 50, there are long queues of passengers during rush hours. It is

BMRCL increased the minimum balance in smart cards to Rs 50 in March | Credit: Ileena Dutta useless if vending machines are installed and are not usable,” Mangala S, a senior citizen who travels on the Metro, informed The Observer.

On March 27, BMRCL fixed the minimum balance to be

maintained in contactless smart cards at Rs 50. Gates at stations won’t open if the balance on a card is less than Rs 50.

While BMRCL officials think that this will ease passengers’ problems ,the reality seems different. “A minimum balance of Rs 50 to start a journey from one station is too expensive. Previously, I travelled with even Rs 10 in my smart card. Now either there is long passengers’ queue or one needs to recharge for more,” Shristi Roy, a young commuter, said.

This minimum balance hike was decided by BMRCL officials long back but implemented in

March 2019. The initial days saw passengers venting their problems caused by the norm.

U A Vasanth Rao, chief PRO at BMRCL, then said: “BMRCL decided to increase the minimum balance for Metro smart cards to Rs 50 for passengers’ well-being and also for maintaining a basic revenue income for us.”

“It is a concern for all passengers, but with time, they will get used to the norm and stop whining. There is no other option but to accept whatever rule is implemented,” Priyanka Iyer, a commuter, said. ileena.d@iijnm.org

4

ARTS & CULTURE

The healing steps of rhythm Dance is said to improve mental health

Shrabona Ghosh

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ance therapy is gaining popularity as it improves physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

“Dance is an art form that can change you for the better. It is a great physical exercise; it is not only a stress buster but a medicine for many. It improves overall well-being,” Soma Bhatnagar, a Bharatnatyam dance teacher for the past 20 years, informed The Observer.

Somdatta Choudhary, a dance student, said: “I suffered from depression, I tried a lot of medicines but it didn’t help.

It was then I sought refuge in dance. After religiously practising dance for six months, I felt

Dance Movement Therapy is defined as a psychotherapeutic use of movement and dance to support intellectual, emotional, and motor functions of the body | Courtesy: Aditi Dutta a change in myself. I no longer require medicines. I am surprisingly out of depression..”

According to the website Psychology Today, Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) is defined as a psychotherapeutic use of movement and dance to support intellectual, emotional, and motor functions of the body.

As a form of expressive thera-

py, DMT looks at the correlation between movement and emotion. It is also called “movement psychotherapy”. There is no single type of movement style used within this therapeutic exposure. Programs range from traditional dances like ballroom to more subtle forms like yoga and stretching to calm the body.

Salim Ali, a psychiatrist, said:

“Dance, if properly followed, has healing values. It eases physical pain and improves mental health.

It is a great stress buster.”

MP Suma Vijaya, founder of MP Prakash Samaja Parivartana, an arts institute shared: “Dance is a boon for the specially challenged children. People think these children are no good, but dance has helped me prove those statements wrong. In my school, through dance, these children have improved a lot.

Their retaining capacity, speech improvement and patience have shown incredible development.”

According to the website Brewminate, Carl Gustav Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, in 1913 called dance an effective form of psychotherapy.

In the 1950s, the idea of dance movement as an expression of active imagination was explored by Mary Whitehouse, a dance therapy pioneer, at her dance clinics. shrabona.g@iijnm.org

No takers, Manjusha art is fading away Teaching it in school can save it: Artists

Oisika Dev

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anjusha, an Indian form of art, is dying a slow death. The ancient art form is struggling to survive because people are not aware of it.

“Manjusha art is not commercially viable anymore. Most painters are now switching to other professions as the art is on the verge of extinction. The last exhibition in Bengaluru was held two years ago. We have tried organizing exhibitions, but people don’t turn up, and that results in complete failure,” Rajiv Kumar Pandey, a Manjusha painter who has taught the art for 15 years, informed The Observer.

Manjusha paintings have themes from Ramayana and Mahabharata.

“The Karnataka government needs to take some initiative to revive Manjusha art. The artists are compelled to switch to other profession because they do not earn enough in to run their livelihood. They should also try

Manjusha paintings have themes from Ramayana and Mahabharata | Courtesy: Medha Tiwary to spread this art form among school students. That is probably the only way to save the traditional art from becoming extinct,” Medha Tiwary, a Manjusha artist, said.

There are few visitors at exhibitions of Manjusha art.

Lack of knowledge about Man-

jusha is another reason for it fading away.

“I find traditional arts boring.

However, I think the best way of revival is to start from schoolchildren,” Aditi Shree, a college student who has learnt the art for 10 years, said Praveen Balawishwanathan,

an IT professional, said: “In my school, we were taught graffiti and animation. There are no teachers in our school to teach folk paintings. I came to know about Manjusha recently when I was visiting my relative.

Schools should start teaching about folk paintings. That is the only way to prevent folk art from declining.”

According to an article, the Bihar government in 1984 had started an initiative called “Jansampoornavibagh”.

Under it painters went to villages of Bhagalpur district and presented them slide shows of Manjusha art to educate people.. This initiative led to NGOs and other government organisations to come up with plans to promote the art form.

The name Manjusha is associated with a story. It signifies the name of a goddess and also a festival celebrated in Bhagalpur. The Sanskrit word “Manjusa”means a box.

“Manjusha paintings should be revived. The government needs to take initiative to revive this folk art.They should start teaching it in schools.That is the best way to revive,” Himansh Tiwary, an artist, said. oisika.d@iijnm.org

The Observer Thursday, April 11, 2019

Citizen’s Voice Pak accusation

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, recently said that India was planning an attack upon Pakistan, probably between April 16 and 20.

According to him, India was hell bent upon depicting Pakistan as a terror state and the information was provided by ‘reliable’ intelligence. Pakistan has made a complaint to the UN Security Council regarding its apprehension. What the neighbour fails to understand is that such hilarious accusations won’t pass muster with the international community. It should stop portraying itself as the victim for the world.

Sounak Das, IIJNM

Autonomy’s flip side

Although granting colleges autonomy may be a great step towards academic independence, it is a serious concern. After becoming autonomous, a college will receive less funding from the UGC. It will try to make up by increasing fees. With higher education already out of reach for a lot of students from weaker backgrounds, an increase in fee will create further obstacles in their path to a better education.

Chirag Sehgal, IIJNM

No water

No water sounds like a rural area suffering from shortage of water. But let me tell you this is currently the situation of Banashankri 3rd stage in Bengaluru where there has been no water supply past a month and a fortnight.

Sweekriti Choudhary, IIJNM

WEATHER

Partly Cloudy sky Minimum Temperature: 23 degree Celsius Maximum Temperature: 36 degree Celsius Tomorrow: Partly cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers is expected.

OBSERVER TEAM Editor- Abbinaya Kuzhanthaivel Page Layout: Abbinaya, Oisika Dev, Pranay Prakash Reporters: Ileena Dutta, Shrabona Ghosh, R Yohanjali, S Sahana,

Environment

The Observer Thrusday, April 11, 2019

SUPPLEMENT

5

A Wasted Childhood

Children are made to work in extreme conditions in brick kilns, which affect their health and wellbeing, says Subhana Shaikh

“W

e don’t have bathrooms here; we don’t have drinking water facilities.

We work for more than nine hours every day and there are no food arrangements either,” says 14 year old Ravi S, who is a child labourer in a brick kiln in Kushtagi. There are 12 million workers employed in brick kilns across India. Brick kilns across several districts in Karnataka such as Gangavathi and Kushtagi of Koppal District,employ young children to work as industrial workers. These industries hire people and even their families on a contract basis. On an average they are paid Rs 300 per day which is very less and are made to work more than 48 hours a week. “I started working in brick kilns as early as my father and grandfather did. I was just 10.

This is our story of transgenerational poverty that we have to go through while working in brick kiln industries,” says Chanasappa who is currently working

as a migrant worker in a kiln in Kushtagi.

women who are often targets of physical and sexual abuse. The

Kushtagi, Virendra M, “Child Labour is definitely there, I don’t deny that. Many FIRs are being lodged against child labour.We are also formulating taluk and district level squads to conduct several rounds in brick kilns to tackle the issue.”

C More than 80% of children in rural area are made to work as labourers |Credit: eco-business

Chanasappa added, “About 200 families work on an average sized kiln at a time. The entire family is involved in the production process, even children as young as five are made to work in extreme conditions.” A major cause of concern amongst the kiln workers is also the safety of

increase in child labour in the kilns is also an alarming trend.

Children get skin diseases and have respiratory problems working in such hazardous industries.

They also get accidental injuries like cuts and burns.

Concurs Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) of

onsidering migrant workers, the reliability of Inter State Migrant Workmen Act of 1979, which protects workers working outside their native states in the country, remains questionable as activities and abuse by middlemen go unchecked. Nearly all the workers deployed in brick kilns fall under the category of bonded labour as defined by the The Bonded Labour (Abolition) Act, 1976.

Another shocking fact is that every year hundreds of workers are released from bondage making life extremely difficult for these workers. Physical violence is common, sometimes leading to death. In a disturbing and horrifying incident which took

place in a brick kiln in Odisha, the hands of two workers were chopped off in 2014, post which the Supreme Court took suo moto cognizance of the case.

However, workers continue to face violence on the job. Majority of these workers are from SC, ST, and other backward communities.

The Child Labor Survey Report ofKoppal District, 2016-2017 shows that there are 2489 cases of child labourer in the taluk.

However, only 2 percent of them have been rescued.Working overtime and being paid less is common in these villages. Unionists say forming a union could be an answer to the problem.

All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) General Secretary,An anthSubbaraocomments, “Minimum wages are prescribed by the Government of Karnataka, which is for eight hours oflabour work, but they are made to work for 12 hours and are often not paid.

So it’s the union that makes the difference.”

Murder on the High Seas C

Whaling has little commercial value and is indefensible in an era of species extinction, says Gayatri SA

ommercial Whaling was recently started after a global ban in Japan, Norway and Iceland. It is estimated that a total of 2.9 million whales were killed during the 20thcentury. As a precautionary measure to sustain whale population in 1986 a moratorium on commercial whaling was enacted by the International Whaling Commission .

The World-Wide Fund estimates that out of original three grey whales’ habitat zones; one in the North Atlantic is extinct, one is critically endangered in the Western North Pacific, where only meagre 150 whalesremain.

The one in the eastern north Pacific has recovered from low levels of population.

According to a report by Environmental Investigation Agency2019,Iceland, Norway and Japan jointly have killed a total of 31,715 whales since the moratorium came in effect in 1986.Only one percent of

Icelanders eats whale meat on a regular basis. Public support against whaling has increased significantly as pointed out by a survey, 34 per cent of people opposes whaling compared to 18 per cent in 2013.

In October 2018 the Conven-

Japan was illegally killing sei whales in the name of scientific research and also indulging in illegal trades across international boundaries. Japan, in the beginning, complied with International Whaling Commission (ICW) regulations and suspended whaling but replaced it with a scientific program, which proposed to kill 333 minke whales per year till 2027.Another issue is illegal to trade of whale meat between Norway, Ireland and Japan. United Nations Environment Program, world conservation monitoring centre has raised concerns that such illegal exchange will nullify any protective Gray whale population is declining rapidly measures taken by making the spices endangered | Credit: Naconcerned bodies. tional Geopgraphic According to Nation on International Trade in En- tional Geographic, since January dangered Species of Wild Fauna 2016, scientists found a total of and Flora (CITES) said that 88 dead humpback whales along

the East Coast which is double the number of that in 2015.

Suhel Quader, Expert in Animal Behaviour, National Center for Biological Sciences, said “There have been many reports of whale deaths this year due to the presence of excess plastics in their bodies. It is quite heartbreaking to know that whales carry our trash in their stomachs.”

K Saritha, cetology student (the study of whales), from Bengaluru says, “I have been following the deaths of whales since I have heard about the huge amount of plastic that is getting accumulated in their stomachs.”

T

he market is also facing a crisis as whale meat is overabundant and sales of whale meat have dwindled to such an extent that Japan holds auctions to sell excess meat. In the search for profits, countries have resorted to new avenues. A Norwegian company used 113 tons of dumped whale meat as

food for animals, in 2016. The problem is whale meat is difficult to sell if it is even or eight months old as it really not usable after that time period. Suhel adds, “Commercial whaling is a bait and whales are falling prey to it.”

Crisis in the market directly had an adverse effect on the whaling industry. The quantity of whaling vessels has gone down through the years in Norway. As stated in a project done by Earth Island Institute, Norway has only 11 whaling vessels now, compared to 350 in 1950. Although Norway has increased itsannual quota of killing whales over the years, the quota remains far from filled.

In 2017, whaling quota was set to 999 and 432 were killed. The rise in fuel prices and insufficient meat processing infrastructure are the reasons why quota largely remains unfilled. Only 2 organizations purchased whale meat to prepare and circulate it in 2017, down from 5 in 2016.

Religion

The Observer Thrusday, April 11, 2019

SUPPLEMENT

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Preaching Buddhism for Peace Sokka Gakkai International is promoting world peace and harmony by preaching principles of Buddhism, says Raveena Bhati

P

ath to discovering oneself and accepting the transformation is never easy.

Religion is a major driving force in a society and is behind every small and big decision of one’s life. It could create a peaceful society or destroy the architecture and integrity of the same.

To adopt the philosophy of a new religion is never easy, the complete transformation take years. Founded in sixth century Buddhism has been quite popular in the world and is followed by more than nine per cent of the total world population, people from all religion have adopted Buddhist’s philosophy through course of time and apply it in their life to attain enlightenment.

The Lotus Sutra is a compilation of teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, which he wrote in the last 10 years of his life. The teachings by Buddha are compiled and are known as Sutras.

Lotus Sutra is regarded as the most influential sutra. It talks about Buddhahood, to face the ultimate reality and is also

faith that asks of you to strive every day for a better religion in the modern should perform.

The essence of the Sokka Gakkai aims to reach the sustainable development practice goals by 2030 along with The UN . | Credit: SGI. lies in the considered as King of all Sutras. overcoming of one owns lacks More than 1500 years later, and fundamental darkness of Nicherin founded the scattered life.” pieces of Lotus Sutra and defined The beauty of the Lotus Sutra it as ‘Nam myohorange Kyo’. It or Nichiren Buddhism lies in the talks about the fundamental law belief of attaining Buddhahood, that underlies the workings of all and it is attained when practised life in the universe. in a community.

Helping others Kaveri Chaudhary, who is born to come over their suffering into the practice by her parents’, and become Bodhisattvas of the shares, “My Faith in Nichiren world is the main philosophy.

Buddhism has been a constant The Sokka Gakkai Internaexercise of freedom and respontional (SGI) is an international sibility. To be able to develop a

Buddhist organization which promotes peace, culture, and education, centred on the respect for the dignity of life. “The various tenets of democracy are practised in a small group of people who do not wish to feel ‘powerless anymore”, adds Kaveri. The SGI also strives to achieve peace and to propagate the concept of Global Citizen by collaborating with the United Nations. The concept of global Citizen is prioritized along with Peace and Disarmament, Sustainable Development, Human Right Education and Equality, and Women Empowerment. SGI in its quarterly magazine writes, The Sokka Gakkai Youth Peace Conference (YPC) launched in 1979, encourages youths to participate in order to awake the spirit of Global Youth. This is achieved by building a peaceful society underpinned by Buddhist philosophy for the sanctity of life. SGI has helped thousands of people going through struggles of life.

Struggling through her personal

and private life, Shefali Goel was exhausted by the pressure of challenges which in turn were pulling her down mentally and physically. Introduced to SGI by her cousin seven and half years ago Shefali has been on a path of transformation, which not only has changed her but also people around her.

“I

nitially for almost six months, I couldn’t understand what was happening, but regular interaction with followers encouraged me and especially the Sunday meetings where everyone talks about their experience and ever growing faith. The welcoming nature of people has helped me to transform my grief into action and strengthen my faith”, says Shefali.

The followers of Nichiren Buddhism have been on a rise since the decade, and the centre in India is known as Bharat Sokka Gakkai, which has more than two lakh followers. The number is increasing with each passing year.

The Virgin’s Abode

V

elankanni church is popularly known as the ‘Lourdes of the East’.

It is internationally famous as a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Velankanni in Tamil means ‘The Virgin of Velai’. It is a tiny township located south of Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu.

It lieson the glorious Coromandel Coast along the azure Bay of Bengal.

The town acted as a port in ancient times. This port was used to trade with the GrecoRoman world.And it would have remained just that, had it not been for miraculous occurrences nearly half a millennium ago.

The founding of the mid-16th century church is attributed to three miracles: the apparition of Mother Mary and Infant Jesus to a slumbering shepherd boy, the curing of a lame buttermilk vendor, and the rescue of Portuguese sailors from a violent sea storm.

Mother Mary, also known as

The Velankanni Chruch is witnessing a rise in devotee footfall, says Sindhuja Michael

‘Our Lady of Good Health’ in Velankanni, is considered to cure ailments. Hence, people, regardless of their religion, come here to offer prayers.“The reason why people from various places and belonging to different religions visit the church is that they believe they will get what they pray for. Mass is conducted in Tamil, English, Malayalam, and Telugu.

Practices of other religions such as tying yellow ropes around the tree which is allowed by the

Church. There are many miracles that happen in people’s lives.So, he who gets his prayer fulfilled, shows his gratitude by offerings and a writing a long message which finds its place in the church museum,” says Priscila Mary, who used to visit Velankanni every year.

It is a common belief that one such miracle happened when tsunami struck Velankanni in 2004.

The tsunami devastated the entire town, killing thousands.But

water did not enter the shrine and the ones who were present inside the shrine were spared. This might be attributed to the fact that the shrine is on a considerably higher plane than the beach.

Unfortunately, those who were on the beach were washed away.

“It had become more of a tourist spotbut then the tsunami miracle happened. It made people, irrespective of the religion they belong to, start believing again in the holy powers of the church,” says Tamil Selvan from Chennai.

“The Velankanni church, as this pilgrimage is always crowded with the devotee, the church management is still working to develop the hotels and other facilities. There was a couple, who both are government employee but they were not blessed with children for 15 years. Doctors claimed that the couple couldn’t give birth to a child, due to medical reasons. So they prayed to the Velannkani Mother Mary

and they offered food for all the poor people for one year. Later by the next year the couple was blessed with a baby,” says Joseph Diviyanathan.

V

elankanni is one of the most visited pilgrimcentres in India. It is amongst the most well-known Roman Catholic Marian shrines.

This divine place attracts alarge number of visitors not just from the vicinity, but from far and wide.Appreciating the significance of this town, the Pope has declared the Velankanni church as the ‘Holy city’.

One of the unique features of this church is that it is built in the Gothic style of architecture.

While the building has been painted white, the roof of the church is made up of the tiles of striking red colour. The contrast between the two colours is one of the key features of the church that draws visitors.