Moonwalk in Bengaluru! Crater-sized potholes turns lunar surface for artist

Civic Issues

A video of an actor dressed as an astronaut ‘moonwalking’ in Bengaluru’s potholed road has gone viral on social media.

TNM Staff

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) may be some years away from its first manned mission to the moon, but in Bengaluru, its civic agency – the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) has already raced ahead, readying a prototype lunar surface. Well, all thanks to crater-sized potholes on Bengaluru’s roads.   The pothole-riddled Tunganagar Main Road in Bengaluru has served as inspiration for city-based street artist Baadal Nanjundaswamy. In his latest creation, Baadal has an actor suited up as an astronaut moonwalking on Tunganagar Main Road’s craters.  The video of this ‘moonwalk’ in Bengaluru has gone viral on social media.   Hello bbmp @BBMPCOMM @BBMP_MAYOR @bbm #thelatest #streetart #nammabengaluru #herohalli pic.twitter.com/hsizngTpRH — baadal nanjundaswamy (@baadalvirus) September 2, 2019   Baadal has in the past used his art to highlight Bengaluru’s perennial pothole problem and the apathy of the civic administration and the political class. His previous works include introducing mermaids and crocodiles to Bengaluru’s streets.  Read: As Bengaluru's potholed streets flood, even the mermaids have come out to play This latest installation comes at a time when BBMP claims that it is taking action and filling potholes on a priority basis. This after the High Court pulled up the civic body. In an interim order in August, the High Court stated that BBMP officials would be held responsible for accidents due to potholes. This meant BBMP would be liable to pay compensation to victims or their families. “The scope of Article 21 has been expanded by the Supreme Court. Every citizen has a right to meaningful and dignified life and good roads are absolutely necessary. Ensuring pothole-free roads is a legal and constitutional obligation of the BBMP,” Chief Justice AS Oka observed. The BBMP had last week announced that Rs 2000 fine will be imposed on engineers for failing to fill the potholes. Read: Bengaluru artist puts a 'crocodile' in city's pothole, BBMP swiftly fills it up According to the latest data as of mid-July, the BBMP claims there are only 2,840 potholes in the city. But in actuality, the number is likely to be higher across the 198 wards. While potholes are majorly an inconvenience that the city has grown accustomed to, it has proved fatal in multiple occasions as well.   

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Bengaluru police book Church of South India for allegedly selling defence land to metro

Controversy

The Cubbon Park police station on August 20 registered an FIR against the CSI for allegedly 'cheating' the Defence Ministry

IANS

An investigation is underway into the alleged sale of 'defence' land by the Church of South India (CSI) for the Bengaluru metro project and collecting Rs 60 crore compensation. "We are inquiring into the Defence Ministry's complaint that the CSI had illegally sold a portion of its land, leased to it over a century ago, for the metro project and collected Rs 60 crore compensation from its operator (BMRCL)," Bengaluru Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Chetan Singh Rathore told IANS. The Cubbon Park police station on August 20 registered an FIR against the CSI for allegedly 'cheating' the defence ministry by selling 7,426 square metres of its land located in the All Saints Church complex to the state-run Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) without its knowledge and consent. "We have asked both the parties to submit us all documents pertaining to the prime land to ascertain its rightful owner, as they (records) date back to 1860s when the city was under the British rule and the Mysuru Wodeyars were the owners of public lands then," said Rathore. Though the BMRCL is building an underground station beneath the land claimed by the two parties for its second phase of the metro project on the north-south (Nagawara-Gottigere) route, the operator plans to use it for parking and other allied activities. "As preliminary investigation has also revealed that both the parties have contested the land ownership in a city civil court, we will wait for its outcome before proceeding with the case," added Rathore. Defending the land purchase from the CSI through its state-run nodal agency - Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB), a BMRCL spokesman said the acquisition and compensation (Rs 60 crore) were paid to the CSI after due diligence and public notice for objections. "As KIADB is the state-run agency dealing with sale and purchase of lands for indutries and infrastructure projects across the southern state, it has vetted the documents the CSI submitted for acquiring it and compensating for it suitably," BMRCL official YBK. Chavan told IANS. For the a72 km second phase of the metro project in the city connecting with the 43 km first phase on the east-west and the north-south routes, the operator has been acquiring private and public lands across the city with compensation at the market rate and giving transfer development rights (TDR) for those surrendering their properties in the way of the route. "If the Defence Ministry claims that the land was leased to the CSI in the 1860s, the onus is on it to prove that it was its owner and submit the lease agreement they both would have entered into over 130 years ago" Rathore pointed out. Questioning the Ministry's ownership claim on the land, a church official said the East India Company was the original owner of all public lands in the city's cantonment area during the British Raj and vast tracts of lands were gifted or donated to social organisations and religious institutions for building community halls, churches, temples, mosques and other places of worship. "In the 1860s or subsequently till the mid-1940s, where was the Indian government and the defence ministry to claim that the land in the All Saints Church premises belonged to it unless it was an open land and inherited by the transfer of assets from the British regime," the official told IANS on the condition of anonymity. On its complaint to the police against the CSI, a Defence official said legal action would be taken against the latter for breaching the lease agreement and taking the Rs 60 crore compensation without informing the army sub-area commandant and taking his consent..

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Siddaramaiah says K’taka’s BJP govt unstable, predicts mid-term polls in December

Politics

Siddaramaiah also alleged that the 17 Congress-JD(S) MLAs who were disqualified joined the BJP only because of “power.”

TNM Staff

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah slammed the BJP government in Karnataka, stating that the government is unstable and mid-term polls would be held in December. "If you look at the present situation, the chances of the Yediyurappa-led BJP government taking off look remote. Let us see how long the BJP government will survive, trusting the legislators from the Congress and JD(S) who had resigned over the greed for power. The differences in the BJP camp is increasing. The ministers have not started their work. There is no government in the state," he reportedly said. Furthermore, when speaking to the media in Mysuru on Sunday, he alleged that the 17 Congress-JD(S) MLAs who were disqualified joined the BJP only because of “power.” “I told party workers in Dakshina Kannada on Saturday that they should be ready for midterm elections in December as the present dispensation does not appear to have the ability to run the government,” the former CM reportedly added. It was the absence of the vote of the 17 MLAs which led to the fall of the JD(S)-Congress coalition government in July, which worked in favour of the BJP. Following this, former Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar disqualified the 17 MLAs, which the MLAs have challenged in the Supreme Court. BS Yediyurappa then took oath as the Chief Minister on July 26 and proved his majority in the Assembly on July 29. Siddaramaiah also responded to former Hoskote legislator MTB Nagaraj’s comments that Siddaramaiah joined the Congress after leaving the JD(S) and that Nagaraj wasn’t the one who betrayed the party. "There is no need to take his remarks seriously. The same Nagaraj, who had told that I reside in his heart, is now criticising me. The leaders who were once my confidants have betrayed me. Several leaders to whom I had issued ticket and helped them become MLAs are now against me,” Siddaramaiah said.

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Man arrested for smoking aboard Bengaluru-bound flight

Arrest

The man allegedly did not pay heed to the warnings of the flight crew, who told him to stop smoking, and was arrested upon reaching Bengaluru airport.

TNM Staff

Image for representation

Police officials from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport have arrested a 29-year-old man for smoking on board a flight. Santhosh Kumar, a native of Kannatur near Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, had taken an AirAsia flight from Bagdogra to Bengaluru on Saturday. He reportedly went inside the flight’s washroom and began smoking. Upon noticing the smoke which was emitting from the washroom, the airlines’ cabin crew approached him and asked him to put out the cigarette, which he refused to do. Even after being repeatedly warned by the cabin crew, who also informed him that smoking on a flight was illegal, Santhosh refused to budge. Following this, the crew had issued a written warning to him and also informed the security chief. This led to a tussle between the cabin crew and Santhosh, with crew members warning him of the consequences and reminding him that it was illegal to smoke aboard a flight. Several passengers on the flight grew visibly panicked. Upon reaching Bengaluru, the cabin crew filed a complaint with the airport police, who apprehended Santhosh. According to reports, a case has been filed under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 336 (partaking in an act endangering life or personal safety of others). He had also allegedly claimed that no action could be taken against him and refused to divulge information about his profession. The AirAsia flight left Bagdogra airport in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district on Saturday at around 1.30pm and reached Bengaluru at 4pm. “We arrested him and seized his lighter,” said an investigating officer to the Times of India. Earlier, in December 2018, in a similar incident, a man aboard a Vistara airlines flight was forced to deboard after he argued with cabin crew about not being allowed to smoke on the flight.

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Bengaluru women march holding clothes they wore while they were sexually harassed

Sexual harassment

As part of the ‘I Never Ask For It’ walk, youngsters carried clothes that they were wearing when they were sexually harassed.

Racheal Jane Sunny

Stares, comments and inappropriate touches are actions that have become a part and parcel of the everyday life of a woman. Often, they are blamed for inviting reactions from men, and made to believe that “they asked for it” due to what they were wearing. And they will remember those clothes forever. In order to create awareness among the public regarding the issue of sexual and gender-based violence, over 15 youngsters came together on Saturday to be a part of the ‘I Never Ask For It’ walk initiated by Blank Noise in Bengaluru. They formed two separate lines and walked on footpaths from Residency Road to MG Road in Bengaluru, carrying clothes that they were wearing when they were sexually harassed. While the initiative was focused on sexual harassment and crimes against women, men too joined the walk as a symbolic gesture of sharing responsibility of the issue.  “I identify myself as a queer individual. I feel that the time has come for all of us to speak up. I could totally relate to everything that people spoke of regarding their experiences. I felt that this would be a comfortable space for me and that there would be people to hear me out as well,” said Pratik Chakraborty, a college student in Bengaluru. Walking in pairs, each couple carried a rod on their shoulders with clothes hanging between them. “In this initiative, the garments are walking with us. We are walking with the memories of the sexual assault or harassment we experienced. People carrying others’ clothes are sharing the responsibility with them,” said Jasmeen Patheja, Founder and Facilitator of Blank Noise, a not-for-profit organisation working towards women's rights. One of the participants, who led the group from the front, carried a white board for people to write down their bitter experience of sexual harassment. They also had a space to mention what they wished for in the future.  The group halted at several points, including in front of MG Road metro station, allowing people to come and have a closer look at the board and write down their experiences on the board. They also distributed letters, which explained the whole idea behind the mission, to the public. Speaking about the origin of ‘I Never Ask For It’, Jasmeen said, “Whenever I spoke to women regarding the issue of sexual harassment, I realised that the blame was so deep-rooted. They were always silent when it came to these issues. But, I realised that they remembered what they wore when they experienced it. Why do we remember the clothes? Those garments are the memories we carry around with us.”  Many women and men joined the group en route. The two-hour-long walk came to an end with the participants sharing what they felt after being part of the initiative. While everyone seemed to be content and happy with having been together, looking at the world outside, they realised that there is a lot more that needs to be done towards the issue.

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Siddaramaiah hopes to bring down former associate MTB Nagaraj in Hoskote bye-polls

Politics

According to sources, while MTB Nagaraj has an understanding with the BJP, he’s also hoping Congress revokes his expulsion and lets him come back.

Theja Ram

Close associates have turned bitter rivals in Karnataka with former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah mulling names to pit against one of his closest aide-turned-foe MTB Nagaraj. Nagaraj was one of the rebels who ditched the Congress-JD(S) alliance, and ensured the fall of the alliance government in Karnataka, paving the way for BJP. While initially, Nagaraj blamed former PWD Minister HD Revanna for his dissatisfaction with the party, in recent times, he has been hitting out at his former mentor Siddaramaiah too.  “These leaders came to our home – the Congress’s house – to live here and further their political careers. He (Siddaramaiah) came to the Congress because he fought with Deve Gowda. I have been with the party since I began my political career. I am not the one who betrayed my party. We are the ones who built the party, the loyalists,” MTB Nagaraj said. So far, Nagaraj has not joined the BJP officially.  The former legislator from Hoskote, who is also the richest politician in Karnataka, had been a fierce supporter of Siddaramaiah. However, their relations turned sour after the Congress and JD(S) forged a coalition despite opposition from several party leaders including Nagaraj himself. With friendship turning into enmity, Siddaramaiah is now adamant that MTB Nagaraj must be defeated in the bye-polls slated for Hoskote, one of the 17 segments where the bye-elections will take place. Sources close to Nagaraj said that the leader is hoping that the high command revokes his expulsion from the party and offers him a ticket to contest from Hoskote. However, party insiders say that Siddaramaiah is vehemently opposed to the idea. “The BJP wants Nagaraj to join the party and they have promised to give him a ticket and in case the Supreme Court verdict on the disqualification of the 17 rebels leaders does not come through before the bye-polls. In case the court verdict doesn’t go in their favour, then the BJP has promised Nagaraj’s son a ticket,” a BJP source said. However, the BJP is facing resistance from within the party on the question of MTB Nagaraj. Hoskote BJP leader Bacche Gowda, who wanted his son Sharath Bacche Gowda to get the ticket to contest the Hoskote bye-polls, is unhappy that Nagaraj and his son are being considered. Congress is planning to use this disgruntlement to their advantage – party sources said that Siddaramaiah is planning to lure Sharath Bacche Gowda into the Congress fold and pit him against MTB Nagaraj. “If Bacche Gowda does not allow his son to contest on a Congress ticket, then Siddaramaiah is planning to field Hebbal MLA Byrathi Suresh’s wife. Byrathi Suresh has also started building up a base in Hoskote as Siddaramaiah has indicated to him that his wife may get a ticket,” the source said. MTB Nagaraj has won the Hoskote segment thrice and has always contested against his arch rival Bacche Gowda. Gowda, who was earlier with the JD(S) and had won the Hoskote seat since 1994, had been defeated for the first time by MTB Nagaraj in 2004. However, during the 2008 elections, Bacche Gowda joined the BJP and defeated MTB Nagaraj. Ever since, the two leaders have been bitter rivals. “Since the BJP is planning to give MTB Nagaraj the it will be easy to convince Sharath Bacche Gowda to contest from Congress. If this happens, then Hoskote will be an easy win for Congress,” the source added.  

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Cutbacks hit family planning clinics that lost federal dollars over Trump abortion rules

Clinics are reducing some sexually transmitted disease testing even as the White House vows to eradicate HIV.

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