‘Want to contribute in a non-political way': Ex-Dakshina Kannada DC Sasikanth Senthil

This was the former DC of Dakshina Kannada Sasikanth Senthil’s first public appearance after resigning.

Harsha Raj Gatty

Ruling out political innings, former Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada Sasikanth Senthil said although he has resigned, both the state and the union government are yet to give an official endorsement to his resignation. He was speaking at a programme in Mangaluru city on Wednesday and this was his first public appearance after resigning. The former IAS officer said he had taken the right decision of resigning from the post.  “Like I said earlier, it was purely a personal decision. It was a very personal thing, it was a national thing, connected with national sentiment that made me to resign,” he said. Speaking at a symposium on 'Baapu and Nationalism' at the 150th birth year celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi in the city, Senthil said that the present was a testing time for ordinary people where one is asked to prove his or her patriotism at every phase. “Why are some people forced by others to say ‘Bharath Matha Ki Jai?’ After 10 years of serving the Indian government, I have been called an anti-national for resigning from service,” he said Citing the example of how Mahatma Gandhi withdrew the civil disobedience movement following the Chauri-Chaura incident, Senthil said it was such nationalism that was the need of the hour.  “In the present circumstances we are in need of the Gandhian way of ‘Nationalism’ that was based out of truth and ahimsa (non-violence). “Gandhi never propagated violence for a national movement or to promote nationalism. It is the same reason why, following the departure of the British, there was global endorsement to Indian Independence,” he said. On being asked his take on Prime Minister Modi being hailed by the ‘father of the nation’ by a section of his supporters, Senthil said that although people talk a lot about Gandhi, he believed that given the sacrifices and struggle of Gandhi for humanity, not many have lived up to the status (standards) set by him.  Senthil said that personally he believed that the legacy set by Gandhiji was unparalleled. ”However, there are different people with different views on certain matters. What they think or whom they think (is the father of the nation) is left to them and they are entitled to their opinion,” he said. He said given that he had a lot of time at his disposal and following his resignation, he is mulling on contributing to society in non-political way.  “I am meeting people, trying to understand the grass root-level issues and the people’s problems. When I was a DC, people used to maintain a distance from me. Now I am anonymous, in the ground. Being nobody and anonymous, I can learn a lot and understand things better. It will only enrich my experience,” he said. He added that although he has submitted his resignation, the government is yet to accept the same. “I don’t know within what framework the process will be completed, accepting my resignation is left to the government,” he said. He also said that given the fact he has stayed in Bengaluru for a long time, he will continue his domicile in Karnataka. “Of course, wherever the issues of people, I will be there. Now I am more equipped to do good work. I can write study and interact with people, express and influence the government,” he said. While reiterating that there was no pressure on him during his tenure as the DC of Dakshina Kannada, he said that he stuck to every word that he had put in his resignation letter. He also added that the resignation was not forced on him, so there is nothing negative about my departure.  “It is just that I felt that I can be of better use for many things.”  But he added that he could not endorse the All India Service (AIS), with whatever is currently going on at the national level, on moral grounds. “Simply put, if someone is hurt on the road, it’s a moral obligation to help him – if you are unable or disallowed to help, then it’s up to oneself to make a choice. I think I have made the right choice. I am entering into a better space (post resignation),” he said. Story by Story Infinity (Subs and Scribes Media Ventures LLP.)

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False ceiling in Bengaluru metro station falls off, no injuries reported

Accident

In the past, there have been many instances of rainwater seeping through the stations.

TNM Staff

Screengrab

In what was a major scare for some passengers of the Namma Metro in Bengaluru, a false ceiling fell off at the National College Metro Station in Bengaluru on Monday evening. The issue came to light as a CCTV footage of the incident went viral on social media platforms by Wednesday.  The video shows part of the false ceiling coming down while three women were trying to make their way through the automatic fare collection gates towards the platform. As part of that, a fallen brick has damaged part of the gate as well. Fortunately, no one was injured in the mishap.  “One of the bricks in the 70cm-high wall constructed between the platform deck and track bed got loosened and fell on the false ceiling. The track side has plastering while the platform side doesn’t have it due to less access. Therefore, the brick got loose and collapsed due to vibration caused by train movement,” Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited   (BMRCL) Managing Director Ajay Seth (IAS) told The Times of India. “The wall is not part of any structural part and hence there is no issue regarding safety to the structure. To prevent such occurrence in the future, the un-plastered side has been covered by mild steel sheet permanently. Other stations are also being checked for preventive measures,” he added. However, this is not the only such incident that has come to light off late with he city’s metro.  While there were defects in the overhead rail bridge near Trinity Circle in 2018-end due to a honeycomb formation, there have been multiple instances of rainwater seeping through to underground stations.  In one of the most recent such incidents, officials at the Byappanahalli Metro Station had to keep buckets in place to collect the rainwater seeping through the roof.

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Gandhians re-enact 'satyagraha' in Bengaluru to promote sacred' economy

Livelihoods

"By sacred economy, we mean a production system which creates maximum jobs with least investment and zero damage to the environment," said noted Gandhian SR Hiremath.

IANS

Calling for job creation and protecting the natural ecosystem to promote a sacred economy, Gandhians on Wednesday re-enacted Mahatma Gandhi's famous 'satyagraha'  in Bengaluru on his sesquicentennial. "By sacred economy, we mean a production system which creates maximum jobs with least investment and zero damage to the environment," said noted Gandhian SR Hiremath on the occasion.. With another Gandhian Prasanna, 75-year-old Hiremath revived the non-violent political resistance (satyagraha) Gandhiji initiated against the British rule across the country at Vallab Niketan, an orphanage social reformer Vinobha Bhave had set up to prevent bright people from increasing wealth and consumerism and imbibe Bapu's values. Hiremath returned from the US to lead an austere life, upholding Gandhian values and settled at Dharwad, a hub of Indian culture, about 430 kms northwest of this tech hub. As part of the satyagraha, Prasanna, a 68-year-old social activist and theatre personality, will embark on a fast to draw the attention of the industry leaders, eminent people and the state to achieve a sacred economy. "In the prevailing situation, the Indian economy is on the verge of collapse, as evident from the loss of over 3 lakh jobs during the last three months in the organised sector alone and many more in the unorganized sector," Prasanna told IANS. Urging the government to focus also on farmers, small traders, vendors, handicrafts and small businesses in the unorganized sector than only on corporates and industry, Prassana said in the worsening automobile sector, the ancillary units are the sacred economy as they are job intensive. "It's a blatant lie to say the auto sector in India constitutes 48 per cent of the workforce in the organized sector, which is largely automated," asserted Prasanna. Using satyagraha as a platform, the Gandhians called on the youth to question the government on being mindful only of the rich and not the poor. "The government should give tax discounts to small sectors and producers of handicrafts, not corporates or India Inc alone," said Prasanna. Expressing disenchantment on incumbent governments, Prasanna said whether it is the BJP or the Congress rule, their governments are going to be mindful of the big businesses. Both the Gandhians professed faith in the teachings of Gandhi.

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Bandipur night traffic ban to stay, can’t go against court: Karnataka CM Yediyurappa

Controversy

The Kerala government has insisted that the existing night traffic ban be lifted on a 25 km stretch.

TNM Staff

In a major relief for environmentalists, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday stated that the state government will not allow the lifting of the night traffic ban from the core tiger habitat of the Bandipur National Park. "I cannot go against the court order. The court has ordered not to allow vehicles in the night in Bandipur forest area," the CM said. The statement from the CM came a day before Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to join protests in Wayanad by groups who are seeking the relaxation of the ban. Ahead of his visit, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan had also held a meeting with Rahul Gandhi on the issue. The Kerala government has been insisting that the existing night traffic ban be bypassed on a 25-km stretch of National Highway 212 (now called 766), by cutting through a core part of the forest with an elevated corridor. The Supreme Court had also upheld this night traffic ban earlier in August. In March 2018, the National Tiger Conservation Authority had advised the Centre against moving ahead with the project, as it could have adverse effects on the forest habitat, where over a hundred tigers currently reside. The existing traffic ban on traffic flow after dark came into effect in 2009 while the Karnataka High Court was hearing a case pertaining to roadkill. At least 215 animals were killed by oncoming traffic between 2004 and 2007, according to the court. Recently TNM had reported a note by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar to Pinarayi had also reiterated that the union government will not allow such a project.  In that letter, the union minister said, “Your suggestion has already been discussed at length by a Committee of Secretaries chaired by the Cabinet Secretary to the Government of India, wherein, it was recommended to maintain status quo on restriction of nighttime traffic through Bandipur Tiger Reserve and strengthen the alternative route already available for nighttime traffic.” “Further, I take this opportunity to inform you that by following the Principle of Avoidance, Core/Critical Tiger Habitats (CTH) need to be kept in view for long-term sustenance of ecology of the area,” he added. Currently, only a limited number of government-run buses and emergency vehicles are allowed to operate during the restricted period of 9 pm to 6 am on the stretch. During this period motorists take an alternative route via Hunsur-Gonikoppal-Kutta-Mananthavady Road, which is around 30 km longer. While the plan of the elevated corridor was suggested by the union government through the National Highway Authority for the Bharatmala project, it withdrew the proposal after inter-ministerial discussions and Supreme Court orders. The Kerala CM had written to Javadekar offering to fund half the project soon after the SC verdict on night traffic, stating that it will prove beneficial to residents of Wayanad, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. Pinarayi who had met the central minister again on Tuesday said that the Centre has agreed to form an expert committee to study the night ban. Read: Night traffic ban in Bandipur Tiger Reserve to stay: Centre to Pinarayi Vijayan  

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Does telehealth save money? The jury’s still out.

In a recent assessment of a telehealth-related bill, the Congressional Budget Office concluded that covering the technology sometimes increases and sometimes reduces spending.

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Isolated heavy rainfall expected in Bengaluru and parts of Karnataka in next 4 days

Weather

Other than Bengaluru, rains have been forecasted for entire south interior Karnataka and parts of north interior Karnataka.

Soumya Chatterjee

Heavy rainfall over isolated places is likely over Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru Urban, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu, Mandya, Mysuru, Ramanagara and Shivamogga districts of south interior Karnataka,  the Karnataka State Emergency Operation Centre said. Officials predict that isolated places will receive over 65 mm rainfall over the next four days.  However, when asked about the possibility of flooding in Bengaluru, officials in the know said there is no immediate reason for concern, even though many areas have been waterlogged in the last few days due to rains. Incidentally, BBMP officials had to take the help of the fire department on Wednesday morning to drain out water in the third and seventh sectors of HSR Layout due to rains. According to rainfall data maintained by KSNDMC, Bengaluru Urban received only 24 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours.  The Meteorological department has said that Bengaluru will continue to have cloudy skies with rain.  In its long-range outlook on September 27, the IMD had said, “A cyclonic circulation lies over northeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood and extends up to 2.1 km above mean sea level. Under its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over north Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood by tomorrow and is likely to become more marked during the subsequent 48 hours.”  Officials at the Karnataka State Disaster Monitoring Centre said that the rains will be fairly widespread, with moderate to heavy rains likely over districts in south interior Karnataka and parts of north interior Karnataka. Coastal and Malnad districts are likely to receive scattered to widespread light to moderate rains on Wednesday. Additionally, the Meteorological Centre in Bengaluru said that Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Belagavi, Dharwad, Ballari, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, Kolar, Shivamogga and Tumakuru were likely to see that thunderstorms accompanied by light to moderate spells of rain and strong winds reaching 30 to 40 kmph or more. The rains are expected at a time when Karnataka is yet to get central aid for the floods that ravaged a major part of the state in August, killing more than 80 people and leaving thousands homeless.

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Bengaluru woman demands cab drivers should stop using alternative route to airport

Transport

The woman stated in her police complaint that an Ola driver refused to switch to the main road via NH 44 when he was dropping her home from the airport early on Monday morning.

Prajwal Bhat

Image for representation

At around 3:20 am on Monday morning, Shikha*, a working professional in Bengaluru, travelled in an Ola cab from the Bengaluru International Airport at 3 am. Around 10 mins into her journey, she realised that the cab driver had taken an alternative route to reach the city — the route via BK Halli-Bagalur instead of the traditional NH 44. "I immediately asked the driver to turn around and take the main road, NH 44, but he (the driver) dismissed my request saying that this was the correct route," recalls Shikha. Shikha had to force the driver to stop the car by pressing the emergency button. She was in an isolated area at the time and she asked the driver to call his supervisor. Eventually, she managed to call a friend who was also leaving from the airport around that time and hitched a ride. She claimed that despite pressing the emergency button, there was no help forthcoming from Ola.  Shikha filed a complaint at the Bengaluru Airport police station. However, an FIR was not registered. "Since there was no offence, in this case, we have not registered an FIR," a police official told TNM. Why drivers choose the alternate route The incident once again raises questions about the safety of women travelling alone to and from the airport at night, particularly on the alternative route sometimes used by cab drivers.  Often, cab drivers choose to take the alternate route not only because it is faster to reach the airport from areas like Whitefield, but it also helps drivers avoid paying the toll on NH44.  Two months ago, a woman was murdered by a cab driver who tried to rob her on the way to the airport. Police officials said that the cab driver Nagesh had deviated from the main road and demanded money from Pooja Singh De, a model and event manager who was visiting the city. The cab driver attacked and murdered her before leaving her remains near the airport in Kaadayarappanahalli village. Read: Murder of Kolkata model in Bengaluru: Ola driver arrested for crime Police officials confirmed that they have received multiple complaints from women about cab drivers taking the alternative route to the Bengaluru airport. The complainants have cited a lack of street lights on the route and also pointed out that the route is mostly isolated and unused.  Speaking to TNM, Shikha said that she had read about the murder incident in July in the newspaper and believes that the alternative roads to the airport should not be allowed to be used by cab aggregators. She decided to file a complaint at the Bengaluru Airport police station to stress the need for measures to be taken to improve the safety of commuters in this stretch. "If my friend had not been there, I don't know what would have happened. I don't think that the road is safe for either men or women. It needs to be blocked, especially at night. So many people have reached out to me saying that drivers were occasionally taking the alternative route to the airport and that only on request, the drivers would switch to the main road," added Shikha.  Ola’s stand Reacting to the incident, an Ola spokesperson said, "Safety of customers is the top priority for us and we have taken several proactive measures in this regard. These include issuing regular advisories to driver-partners and customers, 24/7 helpline, Emergency Button and our unique Ola Guardian feature. We continue to add product updates that enhance safety measures on the platform and look forward to collaborating with the authorities to enable a safe and reliable mobility experience in our cities." However, the cab aggregator declined to comment on whether drivers will be blocked from taking the alternative route. TNM has reached out to Uber for comment. This article will be updated once a response is received.  *Name changed

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