‘If you have prejudice, can’t call yourself a scientist’: Sri Sri to detractors at IISc

Controversy

: Some students and staff members had opposed the event and felt that endorsing Sri Sri’s methods “unscientific” methods would hurt the institute’s reputation.

TNM Staff

Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravishankar has hit back at his detractors at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru by calling them “prejudiced”. Referring to a section of students who had petitioned the IISc director to intervene and denounce the event as they felt endorsing Sri Sri’s “unscientific” methods will hurt the reputation of the premier institute, he said that prejudice was detrimental to science.  He was addressing a talk titled ‘Excellence Through Inner Peace’ on Thursday afternoon at the JN Tata Auditorium on the IISc campus. According to Edex Live, to a room full of applause, he said, "I heard some people opposed my talk at IISc today. People who opposed me don't know me. Even to oppose something or someone, one needs to study and know it in detail. You study something properly and then you discard it." Read:'Sri Sri's mental health solutions unscientific': IISc staff, students oppose event "In this mode of scientific temperament and learning, a factor called prejudice is detrimental to science. If you have prejudice towards anything then you can't call yourself a scientist. Because it won't allow you to perceive things properly. One's mind should be full of spirit, enthusiasm, energy and interest to learn from anyone in any part of the world,” he added.  TNM had earlier reported how some students and professors said that if such an event is organised by a group of students and/or faculty members — it should be clearly mentioned that the event has not organised been by IISc, and the names of the organisers should be clearly mentioned (as opposed to the ambiguous ‘a group of IISc faculty across all disciplines’). Opposing students asked that the administration organise lectures by practitioners and researchers from NIMHANS to discuss ways to achieve a relatively stress-free academic life as opposed to Sri Sri’s “unscientific therapeutic” solutions. In their petition, they claimed, “Our campus is currently struggling with widespread and varied issues of mental health. His organisation offers a blanket therapeutic solution to multiple mental health ailments. Such a blanket solution is medically baseless, and can be dangerous.”

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Mysuru king Jayachamaraja was monarch-democrat: President Kovind

Speech

The President highlighted that the ruler of the Myusuru state was one of the first kings to join the Indian union through the Instrument of Accession, soon after India achieved independence.

IANS

Mysore Maharaja Jayachamaraja could be best described as the most eminent monarch-democrat, President Ram Nath Kovind said at his centenary celebrations on Thursday. The President gloriously invoked Jayachamaraja as an exceptional ruler and an able administrator at the illuminated and decked up Amba Vilas Palace in Mysore, located 150 km from Bengaluru. Soon after being crowned the Yuvaraja on September 8, 1940, Jayachamaraja enforced a reformed constitution in the Mysuru state and proclaimed that "The torch of constitutional progress has been handed down to me as a family heritage. It is my ambition, as I am sure it is yours, to ensure that its light does not grow dim but will burn ever brighter with the passage of time... " The President highlighted that the ruler of the Myusuru state was one of the first kings to join the Indian union through the Instrument of Accession, soon after India achieved independence. "He should be thus regarded as the icon of India's transition to democracy," the President said. After merging with India, Jayachamaraja was appointed Rajpramukh till November 1956. Later, owing to his fame, he was made the Governor of the newly carved out Mysore state, to hold that position till May 4, 1964. "Can we think as to what is unique about this land that nourishes the best of social values and impulses? That was exactly what drove a Maharaja to put his people first," lauded Kovind pointing out to the democratic ethos deeply rooted in Karnataka. Further talking about Jayachamaraja, the President praised him for incorporating the local traditions and also adopting the good attributes of Western civilisation. Kovind compared Jayachamaraja to Mahatma Gandhi, who also similarly married tradition with modernity The 25th Wadiyar king of the Mysore princely state during the British rule was born on July 18, 1919 and died on September 23, 1974. Jayachamaraja's father Narasimharaja Wadiyar passed away when he was only 21, who soon faced another tragedy in the death of his uncle Maharaja Krishna Raja Wadiyar. Mysuru titular king Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja, queen mother Pramoda Devi, princess Trishika Kumari and royal members of the Wadiyar clan graced the occasion. The city of palaces and the cultural capital of the southern state just hosted the world famous 10-day Dasara festival on Tuesday, with a victory parade from the palace to the Bannimantap grounds across the city.

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Money laundering case: ED questions DK Shivakumar's brother

Money Laundering

The questioning comes as Shivakumar remains in jail for a month after being arrested by the central probe agency on September 3 in the case.

IANS

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday questioned Congress MP D.K. Suresh, the brother of former Karnataka Minister D.K. Shivakumar, on the second consecutive day in connection with the money laundering case against the Congress leader. The questioning comes as Shivakumar remains in jail for a month after being arrested by the central probe agency on September 3 in the case. Sources said that Suresh, the MP from Bengaluru Rural, was asked to appear before the agency with some specific documents sought by the ED which is probing the alleged hawala transactions to the Congress high command and also about the meteoric rise of his personal wealth.  In his election affidavit before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Suresh had declared that his assets have grown close to four times in the last five years. While his assets were valued at over Rs 85 crore in 2014, his affidavit for the election this year stated that his wealth is now approximately Rs 338 crore.  The ED has also questioned D.K. Shivakumar's daughter Aisshwarya and Belagavi Rural MLA Lakshmi Hebbalkar in connection with the case. Shivakumar, now in judicial custody, has been on the radar of the Income Tax Department and the ED since demonetisation in 2016. An Income Tax search at his New Delhi flat on August 2, 2017, led to the seizure of unaccounted cash amounting to Rs 8.83 crore. Thereafter, the Tax Department lodged cases against the Congress leader and his four associates under Sections 277 and 278 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, and Sections 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 193 (Punishment for false evidence) and 199 (False statements made in declaration which is by law receivable as evidence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Incidentally, according to Shivakumar's affidavit submitted to the Election Commission ahead of the Assembly elections in 2018, his daughter Aisshwarya owned assets of Rs 108 crore compared to only Rs 1.09 crore in 2013. Shivakumar, however, clarified that Aisshwarya was not dependent on his income and that he was still declaring her assets as per the Representation of Peoples Act. 

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Bengaluru FC club will continue to play home games at Kanteerava Stadium

Sports

The club was forced to enlist Pune's Balewadi Stadium as its home venue due to an ongoing court case regarding the use of the Kanteerava Stadium.

Prajwal Bhat

Kanteerava Stadium/Wikimedia Commons/CC 1.0

Indian Super League (ISL) champions JSW Bengaluru Football Club will continue to play their home games at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, the club confirmed in a social media post.   STATEMENT: We can confirm that Bengaluru FC will be playing its home games for the 2019-20 season out of the Sree Kanteerava Stadium. #WeAreBFC #RoomForMore pic.twitter.com/n8dOEGEyzS — Bengaluru FC (@bengalurufc) October 10, 2019 Ever since the club shifted from the I-League to the ISL in 2017, attendances for matches at the Kanteerava Stadium have increased, crossing 20,000 people on some occasions. The club stated that it has received permission from the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES) to use the facilities at the stadium for the upcoming ISL season.  The DYES has has issued a letter of consent to Bengaluru FC to hold its matches at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium. The club will pay around Rs 78 lakh to reserve the stadium, which will be used for 20-30 days in the upcoming ISL season, a DYES official confirmed. The letter was issued following an order passed by the Karnataka High Court while hearing a petition filed by JSW (owners of BFC). "We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Government of Karnataka, the Sports Ministry, the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports, the Karnataka Athletic Association and all other stakeholders and associations for their support in making this happen," according to a statement by the club. The club was forced to enlist Pune's Balewadi Stadium as its home venue due to an ongoing court case regarding the use of the Kanteerava Stadium, which is shared by athletes of the Karnataka Athletics Association for practice and events.  This case is different from the club's petition being heard by the High Court which prompted the court order allowing the use of the stadium by the club.  A group of 49 athletes including former India sprinter Ashwini Nachappa and former Indian shot-putter SD Eashan had petitioned the Karnataka High Court questioning the use of the stadium’s track and field area for football activities. The athletes contended that the presence of advertising boards and technical equipment, including wires, hindered track and field athletes who simultaneously use the facilities at the stadium. The case is still being heard in the Karnataka High Court and a probe was ordered to look into the manner in which the Kanteerava stadium was allowed to be used by Bengaluru FC for the past three years. "We are not against football being played in the stadium but there was a point when the football club took over the use of the stadium. We appealed to the officials in 2017 that the football activities is killing the activities of all other sports. The track area was being impeded by advertising hoardings and wires in the days leading up to matches. This affected the training of athletes belonging to many other sports. Where should the athletes go in this situation?" SD Eashan, one of the petitioners, told TNM.  Bengaluru FC, formed in 2013, has played its home matches at the Kanteerava Stadium since 2014. The club played its home matches at the Bengaluru Football Stadium located in McGrath Road in the city for its first season. The club now uses this ground for training and only plays matches at the Kanteerava Stadium. The club has also restricted its use of the stadium to match-days.  The petitioners also argued that the football club extended the lease period to use the facilities at the Kanteerava Stadium in 2017 without following due process. The initial lease period which began in 2014 ended in 2017. During this period, the football club planned to gear up facilities at the stadium as it was one of the stadiums listed as a venue to host games at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Eventually, Bengaluru was dropped as one of the host cities after a delay in infrastructure works at the stadium. The counsel appearing for Bengaluru FC informed the Karnataka High Court that the club upgraded the facilities at the stadium by spending an amount of Rs 5 crore. This included replacing the natural grass at the stadium with artificial grass. "The lease was extended in 2017 without following due process. A public notice should have been given followed by a bidding process in allowing Bengaluru FC to use the stadium," said SD Eashan.  The stadium is beloved by fans of the football club since it has also played host to memorable fixtures like the 3-1 win against Johor Darul Ta'zim that sent Bengaluru FC to the AFC Cup final in 2016. The 2018 ISL final was also played at the Kanteerava stadium in which Bengaluru was beaten 3-2 by Chennaiyin FC. The 2019-20 ISL season is set to begin this month with Bengaluru FC playing its first home game against Northeast United FC on October 21

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Sewage water, silt floods north Bengaluru locality as lake overflows after rains

Environment

The area received as much as 110 mm of rainfall between Wednesday and Thursday, which is classified as heavy rainfall.

Soumya Chatterjee

Residents of north Bengaluru living near the Doddaabidarakallu lake in Nagasandra had to face a nightmare after the bund of the lake broke on Wednesday night, and flooded the entire area with sewage mixed water and silt.  According to Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre, Doddaabidarakallu received as much as 110 mm of rainfall between Wednesday and Thursday, which is classified as heavy rain. All low-lying areas in Bhavani Nagar, Annapurneshwari, Muneshwara, Belmara and Andannappa layouts were inundated, with water entering 180 homes; and at some places, the water level rose as much as to partly submerge motorbikes and cars. 40 bikes and 20 cars were damaged because of this, BBMP said. The bund has now been temporarily fixed by using earthmovers to arrest further waterflow to residential areas.  The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike officials led by its Commissioner BH Anil Kumar and Mayor Gautham Kumar inspected the area on Thursday morning and promised to restore normalcy as soon as possible.  The Commissioner said that he has instructed concerned officials to file a police compliant against a resident in Belamara layout for building an unauthorised bridge across a stormwater drain which had led to flooding. Firemen were called in to pump out water from low-lying areas.   “The breach of the bund caused the entire area to flood. We have recorded damage to at least 180 houses. Thankfully there was no harm to life,” the Zonal Chief Engineer Vijay Kumar of the BBMP told TNM. The civic agency is yet to ascertain what factors other than the heavy rain caused the lake bund to collapse. Vijay added, “The Commissioner was here till afternoon. Now, most of the water has receded and we are trying to restore the area as much as possible.” Speaking to reporters, the BBMP Commissioner said on Thursday, “The lake was recently handed over to the BBMP and now the civic body will rebuild the lake bund.” Anil Kumar also promised that the BBMP will ensure that the silt and mud are removed from the streets.  The Doddaabidarakallu lake, like many of the city’s ailing lakes, has been in bad shape with heavy silt disposition, weeds, sewage and garbage. Earlier this year, the BBMP had prepared a detailed project report (DPR) to rejuvenate the lake for Rs 10 crore.  

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Karnataka journos protest as Speaker refuses to allow cameras in Assembly

Media

A group of journalists had approached Karnataka Speaker to ask him to review the ban on TV cameras inside the Assembly.

Prajwal Bhat

A group of journalists from regional and national news organisations met the Karnataka Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri after his decision to ban TV channels from videographing proceedings of the house.   In spite of the group expressing concern about the ban on videography in the Assembly, Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri refused to review the decision made on Wednesday for the ongoing winter session of the Karnataka Assembly.  Yasir Mushtaq, a journalist who was part of the meeting told TNM that the Speaker informed the group of journalists that the ban on videography is experimental and temporary.   "The Speaker informed us that this move is being implemented on an experimental basis and that this is not permanent. It will be implemented in the next three days after which the pros and cons of it will be weighed," Yasir said speaking to TNM. Around 50 journalists from print, digital and television news organisations, including from both regional and national organisations, wrote to the Speaker asking him to review his decision. The journalists plan to hold a protest  at the Gandhi Statue in Maurya Circle in Bengaluru on Friday at 9 am.  "We must remind you that the Karnataka Legislature has its independent history and for the past 25 years – from when video journalists were allowed inside the House to record its proceedings – we have tried our best to perform our duties towards the people of this state," reads the petition submitted to the Speaker. Private television news channels have been allowed to cover proceedings inside the Karnataka Assembly since 1994 when Congress leader KR Ramesh Kumar was the Speaker.      "If you had any concerns, these should have been taken up with us so that we could have worked together to arrive at a consensus on the way forward. We feel this decision is contrary to the spirit and ethos of our democracy. Further, we also express our apprehension that this will act as a precedent for taking unilateral decisions,” the letter by the journalists added.   Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri will review the petition after the end of the Assembly session on Saturday. The ban on videography is set to remain in place until then.  In 2012, television news channels captured footage of the then Karnataka MLA and minister Laxman Savadi watching porn with the then Women and Child Development Minister CC Patil on the mobile handset of Krishna Palemar. The incident caused an uproar following which Laxman was forced to resign from his position as minister.   In the same year, the then Speaker KG Bopaiah placed a ban on private television channels recording and broadcasting live proceedings of the house until a committee to probe Laxman Savadi's behaviour submitted a report.  In 2014, after the Congress came to power, the then Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa had also proposed a ban on television cameras from broadcasting Assembly proceedings inside the house. The proposal was not followed up and it eventually fell through.

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Why Siddaramiah remains INC’s most favoured leader in Karnataka despite all odds

Politics

Siddaramaiah has had a dream run in the Congress till now, and the party high command has even put up with his outbursts.

Naheed Ataulla

It was the TINA (There Is No Alternative) factor for the Congress high command when it reappointed Karnataka's former chief minister Siddaramaiah as the Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Assembly, as any other choice would have resulted in fresh problems of identity crisis for the incumbent, when the Congress is trying to pick up the threads after parting ways with the JD(S). Former Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and senior Congress MLA H K Patil, who lost the race for the post, were seen as meek leaders with limited connect to the masses, considering the party has to take on the BJP at both the Centre and the state, with Assembly bye-elections to 15 constituencies scheduled for December 5. The by-polls are crucial for all three parties in the state. The seats were held by the Congress and the JD(S), who have to retain the seats. Meanwhile, the BJP has to win in at least seven out of the 15 constituencies to ensure that the BS Yediyurappa-led BJP government is stable.  “I would like to be led by a person who has a connect with the public and party. Parameshwara and H K Patil are gentlemen but confined to their regions. If the Congress has to be rejuvenated in Karnataka, it needs a person who is combative and battle-ready,” a Congress legislator said. However, the appointment of the Leader of Opposition was a trying time for Siddaramaiah and the two front-runners. The issue of ‘loyal Congressmen versus the migrants’ cropped up again, as Siddaramaiah, despite being the Chief Minister for five years and being associated with the Congress since 2006, is still labelled as an outsider. The issue led to the tussle for the selection, with MP B K Hariprasad and former MP K H Muniyappa coming out against him publicly.  For the first time, there was also a demand for separating the posts of Leader of Opposition and the leader of the Congress legislature party, which Siddaramaiah stoutly opposed. According to Congress insiders, no one was sure which way the decision of party president Sonia Gandhi would go, although 60 party legislators had submitted a memorandum favouring him over AICC observer Madhusudan Mistry. The suspense continued even as the CLP meeting on Wednesday evening was in progress, as the AICC's announcement came during dinner time. In a tweet, Siddaramaiah thanked Sonia and Rahul for appointing him as the Leader of Opposition and the leader of the Congress Legislature Party. “I am honoured by her faith in me. All Karnataka Congress leaders will work to strengthen the party and expose the failures of the BJP government,'' he said. The high command has also agreed to Siddaramaiah’s request to quit the Congress Working Committee. If this bonanza was not enough for Siddaramaiah, his close associate, former minister S R Patil has been made the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council. He hails from Bagalkot district, where Siddaramaiah's Badami constituency falls. What makes Siddaramaiah tick with the high command The 71-year-old Kuruba leader, self-declared agnostic, who prefers to be called a champion of the other backward classes, has had a dream run till now. He was taken into the Congress after party leaders such as Mallikarjun M Kharge, D K Shivakumar and H Vishwanath (now disqualified JD(S) MLA) lobbied for him with the high command that he would bring in 6% of OBC votes to the party. In 2013, he successfully edged out Kharge from the race for CM’s post to establish his monopoly in the state Congress and emerge as the face of the party in Karnataka. The only Congress CM to complete five years in office after former CM D Devaraj Urs, some of Siddaramaiah’s political actions of favouring his ex-party colleagues, his decision to give a religious minority tag to the Lingayat community was not approved by the high command. On the contrary, they have put up with his tantrums. In June 2012, he resigned as the Leader of Opposition as he was miffed over not being consulted in giving tickets during the Legislative Council polls. The reason for this was that he is the face of the Ahinda (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits), with prominent castes Lingayats and Vokkaligas shifting their loyalty to the BJP and JD(S) respectively. Presently, the party, which has to rebuild from the grassroots-level in Karnataka, has no formidable leader with mass connect. Kharge has been keeping a low profile after his defeat, while Shivakumar is embroiled in money laundering cases. The animosity between JD(S) first family HD Deve Gowda-HD Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah lingers and the chances of the Congress getting the support of the JD(S) on the floor of the House are remote with Siddaramaiah as the Leader of Opposition. Kumaraswamy has already declared that his party will not support the Congress in the House. As a senior Congressman said: “In Karnataka, the bosses of the parties cannot antagonise Siddaramaiah, BS Yediyurappa or HD Deve Gowda, as they bring votes for their respective outfits.” Naheed Ataulla is a journalist who covered Karnataka politics for over two decades and is former Political Editor of The Times of India.

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