20-ft apple garland, folk dances: DK Shivakumar receives grand welcome in Bengaluru

Politics

Shivakumar, who was in Delhi after his release from Tihar jail, landed in Bengaluru at around 2.30 pm on Saturday.

Theja Ram

"DK Saheb is arriving. The whole city will celebrate," blared a song, tailor-made for the arrival of Kanakpura MLA DK Shivakumar in Bengaluru.  Thousands of Congress party workers and fans of the former Water Resource Minister gathered outside the Devanahalli Toll Plaza in Bengaluru at around 12 pm on Saturday to celebrate Shivakumar's release from Tihar jail. Shivakumar, who was in Delhi after his release, landed in Bengaluru at around 2.30 pm on Saturday. DK Shivakumar's fans had brought in folk dancers and musicians to celebrate his arrival. Musicians thumped at their drums, while kamsale artistes danced to folk tunes. Lyrics of popular sandalwood songs were tweaked to glorify DK Shivakumar.  Dancers perform and drummers are thumping away with enthusiasm. A 100-kilo apple garland has arrived in a truck that will be lifted in a crane to give an impression that DKS will be wearing it when he arrives at the Devanahalli toll gate. pic.twitter.com/jDWjX9fjLu — Theja Ram (@thejaram92) October 26, 2019 Hundreds of party workers danced and shouted slogans praising DK Shivakumar.  "DK Shi, DK Shi, our mass leader DK Shi," shouted his fans, who had gathered in huge numbers.  A 20-ft apple garland weighing 100 kilos was brought in a huge truck at around 12 pm along with a crane to hold it up on Shivakumar's arrival at the toll plaza.  A truck was decked up with posters of Shivakumar and marigold garlands adorned the windshield for Shivakumar to travel in. Preparations underway for DK Shivakumar's arrival in Bengaluru. Shivakumar will board the trucks nd a procession will be carried out from Devanahalli toll plaza to KPCC @thenewsminute pic.twitter.com/e35Sag9iST — Theja Ram (@thejaram92) October 26, 2019 These grand gestures for DK Shivakumar are not new. Soon after his arrest in September, thousands of Congress workers and his fans had carried out a massive rally across all districts in the state accusing the BJP-ruled central government of indulging in vendetta politics. DK Shivakumar has for long been glorified in Karnataka for his role of being the party's troubleshooter. Shivakumar courted controversy multiple times when he harboured Gujarat MLAs ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections. The Income Tax Department also conducted raids on his properties the day he flocked together the Gujarat MLAs in August 2017.  After a 50-day stint in New Delhi's Tihar jail for allegedly laundering money, DK Shivakumar obtained conditional bail from the Delhi High Court on October 23. The Enforcement Directorate had on September 3 arrested DK Shivakumar on allegations of money laundering. Shivakumar was denied bail by the CBI Special court and had spent 50 days in judicial custody before being released on bail. Shivakumar was also in the centre of media coverage when 10 Congress and JDS MLAs were cooped up in Mumbai ahead of the motion of confidence after resigning. Shivakumar was hailed as a Congress loyalist after he sat down in the pouring rain outside Renaissance Hotel, demanding that he meet the legislators.  

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Heavy rains claim 2 lives in Karnataka’s Udupi as cyclonic storm Kyarr intensifies

The IMD reported that the cyclonic storm lay centred around 360 km south-southwest of Mumbai and was headed towards the coast of Oman in the next five days.

TNM Staff

Heavy rains in coastal Karnataka claimed the lives of two people in Udupi district on Friday. The deaths came at a time the cyclonic storm Kyarr intensified and moved westward over the Arabian Sea.  The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the cyclonic storm lay centred around 360 km south-southwest of Mumbai and was headed towards the coast of Oman in the next five days.  Heavy rains were reported in the three coastal districts of Karnataka - Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada.  Sulochana, a resident of Kunjarugiri in Karkala, was swept away in a stream near her residence while Ravindra Kulal, a man taking shelter in a house in Kukkehalli, was killed after a tree collapsed on the house. A branch of the tree hit Ravindra's head and he died even though he was rushed to the hospital.  No deaths were reported in Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts due to the rains. A rescue operation to save those on-board a boat is underway near Kurmagada island in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. Personnel from the Indian Navy and Coast Guard are coordinating the rescue.  A holiday was declared for the second day in a row in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts due to the rains. A tree fallen over a house in Moodabidri, Dakshina Kannada  Fishermen in all three coastal districts were advised against venturing into the sea after the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) predicted high waves in the range of 3 to 3.2 metres between Thursday and Saturday along the coast of Karnataka from Mangaluru to Karwar. In an advisory issued at 11:30 am on Saturday, the IMD predicted light to moderate rain along with heavy rains in isolated areas in Uttara Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka over the next 12 hours.  Light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy falls at isolated places very likely over Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg Districts of Maharashtra, Goa and Uttar Kannada & Udupi districts of Karnataka during the next 12 hours, the release stated.  High speed winds were reported in the coastal areas of Uttara Kannada and Udupi on Friday. Uttara Kannada DC Harish Kumar also confirmed that the Linganamakki reservoir had reached its capacity and 40,000 cusecs of water is being released from it and that the situation is under control.  

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This Karnataka women’s group keeps alive the art of making traditional 'goodudeepas’

Craft

Bamboo straws, rope, glue, colour, crepe paper, and a little bit of patience — here’s what goes into making the traditional Deepavali lanterns.

Harsha Raj Gatty

All pictures by Mamatha

In the midst of the flurry of purchases of gifts, diyas and condiments for Deepavali, for many, Deepavali lanterns are unmissable component of the celebration. While many opt for the readily available lanterns at the store or even online, given their glitzy, fancy colour, design and lighting projections, the traditional variants are still in demand. Bamboo straws, rope, glue, colour and crepe paper – the easily available items in the household or local markets — and a bit of patience, is all it takes to create a Goodudeepa, exclaims Mamatha, breaking into a smile. The popularity of this 34-year-old traditional lantern maker and her all women team, has soared in Udupi district; the buyers of the traditional lanterns including the locals, youngsters, students and even tourists step into their humble store at Court Backroad, Bramhagiri, to purchase or admire their one of its kind traditional lamps. For the last six years, Mamatha said their creation can be seen across the district in the bigger as well as smaller homes in the area during Deepavali. However, it is not just the final ‘display’ of the lantern at the homes that brings a source of fulfillment for the team, but an emotional connection that they achieve while putting their heads together for their creatives.  “Every lantern has a different story to tell, as it is handmade and the hard work of a craftsperson is behind it. It may be the colour combination, shape of the structure, or size. The artistes are free to take their judgement on how or what they want to design,” Mamatha said. Otherwise employed in woodwork and wood crafting jobs, it was in 2013 that Mamatha was first introduced to the craft, by her uncle Ganapathy Acharya. “I was very fascinated by the intricacies involved in the work. It brought me the nostalgic memories of my childhood, when along with my family and relatives we crafted the lanterns together. Initially, I pursued the venture on my own,” Mamatha said. But soon, Mamatha was joined by six others, including Shashikala (38), Vrinda (19), Shreya (19), Geetha (27) and Nanditha (21). Right from assembling the ‘Atte’ (Skeletal) of the Goodudeepa to putting it up for display, the group using recyclable and biodegradable materials for their lanterns oversees the entire process. This year the women have put-together almost 150 lanterns, with the cost ranging from Ashta Patti (small lanterns) Rs. 450, Mantappa (medium size) Rs. 500 and Dasha Patti (large lanterns) Rs. 750. Another lantern maker Shashikala said that unlike the earlier days in the coastal district, where families decked their homes with traditional lanterns, today they prefer modern alternatives.  “Most of the people prefer Chinese or plastic lanterns that are glittery and more fancy in their looks. But nevertheless, we have substantial order for handmade lanterns that keep us at our creative best as well. We are also referred by many artistes for giving them a visual treat with the lanterns,” she said. Soon after Deepavali, the team gets busy designing handmade stars, as Christmas celebrations are just a couple of months away. Story by Story Infinity (Subs and Scribes Media Ventures LLP.)

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Karnataka govt announces hike in salaries for anganwadi workers

Labour

The salary hike will be applicable from October 1.

TNM Staff

Over one lakh anganwadi workers and their assistants in the state will now get a salary hike. The Karnataka government on Friday announced that the honorarium for the anganwadi workers would be hiked by Rs 2,000, while the assistant workers and anganwadi assistants would get Rs 1,500 and Rs 1,000 respectively, TOI reported. The salary hike will be applicable from October 1 itself, Women and Child Welfare Minister Sasikala Jolle told the media on Friday, The New Indian Express reported. The minister also stated that the state government would begin distributing the outstanding payments starting November and that the cabinet has approved Rs Rs 98.30 crore, which has also been released, the TOI report adds. After the salary hike, the anganwadi workers will now get Rs 10,000 per month as salary, an assistant worker would get Rs 5,500 and an anganwadi assistant would get Rs 5,000 per month. Minister Sasikala also stated that the central government would bear 755 of the financial cost for the honorarium hike and rest would be borne by the state. In October 2018, the Centre had announced the honorarium hike in Karnataka. However, funds for the same were not released by the centre, the TOI report adds. In March 2017, thousands of anganwadi workers had gathered outside Freedom Park demanding an increase in pay. The workers had demanded that the meagre salaries are insufficient to sustain their livelihoods. The women had also slept on the streets on the night of March 21, the day when the budget session of the Karnataka Assembly began. In 2016, the Central government had announced that anganwadi workers must be paid Rs 14,000 and the funds for it were to be given by the Centre. The Centre had sanctioned only half of it till now. Speaking to TNM, Varalakshmi, President of the Anganwadi Workers’ Association says that the women are happy about the announcement.  However, the repeated promises made since 2016 and the lack of implementation has made workers wary. “Let them pay the outstanding salaries first and also let the money be given to us. Then we will believe them. Besides, we have been fighting for a hike in salaries for the assistants. How can they survive on Rs 5,000 per month?” she said.     

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Alliance University V-C murder: Bengaluru police arrest seven more suspects

Crime

Alliance University Vice-Chancellor Ayyappa Dore was murdered in Bengaluru while he was talking a walk on the night of October 15.

TNM Staff

The Bengaluru police probing the murder for Alliance University Vice-Chancellor Ayyappa Dore on Friday arrested seven more people in connection with the crime. Ayyappa Dore was murdered while he was talking a walk at the HMT playground in the city’s RT Nagar on the night of October 15. On Friday, the police arrested Kantharaju (28), a musician, Sunil Rao (31) an employee in a private bank; Sunil’s brother-in-law Arun Kumar (40); Fayaz (29), a mechanic; Vinay (24), a cab driver; Fayaz’s sister Rizwana (38), and Salma (28), a woman who worked at a dance bar and was allegedly in a relationship with the previously arrested prime accused, Suraj Singh. Upon the arrest of Suraj, the police learned that Kantharaju, Sunil, Fayaz and Vinay had allegedly conducted a reconnaissance of Ayyappa Dore’s house upon instructions given by Suraj. “They learnt of his routine and had decided to kill him during his evening walk,” the police said. Police say that Arun, Rizwana and Salma were in charge of the logistics and the trio has been charged with criminal conspiracy and harbouring the accused. A senior police official told TNM that Suraj Singh and Salma were in a relationship and had planned to leave the country once they received a pay off for Ayyappa Dore’s murder. “When Sudhir Angur (the co-founder of Alliance University) approached Suraj Singh, an employee at the university to kill Ayyappa Dore, Suraj was promised ‘whatever he wanted’. During the investigation, we have found that Suraj was promised Rs 1 crore and travel expenses to leave the country. He had informed Salma of his plan and had promised that she would live in luxury,” the police added. Police said that Rizwana had harboured the accused in her house and that the murder weapon was also kept at her house, which has been recovered. “Rizwana also tried to mislead the investigators by giving false information,” the police added. Soon after the murder, Rizwana allegedly tried to mislead the police by saying that Fayaz had gone to Kadri. After the police initially questioned her, she allegedly called her relatives in Kadri and informed them that the police may come visit. On October 20, the police arrested Ganesh (37) a rowdy-sheeter, after being shot. Police chased Ganesh to the Karnataka State Seeds Corporation Limited godown in Sanjay Nagar where he was hiding, he attacked two police personnel in an attempt to escape and was shot before being captured. Three days before Ganesh’s arrest the police had arrested Sudhir Angur, who revealed that he had contracted the job to Suraj Singh, who was also arrested the same day. According to police, Suraj Singh had allegedly carried out the crime at the behest of Sudhir, to prevent his brother, Madhukar, from gaining control in the university. Ayyapa Dore was allegedly shifting his allegiance towards Madhukar which allegedly prompted Sudhir to plot the crime. 

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Man hacked to death in broad daylight near Phoenix mall in Bengaluru

Crime

The incident occurred at around 1:30 pm on ITPL Main Road when Manjunath, 28, a resident of Kaadubeesanahalli was riding a bike

TNM Staff

In a horrific incident, a 28-year-old man was hacked to death by three persons near Phoenix Market City, one of the biggest malls in Bengaluru. The incident occurred at around 1:30 pm on ITPL Main Road when Manjunath, 28, a resident of Kaadubeesanahalli was riding on a bike. He was stopped and waylaid by three persons who attacked him with machetes. According to the police, the three men had come on a two-wheeler. The attackers hacked Manjunath's head, splitting it into two with machetes and causing his death on the spot, a police official at the Mahadevapura police station told TNM. The police added that Manjunath was accused in a murder case and an extrortion case, but the details are not available yet. A large number of people gathered around the dead body of Manjunath which was found lying on the road near Shiva Vision Care opposite Phoenix Market City. Photographs and videos of the dead body covered in a pool of blood, with the head hacked off, was shared online within hours of the incident. Passersby informed Mahadevapura police officials about the incident but before police arrived on the spot, the three attackers had fled the scene.   Mahadevapura police officials said that the motives of the attackers is unclear as of now. A case of murder was registered in the police station and investigating officials suspect a gang rivalry to be the reason for the murder.  Police officials are yet to identify the three attackers and the investigation into the case is underway.    

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Man hacked to death in broad daylight near Phoenix mall in Bengaluru

Crime

The incident occurred at around 1:30 pm on ITPL Main Road when Manjunath, 28, a resident of Kaadubeesanahalli was riding a bike

TNM Staff

In a horrific incident, a 28-year-old man was hacked to death by three persons near Phoenix Market City, one of the biggest malls in Bengaluru. The incident occurred at around 1:30 pm on ITPL Main Road when Manjunath, 28, a resident of Kaadubeesanahalli was riding on a bike. He was stopped and waylaid by three persons who attacked him with machetes. According to the police, the three men had come on a two-wheeler. The attackers hacked Manjunath's head, splitting it into two with machetes and causing his death on the spot, a police official at the Mahadevapura police station told TNM. The police added that Manjunath was accused in a murder case and an extrortion case, but the details are not available yet. A large number of people gathered around the dead body of Manjunath which was found lying on the road near Shiva Vision Care opposite Phoenix Market City. Photographs and videos of the dead body covered in a pool of blood, with the head hacked off, was shared online within hours of the incident. Passersby informed Mahadevapura police officials about the incident but before police arrived on the spot, the three attackers had fled the scene.   Mahadevapura police officials said that the motives of the attackers is unclear as of now. A case of murder was registered in the police station and investigating officials suspect a gang rivalry to be the reason for the murder.  Police officials are yet to identify the three attackers and the investigation into the case is underway.    

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