Enrollment opens this week with the insurance markets in good shape, but a federal court decision expected soon could spell new trouble for the law.
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Thursday, October 31, 2019
Gun rights of Kodava community extended till 2029
A petition in the Karnataka High Court had challenged the privileges enjoyed by the community for over a century.
The Kodavas, an ethno-lingual community from Karnataka’s Kodagu district, are one of the few in India that are allowed to possess and carry firearms within the district. Now, the Ministry of Home Affairs has extended the special provision that exempts the community from getting a gun license till October 31, 2029. This applies to any person who is ‘Coorg by race’ and every Jamma tenure holder in Kodagu. “The arms or ammunition carried or possessed by any person being Coorg by race and every Jamma tenure holder in Coorg and herein exempted whilst residing or travelling outside the district of Coorg shall not exceed one rifle with 100 rounds of ammunition for the same and one smooth bore breech or muzzle loading gun with 500 cartridges or the equivalent in leaden shot and gunpowder,” according to the order issued through gazette notification on October 29. It was signed by Joint Secretary SCL Das. A petition filed in the Karnataka High Court in 2015, revived in 2018, threatened the privileges enjoyed by the community. The exemption has been in place for the last 158 years. The petitioner in the case, Chethan YK, a retired army captain from Kodagu, argued that the exemption amounts to discrimination on the basis of caste. The Kodava community has a long history with guns, and historians say that their culture is intrinsically linked with firearms. There are festivals in which gunshots are fired in the air, and a gun salute is performed when a child is born or a person dies. The British had granted the exemption for the people of Coorg to possess firearms in 1861. The exemption was then issued by the Union government in 1963 under the provisions of the Indian Arms Act, 1959. Also read: Caste inequality or cultural birthright? The debate over Kodava community’s gun rights
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Why DK Shivakumar is raking up a fight over a proposed medical college in Karnataka
On Tuesday, DK Shivakumar told the media that he would not allow the medical college to be shifted to Chikkaballapura from his constituency of Kanakapura.
Former Karnataka Medical Education Minister DK Shivakumar returned to Bengaluru four days ago after a 50-day stint at New Delhi’s Tihar jail on allegations of money laundering. Three days after his return to Karnataka, DK Shivakumar has stirred up a controversy about a medical college that was to be constructed in his constituency in Ramanagara district’s Kanakapura. During the 2018-19 budget, the Congress-JD(S) coalition government had announced the construction of a medical college in Kanakapura. At the time, DK Shivakumar held the Medical Education and Water Resources portfolios. Shivakumar claimed that the then Chief Minister Kumaraswamy had also given the go-ahead for the project and was supposed to lay the foundation stone for the construction of the medical college in July this year. However, after the political turmoil that led to the collapse of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in July, the new BJP government decided to shift the proposed medical college from Kanakapura to Chikkaballapura, which was the constituency of disqualified Congress MLA Dr K Sudhakar. On Tuesday, DK Shivakumar told the media that he would not allow the medical college to be shifted to Chikkaballapura. “We wanted a government medical college in my constituency (Kanakapura). This was one of the major reasons why I had asked for Medical Education portfolio during the coalition rule, even though Rahul Gandhi had offered me two other bigger portfolios. When Kumaraswamy was the Chief Minister, he had allotted land and had also sanctioned the proposal to open a medical college in Kanakapura. Kumaraswamy was also supposed to lay the foundation stone in July. But that did not happen,” DK Shivakumar told the media. DK Shivakumar alleged that once the Congress-JD(S) coalition collapsed, the BJP, which owed Dr K Sudhakar for rebelling against the Congress-JD(S) combine, decided to drop the plan to construct a medical college in Kanakapura and shift it to Chikkaballapura. “When the construction is set to begin, they (BJP) are indulging in vendetta politics. It was my dream project. I will not allow the medical college to be shifted to Chikkaballapura at any cost. I will sacrifice my life at the Vidhana Soudha if I have to, to ensure that the college is constructed in my constituency,” DK Shivakumar said. Soon after DK Shivakumar made the statement, Dr K Sudhakar, disqualified Chikkaballapura MLA challenged the Congress leader, stating that he would ensure that the medical college is constructed in his constituency and not Kanakapura. “DK Shivakumar does not have to sacrifice his life. We are constructing the medical college to save lives. He thinks Kanakapura is Karnataka. It is just a taluk. The previous government had decided that every district would get a medical college. When he was Medical Education Minister, he should have released the funds for it but he did not. It is because of this step-motherly treatment that I resigned,” Dr K Sudhakar said. The former legislator and Chairman of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board also said that he would get Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa to lay the foundation stone for the medical college in Chikkaballapura. “Before the bye-elections, I will lay the foundation stone for the college and this is 100% true. And I will get Yediyurappa to lay the foundation stone. There is already one medical college coming up in Ramanagara under Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences. The government has decided to construct one in Chikkaballapura. I will retire from politics if the government fails to construct the college here,” he added. The row over the medical college is being perceived by many in political circles as DK Shivakumar’s strategy to discredit rebels from the Congress who led to the fall of the government in July. During the Assembly session held in July ahead of the vote of confidence, DK Shivakumar had openly challenged the rebel leaders and had vowed to ensure their defeat in the bye-elections. True to his word, DK Shivakumar has now plunged into the battle to discredit the rebels, and at the centre of this campaign is the medical college and Dr K Sudhakar. Congress leaders, especially DK Shivakumar, have time and again said that the rebels resigned from their posts due to the promise of money and power they were allegedly offered by the BJP. With the bye-elections slated to be held on December 5, DK Shivakumar, known as the party’s troubleshooter, is already building up a narrative to discredit his detractors and the row over the medical college is just the tip of the iceberg, sources say. Shivakumar and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah are believed to have put their weight behind Sharath Bacche Gowda, son of BJP MP Bacche Gowda, who is mulling over contesting on a Congress ticket. Sharath Bacche Gowda was an aspirant for the BJP ticket from Hoskote. However, disqualified MLA MTB Nagaraj is being seen as the BJP face in Hoskote, thereby angering Sharath, who has on several occasions expressed his displeasure over the issue openly. “Discrediting the rebels is the first strategy. Dr Sudhakar has a huge following and being a Vokkaliga leader, it became doubly important for DK Shivakumar to ensure that Sudhakar (also from the Vokkaliga community) does not gain popularity in Old Mysuru region as it would split the Congress vote bank. The plan is to bring out allegations against each rebel one by one, to show that they have taken favours from the BJP and resigned,” the Congress source said.
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Two Bengaluru pujaris allegedly rob house of devotee after making duplicate key
The two pujaris had allegedly stolen gold jewelry worth Rs 8 lakh.
Representational image/ pixcy.com
Police in Bengaluru said they have arrested two pujaris after the duo allegedly robbed gold valuables from a residence in Srirampura after accessing the house with a duplicate key. The two have been sent to judicial custody and all the stolen goods have been recovered. The two have been identified as Nagaraj (42), who hailed from neighbouring Chikkaballapura, and Lakshmana (38), a resident of Srirampura. Lakshmana is a local pujari in the area and performs pujas in the neighbourhood temple. He had come to the house as he visited their house to perform many rituals. Reports said it was only when the two had come to the house to perform one such ritual they conspired to carry out the alleged theft. According to police, the price of the stolen gold jewelry worth Rs 8 lakh. The Sampigehalli police arrested them after a complaint was lodged by Pavan Gowda who resides in the house in Srirampura along with his mother. Police said that the duo had made a duplicate key after Pavan had given Lakshmana his car for some errand. Along with the car key, it also had a copy of the house key with which Lakshamana made a copy. Police said the theft was committed on October 17 when the mother-son duo were away in Dharmasthala. Investigators said the duo parted with only 200 gm of gold as recenty they had deposited other valuables in a bank locker. The complainants approached the police after they found their house ransacked once they returned. Police started the probe and found there was no forced entry into the crime scene and the duo was nabbed after studying locations of their cellphone. Police said the two have also allegedly confessed to the crimes after interrogation.
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Man who went missing from Badami found crushed to death 2 days later in Bengaluru
Police said that Hanumantha had come to the CCI godown in Bengaluru in the early hours of Sunday.
Representational image| Official website
Police in Bengaluru on late Tuesday night said that they found the body of a man who had been missing from Bagalkot in Badami since Sunday. Whitefield police said 45-year-old driving assistant T Hanumantha’s body was found crushed under a goods container of Container Corporation of India in their jurisdictional limits. His body was found when the container was being picked up on Tuesday night. According to investigations, he had died instantly when a container was offloaded by a crane. Even his phone was found crushed as a result of the accident. Police said that Hanumantha had come to the CCI godown in the early hours of Sunday along with driver Venkatesh. While Venkatesh had gone to report to the manager, Hanumantha stayed in the vehicle. However, once Venkatesh returned, he could not spot his colleague. Venkatesh did not worry much thinking that Hanumantha must have gone out to drink. But he was alarmed when Hanumantha did not return on Monday morning too and even his family called to inform that he has not returned home. When he tried to reach him on his phone, he found that it was switched off. Police are now looking out for a man who was on duty for operating the crane on the night of the accident. A case of death due to negligence has been registered. This incident comes close to a year after three workers— all of them in their 20s, were crushed to death in a freak accident that took place inside a warehouse located in nearby Seegehalli area. All the three died after heavy racks filled with crates full of goods, fell on them like dominoes after one of the racks was apparently overloaded. The warehouse was operated by a Delhi-based supply chain management startup Holisol Logistics since June 2017.
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Three men in Karnataka booked for tying firecrackers to stray dog’s tail on Deepavali
In a disturbing video, three men are seen tying firecrackers to the tail of a stray dog, lighting it on fire and then laughing as the scared dog tries to run away.
Days after a video of an incident of cruelty against a street dog went viral on social media, the police in Karnataka has identified the three accused. In the disturbing video, three men are seen patting a street dog as they tie a string of crackers to its tail. The three men are seeing laughing as the crackers start lighting up the dog is seen helplessly trying to run away from it. While many posts on social media were shared stating the incident had taken place in BTM Layout in Bengaluru, police said the incident actually took place in Shivamogga district. Speaking to TNM, Mico Layout police confirmed that the incident did not take place in their jurisdictional limits and said the bike was traced to Bhadravathi. The accused have been identified as Bharath, Mithun and Nithin, all of whom are between 19-21 years of age. Officials at the Bhadravathi Rural Police Station said the accused have been booked under sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and have been questioned. A police official said, “The incident occurred on October 26 in Singamane village, Bhadravathi. It is a non-cognisable offence and we will file a charge sheet after the investigations are over.” The incident has also brought the issue of the archaic British era law which does not give police nor the courts any teeth to punish offenders who are cruel to animals. As per the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 the punishment for animal cruelty is not severe. In most cases, the accused are imposed upon a fine of an amount between Rs 50 and Rs 100 and are let go without any actual punishments. Animal rights activists have time and again fought for stringent punishment against animal cruelty and attributed the cause of growing apathy towards stray animals to the lax punishments as the accused are not scared about the consequences of causing physical harm to animals. Activists in Bengaluru said that they will meet the state police chief on the issue.
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UK journo files equal pay case against BBC, but Indian media have long way to go
While Samira Ahmed reportedly receives 440 British pounds per episode, a male BBC host Jeremy Vine, receives 3,000 pounds an episode.
In a case that could set a historic precedent towards narrowing the gender pay gap in journalism, BBC presenter Samira Ahmed has launched a landmark equal pay case against the British public service broadcaster. According to The Guardian, Samira says she was paid 85% less than a male presenter at an equivalent level. Her case is being supported by the National Union of Journalists. Samira is reportedly demanding back-pay worth hundreds of thousands of pounds for her work on Newswatch, a programme presented by Samira since 2012 that allows viewers to air their comments and concerns on the BBC's coverage. While she reportedly receives 440 British pounds per episode, a male BBC host Jeremy Vine, who presents the programme Points of View, receives 3,000 pounds an episode. In the case, Samira’s side will argue that both Newswatch and Points of View are similarly-presented programmes that last about 15 minutes. Both programmes allow viewers to voice their opinions, and Samira is arguing that she deserves equal pay. However, the opposition is expected to argue that the programmes are not similar and are different formats for different audiences, reports say. Samira arrived at the central London employment tribunal on Monday morning. The case will be heard over the next seven days. In a statement, Samira said, “I love my job on Newswatch, despite it being difficult and challenging.” She continued, “I know that it is an important part of demonstrating the BBC service to all its audiences and the licence-fee payers. I have a sense of pride working for a public service broadcaster which seeks to represent the diversity of Britain and its licence-fee payers.” “On the back of my BBC ID card are written the BBC values, which include ‘we respect each other and celebrate our diversity’ and ‘we take pride in delivering quality and value for money’. I just ask why the BBC thinks I am worth only a sixth of the value of the work of a man for doing a very similar job,” she said. In India, a long road remains towards gender parity in media houses. Independent journalist Geeta Seshu noted that while journalists in the UK fight for equal pay for equal work, societal pressures against women only add more obstacles in that path in India. She described a situation in which two women TV journalists complained of discrimination basis of dark and fair complexion. “On top of discrimination in the wages, there are other forms of discrimination. Even amongst women, there is basis on the discrimination of skin colour.” “That is the extent of discrimination. We are talking about a completely different situation in India,” she continued. “The BBC has been fighting and working on parity at a very different level. We are still at the bottom. We are struggling to even put our foot on that first rung.” The International Women’s Media Foundation’s 2011 Global Report on the Status of Women in the News Media found that women in Indian media companies are paid less on average in both higher and lower pay ranges. That includes senior and top management in various roles. In middle management, junior level and technical professional levels, the salaries between men and women were found to be more similar, though women were found to have little involvement in both creative and technical areas of news production, the report said. Additionally, a survey conducted earlier this year found that women in India earn 19 percent less than men across industries. Samira’s and Carrie’s fight for equal pay in the media industry is now part of a decades-long battle in multiple countries. In 1970, sixty women employees of Newsweek in the United States filed a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in regards to the magazine’s sexist policy that favoured men in staff writing roles. Women occupied jobs like researcher, mail girl and low-level reporters. That dispute — chronicled in the 2012 book The Good Girls Revolt and later turned into an Amazon Prime series — ended in historic victory for the women. Newsweek agreed to take steps towards creating equal employment opportunities for women in writing, reporting and news coverage roles. For the BBC, this is the second high-profile case it has faced in recent years. Last year, the BBC admitted that its former China editor Carrie Grace had been paid significantly less than her male colleagues. It had reportedly told Carrie that she would be paid in line with North America editor, Jon Sopel, at an annual salary of around 200,000 to 250,000 British pounds, but her salary was actually 135,000 British pounds. She resigned from the post after accusing the BBC of creating a “ secretive and illegal” pay culture. The BBC apologised to Carrie and offered her a payout, which she donated to charity.
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