Family of murdered K'taka Dalit men forced to skip village fest due to death threats

Caste violence

While five of the accused have been arrested, eight more are walking free and have reportedly threatened the family.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

The Talageris offer prayers under police protection

After the gruesome murder of two Dalit men, Malliappa Talageri and son Vittal Talageri, in Karnataka’s Bagalkot district on October 15, their family has decided to stay indoors for the village festival that began on December 6. TNM had previously reported that three other male members of the family were allegedly threatened that they would be killed on the day the festival started in Shirol, their village in Mudhol taluk. Read: A month after two Dalit men are murdered in Karnataka, family receives more threats Responding to the death threats, Satyavva, whose husband and son were hacked to death, says, “We were such a big happy family, and now everything is destroyed. I’ve made all the men stay with us. I don’t want them to be outside, in danger. They are all staying indoors today. It’s a crowded situation (at the festival) and the blame could be shifted, if anything happens. Five people have been arrested, but eight are still walking free.”  Deputy Commissioner of Police, K Rajendra, claimed that things have gone back to normal.  “We have just concluded a peace committee meeting with them, and now everyone is at the festival. Things are peaceful," he said.  Satyavva, however, contradicted the DCP's claim and told TNM that she had no desire to go out on the day of the village festival. “What will I go out and celebrate? My husband and son were hacked to death. I have no face to show (to the rest of the village)," she said.  Some members of the family were in Bengaluru to meet with the Committee on the Welfare of SC and ST in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in the first week of December. At that time, they gave their version of events. After listening to them, the Council decided that they would hold the police officials responsible, and that the officers would face criminal action if there were any adverse consequences. N Mahesh, one of the members of the Committee, also said that the police were given strong warnings, and directed to provide police protection, to maintain law and order.  “The local sub-inspector of police, Lokesh Jagala, has said that he is putting into action 180 policemen on the ground on the day of the village festival," he said.  However, Yellappa Talageri, another son of Satyavva, also said that they won’t go to the festival. “We went out to offer some prayers last night, but that’s about it. There are three policemen who are with us at all times, so we have no fear," he said.  In October this year, Malliappa and Vittan were murdered just outside the village, allegedly by a group of dominant caste men from their village. This was days after the accused put up a Facebook post with pictures of them brandishing swords, captioned: "The final victory is ours." Five of the accused were arrested, but the other eight were not, and they reportedly move around freely in the village. The family of the murdered men was allegedly threatened last month, saying that three more male members of the family would be killed during the village festival.  The alleged motive behind the murders is caste rivalry. According to the Talageri family, their financial success and involvement in politics were resented by the dominant caste groups. They have alleged that the accused previously tried to intimidate them on the street. In March this year, the accused reportedly ransacked their homes, and verbally and physically harassed members of the family, both men and women. These instances resulted in cases against them under the SC ST (Prevention of) Atrocities Act. The accused were allegedly inflamed by these cases, and had issued threats to the family.

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Tipu in textbooks: Karnataka govt and expert committee reach stalemate

Education

Controversy erupted over a chapter on Tipu Sultan from school textbooks when Madikeri MLA Apachu Ranjan sought the removal of the chapter from history textbooks.

TNM Staff

The Karnataka Textbooks Society, which was due to submit its report on Tipu in school textbooks, has delayed submission. Several media reports suggested that the delay was due to political pressure as the committee recommended that the chapter on Tipu remains, in its draft report. The special committee formed to look into the matter was due to submit its report on Friday after several rounds of discussions. However, this did not happened. According to Bangalore Mirror, the members of the committee were under political pressure and also because most of them were on election duty for the recently concluded bye-elections. The Hindu reported that the committee was under political pressure as its draft report stated that “not a single word” from the chapter on Tipu Sultan be removed. The report stated that several political leaders including Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa wanted the chapter dropped. Bangalore Mirror quoted the committee report, stating that elements in chapters of some specific rulers cannot be removed at any cost. Reports stated that a tug-of-war between the committee members and the state government has led to a stalemate as the committee members do not want the chapter to be removed. The report that will be submitted to the government will have two sections – one regarding primary school textbooks and another regarding high school textbooks. The lessons related to Tipu Sultan were taught in classes 6, 7 and 8. Earlier in October, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said that the government was trying to remove the chapter on Tipu Sultan in textbooks at any cost. Read: 'Trying to remove chapter on Tipu Sultan from textbooks': Karnataka CM to TNM Controversy erupted over the issue of removing a chapter on Tipu Sultan from school textbooks when Madikeri MLA Apachu Ranjan wrote a letter to Minister Suresh Kumar, asking him to issue an order to remove the chapter from history textbooks. On October 28, Suresh Kumar acknowledged Apachu Ranjan’s letter and stated that a committee comprising experts and Apachu Ranjan would be formed to determine whether the chapter on Tipu Sultan must be removed. “We will discuss the issue and come out with an answer within three days,” Suresh Kumar’s letter stated. Baragur Ramachandrappa, former chairman of the textbook committee, had earlier said that the BJP government in 2008 had allegedly formed a committee to decide whether the chapter on Tipu Sultan must be included in the syllabus. At the time, the expert committee had allegedly concluded that the chapter stays, with some minor additions to the existing lesson.       

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Bangalore Turf Club raided, cops recover Rs 96 lakh unaccounted cash

Raids

Police officials from the Central Crime Branch (CCB) detained 40 men, including private bookies, for questioning.

TNM Staff

The Bengaluru Police on Friday raided the Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) and recovered unaccounted cash belonging to private bookies amounting to Rs 96 lakh. According to TOI, police officials from the Central Crime Branch (CCB) detained 40 men, including private bookies, for questioning. The CCB raided the premises after several members of the turf club complained to the police that bookies have been involved in illegal activities, including GST evasion. CCB officials say that the raids revealed that only 10% of the bets placed were entered in the books. The CCB has registered a cheating case against these bookies for causing loss to the state exchequer, The Hindu reported. The CCB sleuths said that they would write to the GST Department and submit a report on the probe. CCB sleuths, who raided the club say that most of the cash was from private bookies. The CCB sleuths also issued notices to the turf club’s management, asking them to appear for questioning. Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime 1), Sandeep Patil said that the bookmakers were allegedly suppressing bets in order to evade taxes. “The bookmakers are supposed to pay 28% GST for bets they win. After the ruckus at the turf club in November, several members had accused bookmakers of evading taxes and indulging in fraudulent activities. The main allegation was that these bookies were misusing funds,” Sandeep Patil said. A team of over 30 CCB officials headed by two DCPs, four ACPs and 20 inspectors raided the club, The Hindu reported. CCB officials said that there were allegations of horses being drugged during races, which are also being investigated. Police said that the complaints from members came after the ruckus at Bangalore Turf Club on November 15, which was the first race on the opening day of the winter season — November Plate. There was chaos at the BTC after three horses fell down 200 m before the finish line. Horses Aceros, Will To Win and Sir Piggot fell. Will to Win was euthanised after it broke a leg following the incident. The BTC announced the results of the race despite the accident. This led to a fight between the members and the bookies, who demanded their money back. Over 6,000 people had vandalised the turf club and the High Grounds Police registered a case of vandalism. CCB officials say that it was during this investigation that several complaints were made regarding the bookies evading taxes.

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Widening of Belagavi-Goa Highway: Activists accuse NHAI officials of contempt of court

Environment

While the HC has stayed the project till January 6, 2020, NHAI is allegedly continuing work in the stretch, say activists.

Soumya Chatterjee

Environmental activists in Karnataka are up in arms because the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is allegedly continuing with a road expansion project in the Kala Tiger Reserve area in the Western Ghats region, despite a stay order. The Karnataka High Court on November 28 had stayed the work the widening National Highway 4A (Belagavi-Goa) till January 6, 2020, seeking clarity over the environmental clearances sought for the project. The HC’s stay came after the court was informed that the environmental clearance for the project had lapsed several years ago – well before the on ground work for project was taken by the NHAI. The NHAI has been asked by the court to produce documents of clearance with respect to the Environmental Protection Act, 1986. Work on this stretch began in October 2018, as part of the Centre’s ambitious Bharatmala project launched in 2017. Bhartimala Pariyojana is a flagship scheme of the Narendra Modi government to create and expand existing highways. The petitioners, Suresh Hebbalikar, the United Conservation Movement, and others have approached the HC citing potentially massive irreversible environmental damage to the local ecology if the project is allowed to continue. They also told the court that the project proposal is in contravention of Forest Conservation Act and the Wildlife Protection Act. Joseph Hoover, the co-founder of the United Conservation Movement, said, “Despite a stay order, they have continued with work. It’s ridiculous! This is a clear case of contempt of court.” Prince Isaac, the advocate representing the petitioners, said, “It is definitely a clear violation of the court’s order. The first bench of the High Court had clearly stayed all work for the project along entire stretch of NH 4A, and not only in the protected areas. We will inform the bench about NHAI’s acts. We will also separately a contempt petition against NHAI.” Opposition to the project is not new. Activists have been arguing that the project of widening the 85-kilometre stretch of NH 4A is unnecessary as already three routes that connect Belagavi and Goa, and none of them see congestion. NH 4A passes through the sensitive Western Ghats, and cuts across dense forests which are mainly responsible for healthy rainfall in the region. Activists say as trees will be cut for the project, it will result in water scarcity in the area, say activists. With three successive drought years, most parts of northern Karnataka are already reeling under a severe water crisis. Not only this region, but the trees are also responsible for monsoons which feed the Kali, Mahadayi, and Malaprabha rivers. While authorities claim that 22,000 trees will be felled, activists fear the number could be as high as one lakh.

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Operations begin at Bengaluru international airport's second runway

Infrastructure

This makes the Bengaluru airport the first in the country to have two parallel runways that enable simultaneous take-offs.

TNM Staff

Representation photo

The second runway at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru has commenced operations. The first flight took off on the 4000-m long and 45-m wide airstrip on Friday.  In a statement, the KIAL officials said that this makes the Bengaluru airport the first in the country to have two parallel runways that enable simultaneous take-offs.  "It is a historic day for us at BLR Airport as we commenced operations on the new runway. Our first runway opened 11 years ago, and became a linchpin for the region's economic development during the last decade. With the aviation industry in India set for exponential growth, two operational runways will provide the thrust required to cater to this demand and further bolster growth of Karnataka and India," said Hari Marar, CEO and Managing Director of KIAL.  The South Runway will begin with limited operations initially, the statement says, and operations are expected to scale up gradually. The runway will initially have CAT I certification, meant for carrying out landing operations depending on visibility. “As operations stabilise, we will progressively manage CAT III B operations, enabling landing and takeoff in extremely low visibility conditions,” the statement reads.  KIAL has also constructed an Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Station with Crash Fire Tenders to cater to any fire-related emergencies on the South Runway. “Over 100 firefighters were recruited from across Karnataka and expert fire engineers from National Fire Safety College, Nagpur,” the statement adds.  Hari Marar in October suggested that the second runway would be operational from as early as October. However, delay in regulatory paperwork led to KIAL pushing the timeline on the operations of the runway “Regulatory paperwork is under way for the South Runway and associated infrastructure at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru with the first flight expected to operate from the South Runway as soon as the approvals are received,” a Bangalore International Airport Limited’s (BIAL) spokesperson had earlier said.     

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Bengaluru civic body imposes Rs 32 lakh fine on apartments for not composting garbage

Civic Issues

The BBMP Solid Waste Management officials said that fines will be imposed on bulk waste generators who are not composing wet waste.

TNM Staff

Representation photo

Cracking the whip on errant apartment complexes, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike slapped fines on residential buildings in many parts of Bengaluru for not composting wet waste inside their premises. Taking to Twitter, BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar said, “We started with Radhakrishna Temple Ward 18. A fine of Rs 1,70,000 has been levied on Sterling Apartments there, and Rs 3,75,000 on Raheja Pebble Bay for failing to follow in situ composting rules.” The apartments are located near New BEL Road and RMV stage 2 respectively.  Chief Engineer, Solid Waste Management Department, said that over 10 other apartments across Bengaluru had been fined, and the tentative total amount was up Rs 32 lakh/ Further, Solid Waste Management Department officials said that this crackdown will continue over the next few days to ensure that apartments follow the rules.  According to norms, apartments in Bengaluru have to do in-situ composting if they produce 100 kg or more of garbage in a single day. These apartments are considered as bulk waste generators -- similar to hotels and other commercial establishments.  Other than this, smaller apartment complexes and individuals compost their wet waste voluntarily. Earlier in October 2018 then opposition MLA Ashwath Narayan CN (currently Deputy Chief Minister) had campaigned for asking the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to waive the solid waste management cess for households that compost organic waste on their own. The solid waste management cess is collected by the BBMP as part of property tax, and amounts to Rs 160-Rs 600 per household unit, depending on the size of the property. Ashwath argues that removing the cess will encourage sustainable measures like in-situ composting and recycling, thus bringing down the burden on BBMP  

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‘Katha Sangama’ review: This anthology film is a mixed bag

Review

Consisting of seven short films, Rishab Shetty’s movie doesn’t give enough space for viewers to absorb characters as it moves quickly from one to the next.

Aravind Shwetha

YouTube screenshot

Imagine watching seven short films, each 20-odd minutes long, at a stretch – some good, some bad, and some average. That’s Rishab Shetty’s Katha Sangama for you. Sandalwood has had its fair share of anthology films in recent times – Dayavittu Gamanisi, Kahi and now Katha Sangama. The trailer had painted the picture of a warm story and the movie, to an extent, lives up to it. The cherry on the cake comes at the end through Lacchaava, which makes up for a few flaws in the first six stories. Katha Sangama is an ensemble film filled with several characters. This is not a preachy film that opens with a problem and hands out solution in the end; it is more like an expedition through varied emotions and experiences. But, it largely misses out on the much-needed wow factor. It is akin to life handing out surprises; everything may not always bring cheer. The seven chapters are – Rainbow Land, Sathya Katha Prasanga, Girgitle, Utthara, Padavaralli, Sagara Sangama and Lachavva. Rainbow Land: Kishore, Yagna Shetty, Baby Mridunika The story is about Kishore trying to build a Rainbow Land inside their house for his loving daughter. But what happens when nature decides to go against all the hard work? Sathya Katha Prasanga: Prakash Belawadi and Sowmya Jaganmurthy Prakash Belawadi’s last day at work leaves him reminiscing about his good old life. A certain energy keeps pulling him back. When he meets tattoo artist Sowmya Jaganmurthy, a surprise awaits him. Girgitle: Raj B Shetty, Amrutha Naik Irresponsible lad Raj B Shetty falls in love with Amrutha Naik. Raj is blessed with a unique vision through which he can time travel. But when he reveals this secret to a friend, everything backfires. Utthara: Balaji Manohar and Pramod Shetty TV channel editor Balaji Manohar is a selfish man who uses news content for ulterior motives. Jacob (Pramod Shetty) is assigned to kill him. But there is more to it than meets the eyes. Padavaralli: Avinash and Hari Samashti Set in the pre-Independence era, the story takes place inside a barber’s shop. Cop Avinash is in Hari’s shop to avail his services. But the poisonous thoughts sowed by the British in people’s minds cause some tension between the two. Sagara Sangama: Hariprriyaa, Rishab Shetty and Rumy (Dog) The 20-odd minute silent story speaks louder than the other stories. Hariprriyaa gets stuck in the middle of nowhere and the only man around who can help her is a fierce-looking beggar with a ferocious dog. Sometimes, you must not judge a book by its cover but pick a chapter and let it unfold on its own. Sagara Sangama works on this theme. Lachavva: Paravva, Raghavendra C, Beeresh, Nidhi Hegde A majority of the audience is sure to call this their favourite story. Lachavva is a villager who is in Bengaluru to meet her only son. But what happens when she confuses Banaswadi and Basavangudi? Well, an emotional ride with an applause-worthy climax. Lachavva is sure to stay close to the hearts of many because of the natural performance by Paravva. Though she isn’t a professional actor, she sure knows how to bring tears to your eyes. All the others actors too have put up a good performance. Seven stories by seven filmmakers, seven musicians and seven DOPs, all of them very talented, is a treat to watch, allowing for a few glitches. The individual plots are engaging at times, but do not evoke great interest – like the Padavaralli episode. It could have been appealing, but the execution did not do justice to the story. Both Utthara and Padavaralli can be rated average to bad. Girgitle and Lachavva were my favourites. However, the 20-odd-minute stories do not give enough space for viewers to absorb the characters. Also, since several technicians have worked individually on each story, the final product leaves the audience with mixed vibes. Cinematographers have stuck to the theme and have brought out a colourful movie based on the storyline. Music too is a mix of everything. Manasina Olage, Arivu Beku, Oorendarenu are sure to stir up emotions. As the credits roll, Lachavva stays in your mind, but the movie experience leaves you with a sense of dissatisfaction. One thing to note about Katha Sangama is that as it offers a plethora of emotions, everyone can pick their favourites and agree or disagree with others’ choices. Katha Sangama is recommended as a one-time watch if you are tired of done-to-death commercial films. Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the series/film. TNM Editorial is independent of any business relationship the organisation may have with producers or any other members of its cast or crew.

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