‘Are you a Pakistani?’: B’luru cops allegedly abuse, thrash Kerala youths

Crime

The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday morning near Forum Mall in Koramangala.

Soumya Chatterjee

When two of Akram’s* friends went out to have tea past midnight in Bengaluru, little did the duo know that their leisurely stroll would be interrupted by policemen who would allegedly ask them if they were Pakistanis. This alleged incident against a group of students and young professionals in Bengaluru came to light after a post on social media. The post said that a few students were picked up by SG (Suddeguntepalya) Palya Police in the wee hours of Tuesday from a street near Forum Mall. The police allegedly physically and verbally abused three students and also called them Pakistanis as “they were Muslim”. All the students belong to Kerala and study in different colleges in the city.  Narrating the events of the night, Akram tells TNM that it was around 1.30 am when the police stopped two of his friends who had gone out to have tea. “Some policemen stopped one of them, and forced him to show photographs on his phone,” he says. “Things escalated when one of them asked if the police can check personal belongings without a search warrant. One of the policemen shouted that he will take them to the lockup and show him every warrant there. All this was happening right below my apartment and hearing all the noise, we all went down,” he adds. When Akram reached downstairs, a policeman asked his name, and then demanded an ID which Akram offered to get from the apartment upstairs. “Then the policemen started asking me ‘Are you a Pakistani?’ and he kept mentioning there are two terrorists who got arrested. This is when all of us got really upset, and started questioning him. The policeman then got on the bike and held me by my collar -- this is when my friend started taking a video on his phone.” By this time, one of Akram’s friends had returned with his ID. However, the policeman allegedly kept being aggressive and told Akram’s friend who was taking the video not to do so. “Then he called other policemen who came in a hoysala, and they also started shouting at us. At this point, one policeman came out of the car with a stick and the other two officers pushed us inside by holding and dragging us by the collar.” Akram and all of his five friends who were there were allegedly taken to the police station. There, three of them – Akram, and the two who were stopped by the policemen initially – were allegedly beaten up. “Only one policeman was beating us with a lathi, while the other two were just watching. He kept on asking ‘do you want a warrant now?’ and ‘I will ruin your career and I will tell every company in Bengaluru that you are not fit enough to work’. He hit us on our back, hips and head. He kept on hitting but made sure that we were not bleeding. The friend who was shooting the video was hit on that hand,” Akram alleges.  Following that, police booked petty cases against them and fined them Rs 500 each. All the six were also made to write an apology letter for “going out late in the night”. They were allowed to leave after over an hour and a half, around 3.30 am.   Social media highlights incident The social media account which highlighted their alleged ordeal added in a subsequent post said, “Then they were picked up by the police and forcibly shoved into their van. They were taken into custody. During their time in lock-up, they were brutally hit with sticks on their hands and private parts. Then they were booked on account of public nuisance.” Welcome to NEW INDIA Yet another case of police brutality took place against students in Bengaluru on 14th January 2020. Police from SG Palya area physically and verbally abused three students. The students were called Pakistanis on account that they were Muslim. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/I2Vh80tS1V — CAA / NRC Protest Info. (@NrcProtest) January 14, 2020 In the video shared with the same post, a man in police attire is seen asking the person shooting the video to turn off the camera. The person shooting the video is heard saying that he has every right to shoot the video as it is a public place. The second post also attaches three photographs, including one of the policemen who allegedly hit the students. The other two photos show bruises from the alleged beating, and a screenshot of a few messages describing the incident respectively. After the events of Tuesday night, one of the victims and family members approached local MLA Ramalinga Reddy for help. Following this, DCP Whitefield, who is also overseeing the southeast division temporarily, was informed and he has sought an enquiry. Police denies brutality According to Inspector Ramesh, the video was shot when a group of students were asked by beat cops at 1:30 am in the morning about why they were out on the streets that late in the night. He claimed the police on duty had only asked for IDs and did not call them Pakistanis. “We did not call them Pakistanis or beat them in lock-up. The incident occurred behind Christ College area. Beat constables were in uniform but the students did not produce ID,” Inspector Ramesh told TNM.  *Name changed  

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Gas line leaks and explodes in Bengaluru during underground drilling work, 1 injured

Accident

This is not the first instance of GAIL gas pipelines reporting leaks in Bengaluru.

Soumya Chatterjee

A minor explosion on Hosa Road at Anekal in greater Bengaluru on Monday afternoon due to an explosion of a natural gas pipeline of the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) injured at least one person. According to residents of the area TNM spoke to, the incident occurred at around 4 pm.  Sandhya Rani, a flower seller, who had set up a stall on the pavement sustained serious injuries and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital nearby. The explosion was reportedly triggered due to drilling work undertaken on behalf of Jio to lay underground fibre optic cable in the locality despite warnings by the local residents. “The workers were drilling into the roadside to lay Jio cables. So many of us residents told them to stop the work when a smell started coming. It smelt like some sort of gas being released from the ground. We repeatedly told them to stop but they did not. There was a spillage of sewage in that space where they were digging at the time of the explosion," Srinivas, a resident of Hosa Road in Anekal.  He added, “The explosion resulted in the pavement stones to splinter. Walls of several nearby homes were cracked and a portion of a wall of one shop also broke. Due to the sewage water, there was no fire.” In a statement, GAIL said, “Gas leak incident in Bengaluru took place at Hosa Road yesterday at 16:30 hrs wherein Jio was doing HDD work for laying of OFC cable without permission/intimation to GAIL Gas Limited, 63 mm diameter underground gas pipeline of GAIL Gas Limited got damaged due to gross negligence of Jio Digital Fibre Private Limited team. This led to the interruption of PNG (piped natural gas) supply. The gas valves were closed immediately and the situation was controlled.” Another resident whom TNM spoke to, blamed local authorities for the mishap. "BBMP is to blame for this. Most people who live here are poor and the mishaps involving GAIL are increasing. What precautionary measures are the BBMP or the government taking? The woman who was injured is also poor. Does the government not care about the poor?" Ramesh, a resident questioned. This incident comes to light after a year when in January 2019, a high-pressure natural gas pipeline of GAIL on Sarjarpur Road outside the Wipro corporate office reported a leak. Fortunately, due to alert bystanders and local residents, a major tragedy was averted and Fire and Emergency personnel were rushed to the spot.  For a period of time, black smoke came from the road as an earthmover was used to cover the leaked portion with mud. The leak was contained after hour-long efforts by the BBMP and GAIL officials.  According to police, that gas leak had occurred due to excavation work for an ongoing BBMP drainage project. Also read: Metro work causes gas line leak in Bengaluru, triggers panic and traffic snarl

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'Ready to quit' says Yediyurappa after public spat with Lingayat seer over cabinet berths

Politics

Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali seer Swami Vachananda said the community would go against Yediyurappa if he failed to accommodate at least three MLAs into the cabinet.

TNM Staff

Karnataka Chief Minister and Lingayat strongman BS Yediyurappa offered to resign as he stood up to Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali seer Swami Vachananda, who demanded cabinet posts for leaders from the community. The public spat occurred at an event held in Harihar in Davangere district hosted by the Panchamasali Samaj Gurupeetha on Tuesday. Panchamasali is a sub-sect of the Lingayats who are known to be the primary vote bank of the BJP and Yediyurappa is the tallest leader of the community. A lingayat seer demands BJP MLA Murgesh Nirani to be made minister. "All 5 lingayat mutt seers will move away from you, if you don't take care of Nirani" CM then tells the seer "don't threaten me. I haven't come to listen that" pic.twitter.com/7Oun5mNSOU — Nagarjun Dwarakanath (@nagarjund) January 14, 2020 During the event, Swami Vachananda who is the seer of the Peetha publicly said the community will go against BS Yediyurappa if he fails to accommodate at least three MLAs of the sect in the next cabinet expansion. The Chief Minister was present at the event when the seer made his statement. The seer added that Murugesh Nirani, MLA from Milgi in Bagalkot, who was also present in the same dias, should get a “good cabinet” berth. Batting for him, the seer added that Nirani had stood behind Yediyurappa like a rock and the sect and if the Chief Minister fails to accommodate him then the entire Panchamasali will no longer support him. This comment triggered a prompt response from Yediyurappa, who in a stern voice said that he will not accept such a sermon from the seer and said he did not want to hear such words from him. The Chief Minister then threatened to abandon the event if the seer continued to speak in that manner and said he cannot work according to his whims and fancies. Yediyurappa went on to say that the seer can only make suggestions to him but cannot make threats even as Swami Vachananda softened his stance claiming he was demanding justice for the community. Speaking at the event later, Yediyurappa said that he would like to remind Swami Vachananda that he became the CM as a result of the 13 rebel MLAs who resigned from their positions and got relelected. He said if the seer fails to understand his position then he would be prepared to resign immediately. "If not for their sacrifice, I would not be sitting in this chair. Understand my position too. If the swamiji does not understand this, then I am prepared to resign from my post tomorrow itself. I am not dying to be on the CM’s chair," said Yediyurappa. The newly elected rebel-turned-BJP MLAs are yet to be inducted into the cabinet.  

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Depositors rush to co-op bank in Bengaluru to withdraw cash after RBI places regulations

Banking

Many reached the Basavanagudi branch of Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank after the RBI put a cap on withdrawal limit at Rs 35,000.

Shiba Kurian

Mala, a 27-year-old architect in Bengaluru, opened a savings bank account at the Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank three months ago. On January 11, a second Saturday, she saw some rush at the Basavanagudi branch, although all banks were closed.  “Later that day, I received a message from the bank, saying that the Reserve Bank of India has imposed certain regulations on the bank and that the withdrawal limit has been capped at Rs 35,000. I did not panic, although the bank had a meeting with depositors on Sunday. On Monday, however, I saw some news reports on the RBI regulations on the bank. I panicked and rushed to withdraw my money and close the account,” Mala told TNM.  Since Monday morning, Mala and scores of other bank account holders — many of them senior citizens — have been standing in a long queue outside the Basavanagudi branch of the Bengaluru-based co-operative bank, in a mad rush to withdraw Rs 35,000 from their accounts, as an online transfer was not allowed. This is the only amount they would be able to withdraw in the next six months, as directed by the RBI.  In addition to capping the depositor withdrawal, on January 10 (Friday), the RBI also directed the co-operative bank to not grant or renew any loans or advances. These restrictions will remain in force for the next six months. Reports say that the current predicament was the result of default of Rs 350 crore on loans taken over the last three months. When the depositors received the message on Saturday, many panicked in the absence of clarity or a statement from the bank. It was only a few months ago, in September 2019, that the central bank had imposed regulatory restrictions on the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank for six months over alleged financial irregularities.  On Sunday, in an attempt to allay fears and address the concerns, the bank called for a meeting in the evening. Many depositors gathered at the venue around 6 pm but the main officials of the co-operative bank did not turn up until after 9 pm. By then, many depositors had already left the venue in frustration. Hence, for many depositors, their concerns grew further when they saw news reports on Monday. On the ground, however, it was a mixed response. Many expressed confidence that the bank will recover from the crisis in less than six months and return their deposits soon, while others continued to voice their concerns. Ramakrishnan, who is in his 70s, has been a depositor for the last four years. “I have been regularly receiving interest. With the RBI regulation, it will be difficult to manage my family as we are solely dependent on this amount. I request the RBI to at least let us withdraw Rs 10,000 or Rs 15,000 per month in this six-month period instead of only Rs 35,000 in one shot,” he said.  A depositor, who did not wish to be named, pointed out that it was the lack of transparency from the bank management that has increased the fears among the public. “Currently, many depositors are on an exodus mode. So, even if the bank recovers, many may not keep their money in the bank,” he said. “The bank authorities must broadcast a message and instil faith in its depositors,” he added. Rama Mohan, who has been a depositor and shareholder at the bank since 2008, fears the misinformation about the RBI regulation on the bank will ultimately harm the depositors. “If the bank garners a bad reputation as a result of rumours, the bank may not run in the future, and the depositors will stand to lose,” he added.  Amidst such apprehensions, many were confident that the management will not cheat its people.  “People need not panic,” Hari (name changed on request), another depositor, kept insisting to other depositors. He was among those who stayed back at the meeting on Sunday when the bank Chairman K Ramakrishna finally reached the venue to speak to the depositors.  “MP Tejasvi Surya was also live from New Delhi. He spoke to the depositors at the venue, assured us that they need not panic. His parents have also deposited their money in the bank. Besides, since Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has now come into the picture, as assured by the MP, everything should be fine,” he said.  Read: BJP MP Tejasvi Surya appeals for calm after RBI caps withdrawals from a Bengaluru co-op bank

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BJP MLA accuses Bengaluru college students of painting anti-Modi graffiti, threaten staff

Controversy

Meanwhile, people residing near the Srishti School of Arts went along with the BJP and complained that students were "wearing short clothes."

Theja Ram

BJP MLA SR Vishwanath and several BJP corporators on Tuesday heckled the faculty members of Srishti School of Arts and accused its students of painting graffiti on walls opposite the college against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  Meanwhile, a few residents of the area also resorted to moral policing the students and told faculty members that the students were “wearing short clothes,” which is “against Indian culture”. It all started at around 10.50 am, when Raghavendra, one of the residents of Yelahanka New Town, filed a complaint on the BBMP Sahaya app that the roads surrounding Srishti School of Arts were filled with parked vehicles that were inconveniencing pedestrians. He had also raised the issue of graffiti on the wall. Corporator of ward number 4 Satish, who was informed of the pictures by BBMP, raised an alarm. Soon, BJP MLA SR Vishwanath, Satish and 10 other local BJP leaders went to the Yelahanka New Town campus of Srishti School of Arts at around 11.30 am. The MLA’s men were joined by residents of the Shirke Apartments located near the college at the same time.  Speaking to TNM, Raghavendra said,"The BJP people were raising issues of graffiti. Most of the residents had a problem with the way the students dressed. They sit outside on the footpaths at night and drink. Although, my issue is with the parking and smoking, the issue of clothes should not have been raised as it’s a personal matter." The group initially demanded that the security guard let them inside so they could speak with the management. BJP MLA Sr Vishwanath claimed that the students of the college had painted graffiti with slogans against Prime Minister Modi, which had hurt their sentiments.  Meanwhile, the residents began complaining that the students had encroached the four roads near the college that they were using to park two and four-wheelers, leaving no space for pedestrians to walk.  This picture was sourced by TNM. Picture by Pavan Kumar Speaking to TNM, a student of the college said that MLA Sr Vishwanath and his men were allegedly threatening the security guard outside the college gate.  “The MLA arrived and with him, was a group of people. They were his people, they talked about the graffiti, which was painted on a wall opposite the (college) building. It’s not Srishti property. But they don’t know who did it or how it got there. They raised that issue and then started threatening the guards for allowing the graffiti to be put up. The guard told them that he is not involved in any of this,” the student said.  Soon, faculty members and the management arrived to hold talks. The MLA and his men began demanding that the identities of the students who according to them had painted the graffiti. “Firstly, it could be anyone who drew the graffiti. Just because the college teaches fine arts does not mean the students are culprits. The MLA and his men said that the graffiti hurts the sentiments of people and BJP members as it was against Prime Minister Modi,” a teacher at Srishti said.  Speaking to TNM, MLA SR Vishwanath said that they warned the college of action if the graffiti continued to appear.  “There were many complaints of graffiti over the last one year against the college and no action was being taken. When we saw anti-Modi paintings, we warned them. We told them that they can take police permission and protest instead of vandalising public property,” SR Vishwanath added.  The residents also resorted to moral policing thereafter and demanded that the college inform its students to not wear short clothes and smoke on the roads/ “BJP people did not bring up the issue of the dresses. Some residents were there and they told a faculty member that students wearing short clothes is against Indian culture,” MLA Vishwanath claimed. According to a student TNM spoke to, the students were called to a common area on Tuesday afternoon, where they were asked to stop smoking and stop wearing shorts for the next three to four days as it could pose a problem.  Picture by Pavan Kumar “We were told by faculty to not wear short clothes and to not smoke as it would give them (those who complained) a reason to target students of our college. They asked us not to paint any graffiti,” the student said. The college has declared a holiday on January 16 and 17 in view of the threats received on Tuesday. ""The college has declared a holiday for students on Thursday and Friday after the events that transpired today. Everyone seems to be shaken because of the threats we received," one of the faculty members said.  TNM tried to reach out to Srishti School of Arts but could not get an official response at the time of writing the article.    

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K’taka districts with high alcohol, substance use see more mental health issues: Report

Mental health

Twenty-nine percent of mental health consultations were reported from just three districts – Raichur, Bidar, and Chikkaballapur, states the report.

Geetika Mantri

Image for representation

In what is possibly a first of its kind initiative, a report has compiled the mental health burden in Karnataka in terms of common as well as severe mental health issues, suicide ideation, alcohol and substance use, and segregated it district-wise. A report, prepared by CHD Group, a global health organisation, has collated data from state-run institutions, and found that over a million people sought consultation in Karnataka for mental health issues in 2018-19. There were over 10 lakh mental health consultations in public health institutions in Karnataka in 2018-19. Thirty-four percent of these people were found to have common mental health issues like depression and anxiety; 18% had severe mental health issues like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder; 12% were reported to be alcohol (18.4%) and substance use (11.2%) cases; and three percent (29,005) cases of suicide thoughts. Worth noting is that 29% of mental health consultations were reported from just three districts – Raichur (12.1%), Bidar (8.9%), and Chikkaballapur (7.9%) – which were also the districts that had the highest incidence of alcohol and substance use at public health institutions at a cumulative 1,11,877 cases. Alcohol use and mental health Speaking to TNM, Dr Edmond Fernandes, CEO of CHD Group, says that the high incidence of alcohol use is linked to higher rates of domestic violence, and subsequently, mental health issues. That alcohol abuse in many north Karnataka districts including Raichur, Bidar, and is rampant – especially in rural areas – is corroborated by various reports of women demanding prohibition in these districts time and again. One such organisation that has been working to demand a ban on alcohol sale is Madhya Nisheda Andolan (MNA). Swarna Bhat, who has been working with MNA, says that they have seen horrific cases of domestic abuse arising out of alcohol use and addiction in these districts. “This affects physical as well as mental health of people living in these districts. There could be a connection between mental health issues being reported in higher numbers too in these districts,” she says, when asked about the CDH report’s findings on Raichur, Bidar, and Chikkaballapur. Explaining that alcohol being easily available here is due to pressure on excise officials to show more revenue through liquor sale. “It leads to so many other problems – poverty, abuse, a host of physical ailments. We have had horrible stories of abuse arising from alcohol addiction. And we’ve been noticing more and more teens getting hooked to alcohol in many north Karnataka districts,” Swarna says. “The government needs to address the alcohol abuse problem too. Mental health issues don’t exist in a vacuum.” Other findings The CHD report also reveals that an alarming 44% of all cases of suicide ideation reported in public health institutions from Haveri and Hassan districts. There were over 3.40 lakh common mental health issues reported in public institutions in Karnataka, which included depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, phobias, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Lowest numbers were reported in Bijapur (0.6%), Yadgir (0.7%) and Kodagu (0.8%). Meanwhile, at 5.2% Bengaluru Urban had twice as many cases than Bengaluru Rural district (2.4%). However, Dr Edmond says that this could be because of better reporting in Bengaluru Urban, and the population of the district being higher than Bengaluru Rural too. Interestingly though, the report also talked about how mental health issues spike when disaster strikes. “There is extensive evidence from research on disaster victims that report high risk for mental disorders diseases, particularly depressive disorders, generalized anxiety, disorders of sleep and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Moreover, there is increased risk of substance use disorders among adolescents and young adults post disaster,” the report says. Kodagu was one of the worst affected districts by the Karnataka floods, which seems to be contrary to the minimal number of mental health issues being reported from there. Dr Edmond explained, however, that in many places, the incidence is higher simply because of better reportage and willingness to seek treatment. The CDH report also calls for the need for priority attention to be given to populations affected in the Karnataka floods of 2019, as well as those living in places that have been suffering longstanding droughts, which could be seen as possible triggers for mental health deterioration. Spending on mental health in Karnataka While the conversation on mental health in India is growing, there is still want for funding to address the magnitude of the same. The National Mental Health Survey 2015-16 revealed that less 1% of the total budget was allocated for mental health in most Indian states. “Karnataka's budgeted expenditure in the Health and Family Welfare sector in the year 2018-19 was INR 9299 crores (USD 1.32 billion), of which INR 2708 crores (USD 383 million) was budgeted for medical education. Only 0.37% (INR 2,434,19,000 | USD 3.45 million) of the remaining state expenditure for health was allocated to mental health. Of the funds allocated to DMHP (District Mental Health Programme) and Manasadahra, only 74.4% and 62.4% respectively, were utilized,” the CDH report said. However, the report does highlight some best practices taken by the Karnataka government to address mental health such as Manasadhara (Day Care) Centres – Community Mental Health Day Care programme – announced in the 2013-14 budget. Another scheme is the Manochaitanya (Super Tuesday Clinic), where a psychiatrist from DMHP/Medical College/District or Private Hospital provides specialist services to the mentally ill at Taluka level hospitals, community health centres, and primary health centres on selected Tuesdays. Private sector’s involvement crucial The report stresses on the need to involve private sector as well as NGOs to address the mental health burden, considering there are only 1.4 beds per 1,000 population in psychiatric hospitals, and 0.82 beds in general hospitals -- with the exception of the Central government-run NIMHANS in Bengaluru which has 1000 beds. Further there are only three psychiatrists per million persons. CHD recommends that the private sector should support the construction of community hospitals which have specialty wards for psychiatry. CSR can also contribute. Further, NGOs can benefit the focus on mental health because they not only deliver healthcare in remote and disaster affected areas, but also offer flexibility of operation and close relationship with communities. “Involving the NGOs for health system strengthening may eventually reflect increased efficiency, more equity and good governance. Karnataka government, in return, can support NGOs' vulnerable financial base by providing regular financial support,” the report says. There is also a need to come up with customised programmes solutions for the worst-affected districts, keeping in mind their social conditions as well, Dr Edmond said. 

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Amid CAA-NRC fears, residents turn away health workers on mosquito survey in Karnataka

CAA

The Health Department said that they are doing their best to curb this misinformation, and tell residents that this enumeration drive is purely health-related.

Harsha Raj Gatty

Shwetha S

Image for representation. Raja stills/Picxy

Under the scorching mid-day sun, with just a small cloth hat for respite, 45-year old Padma (name changed) has been visiting houses among the local residents of Moodabidr, a taluk in Dakshina Kannada. She goes door to door, asking questions and educating people on ways to prevent and contain vector-borne disease carried by mosquitoes in the nearby areas. However, unlike earlier, when the residents warmly welcomed her with a glass of freshly churned butter-milk or tender coconut water, she notices that this time around, she is met with cold stares. “Everything was fine till few weeks ago. In over 10 years as an enumerator, I have familiarised myself with the local families with the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) survey. But now, suddenly, people have started questioning my motive behind the 'survey' work,” says Padma. So, what changed? The answer lies in the fears around Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), which is purported to a precursor and basis for the CAA across the country. While the CAA came into effect some days ago, the rules and requirements for one to prove their citizenship have not been notified yet. Amid these apprehensions some residents incorrectly assumed the ASHA health workers on enumeration drive to be government agents, surreptitiously collecting data to establish ancestry and citizenship. Padma explains that it is a routine mandate for ASHA workers to go from house to house and collect details of the families and create awareness about issues – be it vector-borne diseases, child care or inquiring about the health of the pregnant women. “We visit houses and collect the needed details. Since November 2019, we were asked to collect details under the Health Department’s 'Nagarikarige Ondu Savalu' (a challenge to citizens) program. Under this, if a house and its surroundings are free from mosquito larvae and mosquito breeding, we give them a certificate acknowledging the same as an encouragement.” Nagarikarige Ondu Savalu is a three-year-old program under which ASHA workers and Auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) are given a form with 13 questions, which they ask the residents, and fill in their responses in ‘yes’ or ‘no’ format. These questions pertain to cleanliness, whether the homes are materials like unused tyres, coconut shells, cement tanks etc. where water could stagnate and mosquitoes could breed; and awareness about diseases like dengue, and its symptoms. Every form also requires the name and mobile number of resident to be filled to establish authenticity. Suspicion against government drives The programme under which the ASHA workers do these door-to-door interactions and surveys are not new. But this time around, much to their surprise, ASHA workers noticed how some local citizen groups became irate when they start talking to them. It is not just Padma – she says she has also heard one of her colleagues recount being scolded by a resident, who then showed her the door, and asked her never to enter their house again. “Some of us have even been told to erase the data that we have already collected in our enumerator forms,” Padma says.  According to the ASHA workers, in many places such as Belthangady, Ullal, Moodabidri and Bantaal, some groups have started objecting to the door to door campaign. It’s not just the enumeration drive that’s is suffering. In Belthangady Taluk, on last Tuesday, Machina Gram Panchayat President Harshalatha and three others who were appointed to collect data for National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) were shouted down by a group of local residents who allegedly also tried to forcefully destroy the data. The matter was resolved after the local police intervened and filed an FIR against nine individuals. Misinformation A Dakshina Kannada Health Department official explains that the root of this misinformation seem to be a few messages being forwarded in the areas that the government is using ASHA workers to gather data for NPR, NRC and CAA. “Those sharing the message have also told nearby residents that ASHA workers are being used by the agencies to stealthily collect the data and hand it over to the government. They have been told that they, along with their families, might lose their citizenship. That is why there is a suspicion and resentment about sharing details with the ASHA workers," the official said. The image below is one such message being circulated. It says, “Please tell all your family members: ASHA workers, anganwadi workers, or any other workers, if they come to your house and ask for documents please don't give it to them. Don't sign anything they give you. Don't accept any notices, any posters or pamphlets. Don’t give your number. Missed call also don't give. Don't let them take photos. Don't get cheated. NRC CAB CAA NPR let us oppose these strongly. (sic)” Not everyone misinformed While the assumption that ASHA workers, who are spreading awareness about vector-borne diseases, are collecting citizenship data is concerning, not everyone seems to believe so. Another ASHA worker, Varija, says that not all residents are against the health workers. “Around 80% residents truly understand our work. But then there are 20% who do not agree. They want us to postpone the drive, and tell us to come some other time, after the confusion related to NRC and NPR is solved," she says. Meanwhile, the district administration has decided to send a strong message to the people as well, asking them not to fear. "It is really sad that they are suspecting our service. I would like to assure that there is no hidden agenda here. It is purely a Health Department-related survey. The details being inquired have nothing to do with anything (NRC or NPR) else," District Health Officer Dr M Ramakrishna Rao says. "We have asked all our workers to clearly tell the people about the program and educate them. Once they understand they will agree. The Deputy Commissioner too will make a statement to the media stating that the program is only related to Health Department," he adds.

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