Gandhi’s freedom struggle was an adjustment with British: BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde

Controversy

Amidst growing outrage over his comments, BJP sources say that the MP may be forced to apologise for his comments.

PTI

In an apparent attack on Mahatma Gandhi, BJP MP from Uttara Kannada, Anantkumar Hedge, known for his bigoted statements, has questioned the freedom movement led by Mahatma Gandhi, and described India's independence struggle as an "adjustment" with the then British rulers. Freedom fighters who did not sacrifice anything made the country believe that it attained independence through 'Upavas Satyagrah', Gandhi's preferred mode of agitation, and became Mahapurush (great person), BJP MP Anant Kumar Hegde said at an event here recently. “None of these so-called leaders were beaten up by the cops even once. Their independence movement was one big drama. It was staged by these leaders with the approval of the British. It was not a genuine fight. It was an adjustment freedom struggle,” he said. He went on to say that most people believe that India achieved independence because of non-violence and satyagraha. “People keep saying that India got independence because of the fast unto death and satyagraha. This is not true. The British did not leave the country because of satyagraha. Britishers gave independence out of frustration. My blood boils when I read history. Such people become Mahatma in our country,” he said. Watch full video below: He claimed that those who had an adjustment with the British” were lauded as freedom fighters, while referring to Gandhi’s role in the freedom movement. "Such people became great people (while taking about Mahatma Gandhi). Those who sacrificed their lives and worked towards big change in the country were dumped in the dark corners of history, but those who fought in adjustment with the British became freedom fighters with certificate. This is the tragedy of the country," Hegde, known for his past controversial remarks on issues like secularism, added. In his address in Kannada, Anantkumar Hegde went on to claim that there were two types of freedom fighters, one which believed in “shastra (arms)” and another in “shaastra (intellectual motivators)”. “There was also another category of freedom fighters who used to ask the British how to carry out the freedom struggle. We will abide by whatever you say simply adjustment and understanding... like 20-20 (cricket match)," the Uttara Kannada MP said about the freedom movement. Hegde alleged that the third category of freedom fighters had pleaded with the British to recognise their freedom struggle and requested that they be imprisoned. "They (pleaded with the British) It's enough if you properly take care of us, nothing more than that." Congress demands apology The Congress hit out at the ruling BJP on Monday over its leader Anantkumar Hegde's remarks against the Mahatma Gandhi-led freedom movement and demanded a sedition case be filed against him. The opposition party demanded that the prime minister must come to Parliament and clarify his position on Hegde's "objectionable" remarks, and asserted that it was time for Modi to prove whether his loyalty was towards Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse or the Father of the Nation. Questioning the freedom movement led by Gandhi, Hegde said it was an "adjustment" with the British. "They are disparaging the national movement. If the prime minister and the BJP government are sincere about the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi, we demand that the PM comes to Parliament and clarifies his position," Congress's senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said. "They are desperate for elections and only to get some votes, they are inflicting deep wounds on the soul of India," he said. Asserting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP's statement was condemnable, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the leaders of the saffron party could afford to call the freedom movement a drama as they never fought for the country's independence and made any sacrifices. "Such statements reveal their true mindset that they use Gandhi's name just for show and have no regard for him," he said. Demanding Hegde's expulsion from the BJP, Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said it was time for the prime minister to prove whether his loyalty was towards Godse or Gandhi. "The prime minister did not take action against Pragya Thakur, who continues to insult Mahatma Gandhi on a daily basis, and now, Anantkumar Hegde has joined the 'hate bapu' chorus. The prime minister's love for Gandhi exists only in advertisements and on the ground, 'hate Mahatma Gandhi' seems to be the tool to mobilise his cadres. "If the prime minister has even an ounce of respect for Gandhi, he should remove Thakur and Hegde from the party. It is time for the prime minister to prove whether his loyalty is towards Godse or Gandhi," he said. Modi should apologise for Hegde's remarks, a sedition case should be slapped on the former Union minister and both Thakur and he should be removed from the BJP, Shergill demanded. BJP leadership unhappy? BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde's swipe at Mahatma Gandhi has irked the top party leadership and he may be forced to apologise, party sources said on Monday. A senior BJP leader said the Karnataka leader's comments were "condemnable" and the party leadership is upset with him. "The party has conveyed its displeasure to him and asked him to take remedial measure. Any insult to Mahatma Gandhi is unacceptable," he said. The party leader said the Lok Sabha MP is a "disciplined" member of the party and will do what he has been asked to. Hegde, known for hardline Hindutva leanings, has a history of making controversial remarks.     

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Cops turn up at Bidar school for fourth time, question kids over anti-CAA play

Sedition

The DySP asked a kid whether she was asked to change the script and utter any particular dialogues.

Prajwal Bhat

Police officers including the Deputy Superintendent of Police of Bidar district turned up at the Shaheen Primary and High School on Monday once again to question students at the school. The school management, a headmistress, and parents have been booked for sedition for staging a play against the Citizenship Amendment Act. A complaint filed by an ABVP activist said that there were dialogues insulting the Prime Minister and the children have already been interrogated thrice over this. Despite heavy criticism for putting the children through trauma, plain clothed officers questioned as many as seven students on Monday. Except for one student, the rest were not part of the play, but had taken part in other activities the same day. These children were asked to identify where the other children practiced for the play and what they were asked to do. Last week, police arrested a parent named Nazbunnisa whose daughter had delivered the dialogues that the ABVP activist objected to, along with the headmistress of the primary section Fareeda Begum. Since the two women have been charged with sedition, the police are now trying to gather evidence to show that parents and teachers had a role to play in penning the dialogues. Nazbunnisa’s daughter too was questioned, and that too for the third time. The DySP asked her whether the kids were asked to change the script and utter any dialogues. He also asked school officials about the role of teachers in organising the play.   "It is simply harassment. We feel like we are being watched. As usual the police vehicle turned up outside the school at 2 pm and the police including the DySP began interrogating students about the play," Tauseef Madikeri, the school’s head told TNM. This reporter who was present at the school during the interrogation asked the officer why it had become necessary to come back to the school for the fourth time. "We are carrying out investigation as per procedure and we cannot comment on it now. We are collecting information about the play," Bidar DSP Basaveshwara Hira replied. When asked whether sedition was even applicable in a case like this, the DySP said, “I cannot comment on it at the moment. Investigation is on." Many of the parents were angry and upset. "Was anyone in the school questioned when a school in Dakshina Kannada staged a play depicting Babri demolition?" a parent asked TNM.

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How an attempt at driving away elephants led cops to nab Veerappan’s aide

Selva Mary was an accused in the Palar bomb blast in 1993 that killed 22 people.

Theja Ram

For the last 26 years, a wanted associate of forest brigand Veerappan, and an accused in the Palar bomb blast in 1993 that killed 22 people, was hiding right under the nose of the Karnataka police. On Saturday, the Kollegal Police arrested 27-year-old Selva Mary after an alert sent out by the forest department to the local police regarding her whereabouts. In 1993, soon after the Palar bomb blast, Selva Mary, the wife of Veerappan’s close aide Velayan, absconded after his involvement in the blast came to light. The Kollegal Police, who arrested her, says that she has been hiding in Karnataka and working as a contract farmer ever since. Four days ago, Selva Mary had fired shots in the air in the Chamarajanagar district’s Matahalli village to ward off elephants that were about to enter the sugarcane farm she worked in. The shots resulted in a minor fire at the farm located in the periphery of the forest area where Selva and her second husband Meluswamy worked as contract farmers. When a team led by, Kollegal Deputy Superintendent of Police Naveen Kumar, went to investigate the matter, they found the elusive Selva Mary and arrested her. She was produced before the court on Saturday and has been remanded to judicial custody. “When we questioned her and asked her where she got the weapon from and how she learned to shoot, she told us about her connection to Veerappan,” the Kollegal Police said. The Veerappan connection Kollegal Police investigating the case say that when Selva Mary was 13-years old, Veerappan had taken her hostage from her brother-in-law Sesharaj. Sesharaj had allegedly stolen money from Veerappan. Veerappan allegedly abducted Selva and struck a deal with Sesharaj that she would be returned if he gave the stolen money back. “When she was in the forest with Veerappan, one of his associates Velayan wanted to get married to her. She was married to Velayan when she was a minor and she was trained along with Veerappan’s men. She said that Veerappan did not trust any women in his gang but had included her in his plans,” the Kollegal Police said. Police say that Velayan died after the 1993 Palar bombing due to ill health after which Selva Mary came to Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district’s Matahalli, her hometown, and married Meluswamy. The couple has been working as contract farmers ever since. Apart from the Palar bomb blast case, she is also accused in the attack on Rampura Police station in 1992. The attack was a part of Veerappan’s gang targeting police stations in a bid to steal weapons. Selva mary is also accused of transportating of weapons illegally. In 1993, the Male Mahadeshwara Hill Police booked her under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) (TADA) Act.

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Four friends, one goal: Walking 100 kilometres in 24 hours

Human interest

Oxfam Trailwalker will take place in Bengaluru from February 7 to 9.

Nikhita Venugopal

Oxfam

A few years ago, Raja Imam Kasim received a somewhat unusual request from his childhood friend Yadalam Hari Kishore. Hari Kishore wanted his friend to participate in Oxfam Trailwalker, a 100-kilometre challenge in which teams of four must complete the distance in under 48 hours.  Raja, a deputy superintendent of police in the Crime Department, was no stranger to outdoor exercise and physical activities, but “never had I walked beyond 25 kilometres continously, apart from route marches conducted during my training as a police sub-inspector,” he told TNM. Still he agreed to his friend’s request, and soon, two other old classmates joined the team – Narasinga Rao and Jeetendra Kunhody.  Now for the fifth year, the four childhood friends, who are all around 50 years old, will be taking part in Oxfam Trailwalker in Bengaluru, slated for to be held from February 7 to February 9. It passes through 30 villages, from Sultanpet to Olde Bangalore Resort, and starts on the edge of a valley in Nandi Hills. It took them 26 hours to finish the 100-kilometre route last year and “this year we’re targeting to complete it in 24 hours,” said Hari Kishore, who is the managing director of the Pragathi Group.  The four, who grew up in Ballari, have known each other since kindergarten and studied together until pre-university. Though they kept in touch after their schooling, their careers took them in different directions, from engineering to civil services. It was only after their first Oxfam walk in 2016 that a new tradition – and a reason to catch up regularly – was born.  “The Oxfam 2016 event brought us closer,” said Raja. What’s more, it also became a way for them to stay fit and focussed on their health. “Participating in Oxfam not only helped us get into a fitness regimen, it also changed our outlook towards life – be it professional or personal life,” he added.  In the lead-up to the event, they create a practice plan and meet up weekly for long and short walks.  “The idea of weekend workouts served the purpose of training as well as de-stressing,” said Raja, “As part of training ourselves, we started participating in 10Ks (TCS, Bangalore Marathon) runs, 21K Heritage Runs.” As the event nears, long-distance walks in places like Nandi Hills also become a part of their training.  This year is the ninth edition of Oxfam Trailwalker, which also includes a 50-kilometre walk that must be completed in 24 hours. Fundraising is also an important part of the event as well, with donations going into Oxfam India’s projects on education, health, gender, forest rights and others. The Trailwalker event takes place in 17 locations across the world. When asked which parts of the event he looks forward to the most, whether it’s the exercise, being outdoors, or quality time with friends, Hari Kishore responds, “All put together. All those things appeal to us.” 

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BJP loyalists upset as CM Yediyurappa gives minister berths to former Cong-JD(S) rebels

Politics

The Karnataka CM will expand his cabinet on February 6. His decision to reward the newly-elected BJP MLAs has caused heartburn among the old-timers in the party.

Naheed Ataulla

File photo

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s ‘give back’ in the form of cabinet berths to former Congress and JD(S) MLAs who rebelled against their erstwhile parties to help him realise his dream to form the government is fuelling anger among senior party legislators who were ministerial aspirants. Yediyurappa announced that he would be filling 13 cabinet berths on February 6 by taking 10 of the 12 BJP MLAs who got elected in the Assembly bye-polls last December and another three legislators from the party. This will be his second expansion of the cabinet after the previous one on August 20 last year. In the 34-member ministry, there were 16 vacancies that Yediyurappa had deliberately not filled as he was waiting for the Supreme Court order on the disqualified MLAs. After Yediyurappa announced the cabinet expansion’s date on Sunday, the anger and disappointment was not confined to just the old-timers in the party, but also engulfed disqualified MLAs who were defeated in the bye-polls. The reason: at the time of admitting the 16 turncoat former MLAs into the party Yediyurappa had introduced them as “future MLAs and ministers” irrespective of bye-poll consequences. Defeated former MLAs AH Vishwanath and MTB Nagaraj have put up a chorus that Yediyurappa will not let them down on the promise. “In the BJP, I don’t know anyone except Yediyurappa and I have complete confidence that he will keep his word,” Vishwanath said. On the other hand, elected MLA Mahesh Kumathalli, who is speculated to miss the bus, is upset. “I’m deeply hurt and willing to do whatever Yediyurappa assigns me, including sweeping the BJP office floor,” he maintained. As deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, also a Lingayat like Kumathalli, hails from Athani constituency in Belagavi district represented by him, the latter is expected to be kept out of the cabinet. Savadi, who is not a member of either Houses of the Karnataka legislature, will be accommodated in the legislative council in the lone vacancy, for which poll is scheduled later this month. “Politics is like flowing water, things have to be accommodated according to time. There is change in the situation now from what it was then. Yediyurappa will be able to convince all those who are going to be disappointed,” state BJP spokesperson Vaman Acharya said. According to party sources, the BJP central leadership is not in favour of taking the defeated MLAs. “When the constituents did not accept them, why should they be in the cabinet, barring an exception made in the case of Savadi, who was made the deputy CM,” they added. Party insiders said Savadi along with Govind M Karjol (Scheduled Caste) and CN Ashwathanarayana (Vokkaliga) as deputy CMs were the central leadership choices. The party wanted to project an upcoming, Lingayat face and Savadi was the best bet. “In Maharashtra the party selected Devendra Fadnavis for the CM’s post, someone who had never been a minister despite being an MLA. He had functioned as mayor of Nagpur and did a good job as the CM,” they added. BJP loyalists upset Discontent is seething after it became known that only three amongst them will be taken, with Umesh V Katti, Aravind Limbavalli, Halappa Basappa Achar, V Sunil Kumar and CP Yogeeshwar (former legislator) tipped for the berths. Seniors like Basannagouda Patil (Yetnal), Murugesh Nirani, Nehru Olekar (north Karnataka), KG Bopaiah and Appachu Ranjan (Kodagu), S Angara (coastal), GH Thippa Reddy and Gulhatti D Shekar (Chitradurga), and SA Ramdas (Mysuru) are among the aspirants who have pinned hopes from the beginning. A party insider said cabinet formation or expansion is usually preceded by the party’s core committee shortlisting names before they are forwarded to the high command. The core committee meeting scheduled recently was cancelled by Yediyurappa. “The simmering discontent can be contained if the central leadership takes ownership of the cabinet formation, but the situation is not so. In the event of dissent, there is no core committee that can quell it nor does the writ of any of the 25 MPs from the state runs large to check any rebellion,” sources said. Seniors say it is now or never A ministerial aspirant said there was no hope for them in the three vacancies, which Yediyurappa will keep after the expansion. Of the 17 Congress-JD(S) MLAs who were disqualified, bye-polls were not held for Maski in Raichur district and Rajarajeshwari Nagar in Bengaluru due to court cases. The CM is said to be waiting for these two constituencies to be filled and also reward former minister R Shankar, who quit the Kumaraswamy government but was not given a ticket from Ranebennur in the bye-poll. The travails of cabinet expansion are likely to spill over during the portfolio allocation. The sure shots have started lobbying for portfolios, such as Yelahanka MLA ST Somashekar, who has set his eyes on urban development. This has also rattled the present ministers in the cabinet with the CM hinting that he is yet to take a call on expansion along with reshuffle. “With Yediyurappa finally setting a date for the expansion, the only exercise now will be push and pull by the legislators. It is unlikely that those who lose out will give up easily. They will exert pressure and it has to be seen to what extent,” a party insider said. Naheed Ataulla is a journalist who has covered Karnataka politics for over two decades, and is a former Political Editor of The Times of India. Views expressed are the author's own.

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The world of sarees: One woman's mission to document the handlooms of India

Human Interest

Sowmya Reddy Shamanna documents various types of sarees and handloom weaves in her coffee table book released in India weekend.

Neetha John

Clad in a white Kaziranga saree inspired from Assam, adorned with motifs of the one horned rhinoceros, Sowmya Reddy Shamanna looked like a paragon of the saree-loving community she is a part of.   “Sarees, I believe, are the vital spirit of India. It is the strength, versatility and the beauty of it that represents the cultural heritage of India.” she stated. Born and raised in Karnataka, Sowmya Reddy Shamanna who has been living in Germany for over thirty years, launched her book Tana Bana - The World of Sarees last weekend in Bengaluru. To celebrate the 150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian Consulate in Frankfurt had decided to put together something meaningful, relevant and “highlighted the pride of India in some way which is relevant to today’s time,” she said.  Out of the 120 varieties of handloom weaves from across India, Sowmya, in her book, has documented 50 - including the popular Kanjeevaram, Chanderi and Tussar sarees. All the sarees photographed in the book are from her own personal collection and the models include herself, her family and whom she likes to call her 'saree sisters' - her other acquaintances with a keen interest in sarees. The book is airy and easy to read. It has lithe descriptions of the sarees regarding its making, its history and its place of origin. The book is an attempt to “showcase our cultural heritage to the world,'' she said, as India is known for its spicy food, its population and democracy but the handlooms of India which are just as unique, do not make the cut.  “I don’t want to make sarees as just associated with India. A saree is a beautiful thing. It doesn’t have a dogmatic identity. It is something which is very versatile and anybody can adapt to it. There is no strict or fixed idea of how a saree should be - you just have to reimagine the saree.” she said. Sowmya put forth the idea of reinventing and reviving this rich endowment of hand woven sarees as she believed that the handloom weavers of India are not exposed to the world as they ought to be, that they are in dire need of being promoted lest they perish from negligence. The inherent skills of the weavers are being forgotten and the legacy of skill is dying, she says “Tana Bana - The World of Sarees is a coffee table book. I thought of a coffee table book because it is non academic, has lots of pictures and is appealing to everybody. It is also a light read, which makes it very interesting,” she said. As a young girl, the former clinical researcher had adored her grandmother’s sarees - especially a particular red Banarasi saree that her grandmother had worn when she got married. But later as the years passed, her passion for sarees got buried. It was rekindled, she says, when she came across pictures of saree-wearing women on Instagram - posing with poise and pride, one of whom is Vijaya Laxmi Chhabra, the former director general of Doordarshan.  “It has been an on and off thing. But of late, I feel it is like a reconfirmation to my roots,” she said about her reinstated love for sarees. Chhabra had been like a mentor to her through her journey of penning the book. “She guided me through a lot of things. She is one of those iconic people I look up to. Every time I saw a new weave, I’d be fascinated. I would read and research about it and look it up on the internet. But then I used to have these conversations with her. She would really teach me and her teachings helped to enrich the book,” she said. She said that since millenials are diversifying in their pick of clothes and “as a child I used to see my mother and grandmothers wearing sarees but the youngsters and millennials of today are not exposed to such beauty anymore”, the pride of India [sarees], she says, has to be instilled in the minds of the youngsters. “Most millenials and youngsters do not want to wear a saree,” she declared. “Unless we do it, we revive it, it will die.”  

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Four arrested after mob vandalises BMTC bus, attacks conductor in Karnataka

Crime

Police say that an altercation took place after the conductor had an argument with a senior citizen who refused to give up his seat which was reserved for ladies.

TNM Staff

Image for representation

An angry mob attacked a Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus and its conductor in Sulibele, located in Karnataka’s Hoskote taluk. According to reports, the violence started when the conductor of the bus, which was travelling from Hoskote and Doddaballapur, asked a male senior citizen, who was sitting on a seat reserved for ladies, to get up.  Bangalore Mirror reported that a woman on the bus had approached the conductor, Basavaraju, who then asked the man to give his seat to the woman. He, however, refused, and an argument ensued. Some young men who were present on the bus began to question the conductor’s behaviour, and joined the argument. The senior citizen also reportedly alleged that the conductor had pulled his beard. TOI reported that at this point, the bus driver drove to the Sulibele police station, sensing danger. At the station, the two sides reportedly reached a compromise. However, the young men on the bus were not satisfied and while the bus was on its back to Hoskote, a group of around 100 men surrounded the bus in Sulibele. They forced the passengers to alight and then dragged out the bus conductor. They reportedly thrashed the bus conductor and threw stones at the bus. The conductor has been admitted to a local hospital and a case has been registered against the attackers for rioting, attempt to murder, unlawful assembly, destruction of public property, and assaulting a public servant on duty. Four people, all aged between 20 to 29 years, have been nabbed by the police while the rest are on the run. The police have arrested Shoaib, Khaleel Pasha, Mohammed Yasin and Sheikh Aseem from Sulibele.  Further investigation is underway. The Hindu reported that the police has formed a special team to catch the culprits who are on the run.

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