Protest by Kodagu flood survivors seeking land for rehabilitation enters 9th day

Protest

Officials in Kodagu stated that there was a delay in identifying suitable land to rehabilitate survivors.

Prajwal Bhat

A protest by survivors of the flood which hit Kodagu in 2019 entered its ninth day on Tuesday. Hundreds of residents of Siddapura in the hilly district are protesting against the delay in identifying land to construct new houses for them. Many of the families protesting had lost their homes in the heavy rains and floods which hit Kodagu last year. After more than six months of waiting, the families from Karadigodu and Guhya villages decided to start an indefinite agitation in front of the Siddapura Gram Panchayat on February 10.  "We are protesting for the ninth day because land has not been identified to rehabilitate those who have lost their homes in the floods which occurred more than six months ago," Yamuna MA,  former president, Siddapura Gram Panchayat, and convener of Flood Victims’ Association told TNM. As per estimates, 66 houses were completely damaged and over 100 houses were partially damaged in the floods that occurred in the monsoon season of 2019. The floods took place a year after devastating landslides struck in Kodagu in 2018. Officials in Kodagu stated that there was a delay in identifying suitable land to rehabilitate survivors. "We had started searching for the land but there was a delay in identifying litigation-free land. There was litigation pending either in the High Court or the district court in the land we had shortlisted. We could not identify land in the same Gram Panchayat but now we have identified three areas in neighboring hoblis. We are hopeful that we will be able to finalise the land this week," Kodagu DC Annies Joy told TNM.  She stated that those who lost their houses will get new houses built at a cost of Rs 5 lakh. She further added that the district administration is paying each affected survivor ten months of rent. The protesters stated that many people had lost their homes as they were staying close to the river bed. "The residents had approached the district administration after the landslides in 2018 seeking for rehabilitation in a different area. However, their request was unanswered," Mustafa, a social activist from Kodagu told TNM.  In another part of Kodagu in Balagodu, a similar agitation was started by families residing in temporary structures. "In this area, many Dalits and Adivasis reside and work in coffee and pepper plantations in the area. While government land has been identified, the construction of houses to rehabilitate residents has not yet begun here," Mustafa. After the identification of land, it takes between 10 months and a year for the construction of houses, district officials said.  "We are told that the Assistant Commissioner is looking to identify land for us but our protest will continue until a viable option is presented to us," Yamuna adds. The protesters are set to meet district officials later today for another round of discussions.   

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26-year-old singer kills self in Bengaluru over alleged dowry harassment

Crime

All the accused including her husband Sharath, are absconding.

TNM Staff

In a tragic incident, a 26-year-old Kannada playback singer Sushmita HS ago died by suicide on Monday at her mother’s residence in Nagarbhavi in Bengaluru after she was allegedly subjected to dowry harassment.  According to reports, Sushmita who was married in 2018 and was residing in Kumaraswamy Layout in the city, had come to her mother Meenakshi’s house on Sunday where her brother also lived. She apparently left her home after she had a fight with her husband Sharath who works as a manager of a car showroom in the city. Police said that on Sunday night she had dinner and even chatted normally with her younger brother Sachin. Reports said that after that she had sent a WhatsApp message to her brother and mother stating that she was having a troubled marriage and her ill-treatment at the hands of her in-laws was prompting her to take the extreme step.  At around 5:30, when Sachin saw the message, he rushed to her sister’s room where she was found hanging, police further said. Speaking to Times of India, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Ramesh Banoth said police have a registered a case of death due to dowry (Section 304B IPC). He said that all the accused— Sharath, his aunt (Vaidehi) and sister Geetha are absconding but will be arrested soon. TOI also quoted the victim’s mother Meenkashi as saying that she was the one who forced her to marry. She said that she had taken a huge loan to get her daughter married and spent Rs 20 lakh on the wedding and another 150 gm of gold for the purpose. But even then, she was subjected to harassment for further dowry and was asked to move out of the house, the mother claimed. This is what Meenakshi felt was the reason for her daughter to take her own life. Daijiworld reported that in her message, Sushmita had named Sharath, Vaidehi and Geetha as being responsible for her death and she had also said that she did not want to die in her husband’s place. She also said, “do not leave my in-laws” as part of the message sent on WhatsApp to her mother and brother. Read: When victims of dowry harassment are forced to return to their abusive marital homes In fact, Bengaluru has now come to be known as the dowry capital of south India. According to the latest crime statistics published by the National Crime Records Bureau, 53 women died due to dowry in Bengaluru in 2018. Also, more than 80% (81.3) of all cases under the Dowry Prohibition Act  in 2018 were registered in Bengaluru. Even in 2017, the figure was alarming with 77% of all dowry cases registered in the country coming from Bengaluru. Read more: Husband from hell: The man who married and swindled several women in south India

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Bengaluru suburban rail: Finance Minister assures sanction of funds soon

Transport

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her team were in Bengaluru to speak to stakeholders regarding the Union Budget 2020.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman and her team of finance secretaries have been going across the country to speak to stakeholders regarding the Union Budget 2020. Sitharaman on Monday was in Bengaluru to speak to economists, industrialists, and later the media as part of a day-long session. In the Union Budget, the Finance Minister had announced that the Centre will cover 20 per cent of the total cost of the Bengaluru suburban rail project, the total cost of which has been estimated to be Rs 18,600 crore. Speaking about the financial allocation for the suburban rail project, Finance Secretary Rajiv Kumar said, “When an assurance is made in the house, it is made seriously. The commitment is to cover 20% of the cost of the project. The concurrence of the Finance Ministry is with the Railway Ministry, and when it comes, it will get approved; it’s a matter of time. There are no formalities left.” Recently, the South Western Railways (SWR) budget had made a token allocation of Rs 1 crore for the project. Speaking about this, Rajiv Kumar said, “The question of a token provision (budget of Rs 1 crore) is a budgeting technicality. The commitment is with the central government to cover 20% of the cost. We will also be giving sovereign guarantees (of repayment) to the remaining 60%, which comes from [various foreign banks]. This money must be repaid by the project itself.” Read: Bengaluru’s suburban rail gets just Rs 1 crore token amount in SW Railway budget While the spokesperson for the Railways had said that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) is awaiting clearance, the Finance Minister assured that the project has got clearance from the Cabinet and there would be no more hindrances. When TNM asked what happened about the previous budget’s allocation towards the suburban rail, the Finance Minister responded that officials are there to take questions on the current budget. She said, “About the previous budget, ask the Railway officer why it couldn’t happen and why he didn’t do anything. Money has not reached, but the budget is yet to be passed and the finance bill is waiting. The recommencement of the budget starts from March 2, when it gets passed, I can move the money.”

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Using thorns and reclaimed wood, artist Sadilya Theuerkauf debuts in Bengaluru

Art

Artist Sadilya Theuerkauf spoke to TNM about his new exhibition, ‘A Trail of Thorns’, at Bangalore International Centre.

Nikhita Venugopal

Manush John/Courtesy KYNKYNY.com

From a young age, artist Sadilya Theuerkauf not only found that he had an interest in creating art, but he was also drawn to natural elements around him, from mud, sticks and stones to flowers and feathers. And as he continued his work as an artist, that connection to nature stayed on as well. This time, in the form of a thorn.  Sadilya debuted his new exhibition, “A Trail of Thorns” at the Bangalore International Centre this past weekend, featuring 18 sculptures that use thorns and reclaimed wood. The exhibit, presented by online gallery KYNKYNY.COM, will be on display from February 16 to 20.   Growing up in Kerala, Sadilya later moved to the outskirts of Bengaluru, where he was inspired by the thorny shrub forests in the area. In an interview with TNM, Sadilya said that he’s been working with thorns for five years and in that time, he’s learnt to appreciate each one’s unique characteristics.  The exhibition is also a reflection of the destruction of nature around us, and how easy it is to take our surroundings for granted. “Life is sacred, and I feel it has become too easy to forget that we are not the only ones here,” he said in his artist statement.  Sadilya spoke to TNM about his latest series, the process behind the creation of his art and what he hopes viewers will take away from the exhibition.  How long have you been working with thorns as a medium of art and what was it about the thorn that appealed to you? It has been five years since I started working with thorns. It started with me noticing one particular thorn that drew me to want to do something with it. That one thorn led me to others and the work and ideas happened as a result of looking repeatedly. It is only through observation of the character of that particular thorn, and subsequently, the rest, that resulted in the pieces that are on display at my exhibition, “A Trail of Thorns”, presented by KYNKYNY.com. From a practical perspective, how long does it take to create each sculpture and what are the challenges you faced in working with reclaimed wood and thorns? Each work takes weeks to make. The collection itself may take many days over many walks. This first part is critical as the landscape is where the inspiration comes from. Staying with the plant, looking at the surroundings and 'being' in places is something I would like to give importance to, so a lot of time may go in finding the thorns themselves. The only challenges that I faced were created by me by setting out certain parameters for a piece. By deciding on something beforehand and planning, I have to have a good understanding of what is possible and what is not with a particular thorn, otherwise my ideas and what the thorns actually lend themselves to don't match. There were no other challenges per se.  What was your process of finding the elements you required for your art? Were there particular forests and regions that you frequented?  Once I had an 'in' into the world of thorns, they stood out wherever I went. Be it someone's garden or the desert in Rajasthan. But this has been by looking and by being particularly attentive, because I am interested in them.  Most of the material I collected was from in and around the Centre for Learning, 40 km outside Bangalore, where I teach. This dry scrubland has numerous thorny plants and trees. Like I mentioned earlier I don't want to just procure the material, I want to see the plants repeatedly and hold them in my hands, understand them thoroughly and allow ideas to come from that understanding. So this is why I collect material only from the places I am familiar with.  You say that your work has given you a connection to the natural world. What do you hope your audience will draw from viewing your sculptures? We as people are very alienated from everything that makes up this planet that we have; we feel separate from it. In this day, where this sense of separateness has allowed us to almost completely destroy everything, what would open our eyes to see that we are indeed part of nature, not just as an idea? What would it require for us to care for our surroundings and the places that we occupy? I feel we need to give attention to this. Learning mere facts about the destruction of habitats or climate change is not enough. I am addressing this for myself in my art and I am bringing something out to show saying 'look'! I want to bring attention to these thorns and through these maybe it will kindle an interest for some to step out and take a walk. I wanted to highlight the raw quality of the thorns and the wood but at the same time contain the texture with a refined shape to bring the qualities of thorns themselves into focus.  Credit for all images: Manush John/Courtesy KYNKYNY.com

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'India’s Usain Bolt’ meets Karnataka CM Yediyurappa, praised for record-breaking feat

Sport

Srinivas was offered a trial by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) after his records in a Kambala race went viral.

Prajwal Bhat

It has been a whirlwind week for 28-year-old Kambala jockey Srinivas Gowda. His record-breaking run in a Kambala race held in Dakshina Kannada on February 1 was compared to the feats of sprinter and world-record holder Usain Bolt.  Srinivas was then offered a trial by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) either in New Delhi or Bengaluru but he has decided to postpone it until after the current Kambala season ends on March 7. Instead, Srinivas travelled to Bengaluru to meet Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa at the Vidhana Soudha on Monday. Addressing media persons, Yediyurappa showered praise on the Kambala jockey whose popularity soared this month. "We are celebrating Srinivas Gowda's record-breaking feat. We are also celebrating Gunapada Kadamba, whose academy — Kambala Academy in Moodabidri — trains Kambala (jockeys). Kambala is a traditional sport of Dakshina Kannada and Srinivas Gowda has broken records. Yesterday, in the Venoor Kambala race, Srinivas Gowda ran 142 metres in 13.68 seconds," Yediyurappa said. Srinivas Gowda, who was uncertain of facing reporters, said that he was happy that the traditional sport of Kambala gained recognition through his feats. "I am happy because this sport has been honoured. The public outside has learnt about our traditional sport. This feat is due to the buffaloes and because we took care of the buffaloes that I was able to run fast with them. In the next few weeks, I have Kambala races to take part in," Srinivas Gowda told reporters in Bengaluru.  Srinivas Gowda shot to fame after he ran 142.50 metres in 13.62 seconds, considered the fastest run in the traditional buffalo racing sport of Kambala. Although he made the run on February 1 in a Kambala event held in AIkala village of Dakshina Kannada, his popularity soared when journalists and social media users compared his run to the 100-metre world record held by Usain Bolt. He was calculated to be faster than Usain Bolt's 100-metre world record timing of 9.58 seconds. However, this calculation overlooked the fact that he ran on a slushy track with the support of his teammates - the buffaloes. Gunapala Kadamba, who is the president of the Kambala Academy in Moodabidri where Srinivas trained, told TNM that Srinivas' new-found popularity has come as a surprise to him and that he needs time to think about whether he wants to switch to track races. "He is committed to a few more Kambala races until March 7. He feels that he is not qualified for track races. He knows that he runs fast with the support of the animal on slush tracks. But it is different from running on synthetic tracks wearing spikes. We are very proud that he has received this invitation but he has not seen many track races and we cannot spring this on him at once," says Gunapala.  Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday stated that he had invited Srinivas for a trial by top coaches from SAI. Srinivas Gowda has maintained that he considers Kambala to be his sport and has not thought about running on track. Speaking earlier to TNM, he credited the buffaloes for the record breaking run. "I mainly exercise and swim every day. Once a week, I practice running on the slushy track,” he said. The 28-year-old is a construction worker during the off season when Kambala races are not held. He trained at the Kambala Academy in Moodabidri and has been involved in the traditional sport for the last seven years.  Kambala is the traditional buffalo racing sport popular in the coastal districts of Karnataka. The word 'Kambala' in Tulu means paddy field with slush and mud. In Kambala races, a pair of buffaloes tied together run on parallel slush tracks with a farmer controlling them usually using whips.  A ban on the sport was initially sought along with the Supreme Court order that banned Jallikattu, the popular bull taming sport of Tamil Nadu in 2014. But it was only in 2016 that the sport was banned in Karnataka by a High Court order. However, it was allowed to continue in 2017 after the President gave assent to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance of 2017, which excludes Kambala from the list of activities considered as practices involving animal cruelty.

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Makkala Kere Habba: A kids’ fest in Bengaluru to get them to care about city's lakes

Environment

The program will be held across the city to teach children about the need to protect their local lake.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

In an innovative effort to create awareness on the restoration of the local lakes, the Namma Bengaluru Foundation, a city-based non-profit, recently organised a lake fest for children. The ‘Makkala Kere Habba’ (children’s lake festival) was organised to encourage children in local government schools around Jogi Lake in Hemmigepura, near the Turahalli forest. Held on Friday, the students were encouraged to connect with their local lake and participate in preserving it. The organisers hope that the exercise will enable the children to become stakeholders in keeping their local water bodies alive. Speaking to TNM, Harish Kumar, General Manager of the Namma Bengaluru Foundation, said, “Today, lakes in Bengaluru are barely surviving: with garbage being dumped, toxic chemicals being let in as sewage, encroachments, poor maintenance and other issues. This directly affects our health, and the need of the hour is to create awareness and restore these lakes. We need more children who are willing to put in the effort to safeguard lakes in Bengaluru. We hope that the Habba will help in creating little warriors who will take keen interest in protecting environmental assets.” At the festival, the organisers spoke about the benefits of lakes as well as the history and issues surrounding the Jogi lake. They also encouraged community participation by holding a lake walk, a painting competition, tree plantation exercise, essay writing, and a quiz about the Jogi lake. Residents and experts also joined in the festivities. The Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF) is an NGO that works for civic rights in Bengaluru. Their petition with the Karnataka Lokayukta demanding accountability from local civic bodies for the care of lakes is pending before the anti-graft ombudsman. NBF intends to take the Makkala Kere Habba forward in other parts of the city and will aim to raise awareness among local children around ten different lakes in and around Bengaluru. Also read: Hugs for trees: Bengaluru students celebrate Valentine’s Day with unique protest

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Any ‘anti-national’ must face law: K’taka Home Min on Kashmiri students sedition case

Sedition

The Home Minister's statements come a day after the three engineering students from Hubballi were released and then re-arrested by the police.

TNM Staff

Even as three Kashmiri engineering students in Hubballi were taken into judicial custody on charges of sedition, Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday weighed in to say that the trio will be tried as per the law.  "Any anti-national will have to face the law. In this case, the police commissioner has asked for a report on their release based on bond before the investigation was complete. They have been arrested, sent to judicial custody and the law will take its course. Whoever are anti-nationals will not be let go and action will be taken based on the law," Bommai told reporters over the arrest.  The Home Minister's statements come a day after the students were released after the execution of a bond under section 169 of the CrPC before they were re-arrested. The students study at KLE Institute of Technology and were arrested after a video of them allegedly showing them raise pro-Pakistan slogans surfaced. They were initially arrested on Saturday.  Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah contended that the state government is discriminating against the trio. "The state government is discriminating. Shouting slogans in favour of Pakistan is an anti-national activity. Cases should be filed against those who say such statements but these students are facing a false case.  Without due reason, sedition was charged against the three students. The government is applying law differently in each case," Siddaramaiah told reporters when asked about the arrest.  Following their arrest, members of the Bar Association in Hubballi passed a resolution to not represent the three Kashmiri students booked for sedition. The association termed their actions 'anti-national' and said that the decision was informed to the Karnataka State Bar Council. 

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