Bengaluru student protester detained for saying ‘Pakistan zindabad’ at Owaisi meet

CAA

AIMIM leader Owaisi rushed towards her and asked her to stop speaking as soon as she said this.

TNM Staff

A 20-year-old journalism student from a Bengaluru college, Amulya Leona, was detained by the Upparpet Police in Bengaluru on Thursday. Amulya was detained as she said "Pakistan Zindabad" thrice on stage at an event organised by the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) and the Hindu Muslim Sikh Isaai Federation in the city on Thursday.  A video shows that while Amulya was speaking on stage, she said “Pakistan Zindabad”’ thrice, prompting AIMIM activists to rush to her and snatch the mic away. Amulya is seen trying to reason and debate with them, and tries to complete her statement. She then says “Hindustan Zindabad,” which is echoed by some activists on stage who still try to make her step off the stage. A visibly upset Owaisi is also heard telling her that she cannot say such things.  “Please wait, let me continue,” Amulya tries to tell the small crowd that had gathered behind her by this time. Two policemen, who appear on the stage, try to drag her away. She, however, breaks free and steps up on the stage and tries to address the gathering without the mic. She says, "The difference between Pakistan zindabad and Hindustan zindabad is that Pakistan zindabad—” but then is interrupted and dragged off the stage. #WATCH Ruckus erupts at the protest rally against CAA&NRC in Bengaluru where AIMIM Chief Asaddudin Owaisi is present. A woman named Amulya at the protest rally says "The difference between Pakistan zinadabad and Hindustan zindabad is...". pic.twitter.com/FPh5Ccu3HD — ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2020 The public meeting was held at Bengaluru's Freedom Park on Thursday afternoon. AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi was the main speaker at the event, where Amulya was also slated to speak. Amulya is a student of NMKRV College in Bengaluru. She was among the three women who asked Mahesh Vikram Hegde, founder of fake news website Postcard News, to sing Vande Mataram at Mangaluru airport in January this year. As news of her speech spread, Owaisi responded, "I condemn this statement. The woman is not associated with us. For me, it is always Bharat Zindabad, and will remain Bharat Zindabad (Humare liye Bharat Zindabad tha, zindabad rahega)." On February 16, Amulya had written​ a Facebook post​ which said, “Hindustan Zindabad, Pakistan Zindabad, Bangladesh Zindabad, Sri Lanka Zindabad, Nepal Zindabad, Afghanistan Zindabad, China Zindabad, Bhutan Zindabad, No matter which country, Zindabad to all countries.” At the time of writing the story, the Upparpet Police said that an FIR was being prepared against Amulya.

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BJP minister says he apologised to Ram Guha on cops manhandling him, Guha denies

CAA

Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai had said in the Assembly that he apologised to the historian for the incident that took place in December 2019.

TNM Staff

Historian Ramachandra Guha on Thursday denied claims made by Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai that the latter apologised to Guha for Bengaluru police's conduct towards the historian during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) in December 2019. "The Home Minister of Karnataka has claimed on the floor of the State Assembly that he apologized to me by phone for the manhandling by the Bengaluru police on 19th December 2019. This is false. I received no such call or apology," Guha said in a social media post. The Home Minister of Karnataka has claimed on the floor of the State Assembly that he apologized to me by phone for the manhandling by the Bengaluru police on 19th December 2019. This is false. I received no such call or apology. 1/2 — Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) February 20, 2020 "Even if such an apology had been offered, I would have rejected it. The imposition of Section 144 was illegal (as the Karnataka High Court has since held) and I was proud to be one of thousands of peaceful protesters who defied the State’s arbitrary action on that day," he added.  Home Minister Basavaraj Bomma  claimed in the floor of the House that he had apologised to Ramachandra Guha for the police's actions, Indian Express reported. On December 19, 2019, Ramachandra Guha took to the streets along with other citizens to protest against the CAA and NRC at Bengaluru's Town Hall. The protesters showed up despite prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC that were in place at the time. Under these orders assembly of five or more people is prohibited. During the protest, Ramachandra Guha walked up to Town Hall where hundreds of policemen were stationed. He held up a poster with a picture of BR Ambedkar, with the words 'CAA against Constitution'. He was interviewed by a television channel. However, he was yanked away by three policemen who surrounded him mid-interview. Last week, the Karnataka High Court termed the restrictions imposed under section 144 in December by Bengaluru Commissioner Bhaskar Rao as illegal. Similar orders were put in place in all districts of Karnataka ahead of protests planned against the CAA and NRC.  Further, the official Twitter handle of BJP Karnataka had, at the time, described Ramachandra Guha as an 'urban naxal' for voicing his dissent against the CAA and NRC. Posting a video on social media of an interview given by Guha at the venue of the protest, the BJP had tweeted "#UrbanNaxals who operate in a dark world are completely unknown to the common man.They make their presence felt through inciting violence and organizing protests at the behest of their masters. They are getting exposed now." Q: Who are you? A: I am @Ram_Guha ( Ramachandra Guha).#UrbanNaxals who operate in a Dark World are completely unknown to the Common Man. They make their presence felt through inciting violence & organizing protests at the behest of their Masters. They are getting exposed now. pic.twitter.com/AgnVVTkJHT — BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) December 20, 2019

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2 Bengaluru SAP employees test positive for H1N1, offices closed in three cities

H1N1

All SAP India Offices across Bangalore, Gurugram and Mumbai have been closed for extensive sanitization.

Shilpa S Ranipeta

Image for representation (SAP's German HQ)

With two cases of H1N1 being reported from the Bengaluru office of German software  major SAP India, the company in an internal communication advised its employees to work from home starting February 20 until February 28. This is SAP India’s office that is located at RMZ Ecoworld at the Sarjapur-Marathahalli Outer Ring Road in Bengaluru. Confirming the internal note to TNM, SAP said in a statement that two SAP India employees based in Bengaluru (RMZ Ecoworld office) have tested positive for the H1N1 virus. “Detailed contact tracing that the infected colleagues may have come into contact with is underway. The health of our employees and their families is of utmost priority, as a precautionary measure, all the SAP India Offices across Bangalore,  Gurgaon and Mumbai have been closed for extensive sanitization, and all SAP employees based in these locations have been asked to work from home till further notice,” the company said in a statement. SAP told its employees that the situation is being monitored closely and that it will be extensively sanitising and fumigating its office campus over the next two days as a remedial measure. “If anyone of you or your family members have any symptoms of cold, cough with fever please seek medical advice. In this situation, your understanding and cooperation is highly appreciated… The health of our employees is our priority and it is critical that we provide the current information and guidance to help limit the spread of the H1N1 virus,” the internal note also stated. In 2016, India was majorly affected by H1N1 (Swine Flu) where over 42,592 cases were confirmed, which reportedly resulted in 2,992 deaths. As per reports, 20 people in Hyderabad were tested positive for H1N1 in February. These people who has returned from China were initially tested for Coronavirus. H1N1 (Swine Flue) is caused by a strain of the influenza A virus and was initially said to have transmitted to humans from pigs. Symptoms of swine flu include cough, fever, sore throat, headache, nausea, and vomiting. People may also present with chills and severe myalgia (fatigue).

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Kannada director Ashoka opens up on 'Dia' and explains the film's frustrating twist

Interview

The film, directed by KS Ashoka, is about how life is full of problems and pain but also miracles and surprises

Subha J Rao

At its core, the recently-released Kannada film, Dia, is an audacious effort. How else do you explain a 138-minute film that relies entirely on conversation to keep the momentum going? The characters talk - a lot. A mother and son have heartfelt conversations, an introverted girl crushing on a boy has intense conversations with herself, and we realise later he does too. An extrovert does what he does best, speak, but he also respects silences. This ‘respect’ extends to what the director feels for the audience too. He does not believe he has to pander to the lowest common denominator. He allows his characters to breathe, and so when they don’t, your heart stops for a second too! At the theatre where I watched the film, two young women were livid when it ended. It was Valentine’s Day, and after two-odd hours of watching a tender love story unfurl, they did not expect the ‘twist’. Cuss words were hurled, a boyfriend got an earful for choosing this film for a day dedicated to love... Director KS Ashoka laughs when I tell him this. “I’ve been getting a lot of this,” he says. So, if this is the climax he wanted, why did he bother setting up the audience to expect something else? “See, this is why I did what I did. I did fear that there would be anger, but unless you get so invested in a story as the audience, how will you feel for the characters when something takes place? How will the film linger long after you’ve reached home?” he asks. And so, while Dia is a sea-change from his first film, the hit horror-thriller 6-5=2, this love story packs in enough thrills too. What makes Dia work majorly is how it respects its women. It is evident early on that Dia (a superb Kushi) does not share a great relationship with her father, but that angle is not used to stop her from being her own person. An uncle turns father-figure, and she moves on. Adi (an effective Pruthvi Amber) is the kind of boy you wished you saw more often on screen. He’s incredibly proud of his doctor-mother (a dignified Pavithra Lokesh) and openly tells her that. He writes her letters and their relationship is one that might tempt all to touch base more often with their mothers. It is obvious that she’s a single mother, but, admirably, there’s not a single reference to the missing father or husband. Rohit (Dheekshith) is another introvert, but that’s not made fun of. And so, when Rohit and Dia finally find each other after three years of college, you feel the butterflies fluttering in their stomach too! When they do things normally considered cheesy (a code using interlinked hands to tell someone ‘I Love You’), thanks to the character arcs, they appear sweet. Adi is the kind of person who smiles when his chappal falls off a train, and promptly flings the second so that someone can get the pair! He’s also the kind of boy who knows he likes a girl, but knows when to back off, and even better, knows when to just be a shoulder, a healer with his words and actions. Which is why a decision he takes, rankles, especially considering it is he who makes a phone call and diverts Dia from suicidal thoughts. And so, in a film with only deeply positive characters that can lull you into complacence, director Ashoka manages to infuse enough twists. “My scenes are interlinked. The first couple is quiet, and they need actions to speak too. Which is why the code with the hands. That is important, because that’s how Rohit realises something is amiss. Dia needs an Adi to help move on from Rohit, but she needs Rohit to help her seek out Adi again. I do believe that however much our new-age audiences have gotten used to love stories that are over-the-top, they also love understated romances, because in real life, most fall in the second category.” Helping keep the film trim are fleeting shots that explain more than words can. “The audience can sense certain things, and I hate spoonfeeding them. They know Dia’s bond with her father, and they also know Adi’s with his mother in just a second," he says. There has been criticism regarding the non-usage of helmets in the film, even after a major character suffers an accident, and Ashoka says that in hindsight, he feels he should have opted to feature helmets. “I never expected that it would matter, but now I know people have minutely watched the film. What drove the idea of the film, for me, was that we can plan all we want, but life will throw surprises and shocks at you. God is the number one sadist in the world. No one is allowed to be truly happy, no?”

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Only 2 burns units in Bengaluru: Fire safety collective asks for more in hospitals

Healthcare

Only two hospitals in the city have specialised burns wards, while thousands of people die in fires every year.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

Representative Image

A fire safety collective, Beyond Carlton, has demanded that the Karnataka government pay more attention to victims of fire accidents. According to information shared by Beyond Carlton, there are only two hospitals for victims of fire accidents in Bengaluru. Only St John’s Hospital and Victoria Hospital have dedicated burns units. The information was received from RTIs filed and information gathered by Beyond Carlton. “Victims of burns need specialised care for months on end. There are very specific hygiene requirements, and bandages need to be changed by trained nurses every day. There even may be a need for skin grafting, and this works out to be very expensive, even if people go to private hospitals,” says Uday Vijayan, founder of Beyond Carlton. The Union government provides funds specifically for this, under the National Programme on Prevention and Management of Burn Injuries (NPMMBI). Under this scheme, the Centre provides 75% of the funding for setting up of burns units in government district hospitals. However, this has not been adequately utilised by the Karnataka government, says Beyond Carlton. Beyond Carlton was formed after the Carlton Towers fire accident on February 23, 2010. The fire claimed nine lives, and left 50 people injured. The accident was exacerbated by the fact that the eight storied building had no fire escape. The organisation advocates for better fire safety, and they are commemorating their tenth year of being set up, this year. “So many people are affected by burns cases, but there is no adequate infrastructure in place to support the recovery of these people. So are we going to leave them to die? The government needs to take action and set up burns units in every district hospital, and provide the staff with the specialised training that they need,” Uday added. Beyond Carlton demands are that the government sets up a burns ward in every government hospital in the state of Karnataka. They also demand that Karnataka have skin banks across the state. There is currently one skin bank in the state, but Uday says that this is not at all sufficient for the needs of people. According to the latest data put out by the NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau), as many as 12,748 people died in burns cases in the year 2018. In 2018, a total of 13,099 cases of fire accidents were reported in the country and about 13,397 cases in the year 2017. The data also shows that women are especially vulnerable when it comes to burns incidents. Out of the 12,748 fire deaths in 2018, 7,244 were women while 5,503 were men.

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U-turn by BJP: After protesting Bengaluru elevated corridor, govt likely to okay project?

Transport

The BJP had vehemently opposed the elevated corridor project when it was introduced by the Congress-JD(S) government in 2018.

Theja Ram

The controversial elevated corridor project in Bengaluru appears to be back. This time BJP MLAs led by Deputy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan met on Wednesday to discuss the issue ahead of the state budget presentation slated to be held on March 5. This move has raised several eyebrows as the BJP had vehemently opposed the elevated corridor project when the Congress-JD(S) coalition, led by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had introduced it in the 2018-19 state budget. At the time, BJP MP Rajeev Chandrashekar had said, “Our position as the BJP is very clear. Public money cannot be spent on public projects without public involvement and public consultation and against the public interest. There is no justification for pushing such a project through, which is going to be violative of the environment; it is against the principal of natural justice for citizens who oppose it.” The BJP was also the party, which had strongly opposed the steel flyover proposed by the Siddaramaiah government in 2016. The Yediyurappa government is, however, now gearing up to construct six flyovers cutting across the city.  This even as the party had promised to focus on enhancing public transport in its 2018 manifesto. “The BJP had opposed elevated corridor and now they are supporting the plan? This is obviously completely against the promises they made before the elections and it goes against their own manifesto. They were supposed to enhance public transport. The suburban rail project has been on the backburner for so long. Why not allocate funds for that?” questioned Tara Krishnaswamy, a member of Citizens for Bengaluru, which had started the Steel Flyover Beda movement. What is the government proposing? Officials with thee Karnataka Road Development Corporation, however, said that out of the six elevated corridors, some will have multi-levels to facilitate construction of metro lines above the flyover. “We are also planning to make certain stretches of phase 1 of the elevated corridor as bus priority lanes,” the official said. Tara, however, said that the government cannot take such decisions without holding public consultation. “We (members of Citizens for Bengaluru) are planning to meet the Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayan in the next couple of days and pose questions about the elevated corridor and also why they are going against their manifesto. Based on the response we will decide whether we have to hold protests against the project,” she added. a

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Ola passengers can now contact Bengaluru cops from app if in distress

Safety

Ola said this technology integration will better equip the police to provide quick real-time on-ground support.

TNM Staff

Leading cab-aggregator Ola on Thursday announced that it has integrated its in-app emergency button with the Bengaluru City Police Control Room. The announcement comes after a meeting between Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao and Arun Srinivas, Chief Operations Officer at Ola. In a press release, Ola said that this integration will enable seamless sharing of ride-information including driver and car details, GPS coordinates of the vehicle, and customer’s contact information to this police, once the passenger presses the SOS button on the app. This technology integration will better equip the police to provide quick real-time on-ground support, Ola said. With this, whenever a customer presses the ‘emergency button’, they will have the option to call the police directly via 100.  Ola added that the company will continue to provide remote customer support as well. Ola’s Safety Response Team (SRT) will also immediately contact the customer and provide on-phone assistance until the customer’s safety is confirmed. Bengaluru is the second city after Hyderabad to have this facility. Earlier, the Ola had entered into a similar association with Hyderabad City Police. This development comes with continuing reports of incidents of harassment by taxi drivers getting reported, especially with women passengers being targeted during late hours.   Ola has released a step by step guide to use the new feature How it works: In case of an emergency situation, customers can tap the ‘emergency button’ on the top right corner of the screen. Once the emergency mode is activated, Ola’s Safety Response Team is notified to immediately call the customer to check on their situation. At the same time, customers also see an option to choose to speak to the police directly by tapping ‘Call Police’.

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