Yediyurappa’s secretary refuses to give police statement in attempted suicide case

Politics

BS Yediyurappa’s political secretary NR Santosh has been receiving treatment in hospital since Friday following a reported suicide attempt.

TNM Staff

File image

Bengaluru police probing the attempted suicide of BS Yediyurappa’s political secretary NR Santosh has to wait till he is discharged from the hospital to get his statement. Deccan Herald quoted an investigating officer saying that Santosh did not cooperate with them and refused to give a statement citing his health condition. As a result the officer said he will be questioned only after his discharge. This occurred after Santosh was shifted to a ward on Saturday after spending hours in the critical care unit.  Following his hospital admission, Sadashivanagar police had registered a case against Santosh for this under  IPC section 309 (attempt to commit sucide). As reported earlier Santosh was  found unconscious in his reading room by his family members on Friday night. Following this, his family members had rushed him to MS Ramaiah Hospital, in the vicinity. After his hospitalisation, Santosh’s wife Jhanavi had said that although on Friday morning he appeared jovial, Santosh was facing a lot of political pressure and was apprehensive about losing his standing, The couple had also attended a wedding in the evening, but Santosh reportedly turned melancholic. Santosh, who was instrumental in bringing BS Yediyurappa to power, was reportedly losing his place in the state’s political landscape. Santosh was reportedly further ignored following recent successes of BS Yediurappa’s son Vijayendra in helping the BJP win the bye-polls . The issue had also turned political with the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president DK Shivakumar demanding a high-level probe into the suicide attempt. Speaking to reporters in Karwar on Saturday, Shivakumar alleged that he had learned of Santosh being under “tremendous pressure” as a few BJP leaders were harassing him. If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help. Here are some helpline numbers of suicide-prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.  Tamil Nadu State health department's suicide helpline: 104 Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in Tamil Nadu) Andhra Pradesh Life Suicide Prevention: 78930 78930 Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584 Karnataka Sahai (24-hour): 080 65000111, 080 65000222 Kerala Maithri: 0484 2540530 Chaithram: 0484 2361161 Both are 24-hour helpline numbers. Telangana State government's suicide prevention (tollfree): 104 Roshni: 040 66202000, 6620200 SEVA: 09441778290, 040 27504682 (between 9 am and 7 pm) Aasara offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.     24x7 Helpline: 9820466726  Click here for working helplines across India.

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/3llqeLd
via IFTTT

COVID-19: Bengaluru, rest of Karnataka continue trend of dip in fresh cases

COVID-19

Bengaluru Urban on Sunday reported 686 cases and 10 deaths.

PTI

PTI/FIle image

Karnataka on Sunday reported a decline in the number of new COVID-19 cases at 1,291, and 15 related fatalities following the recent trend of dip in cases. This took the total number of infections to 8,83,899 and the toll to 11,765, the health department said. The day also saw 1,530 patients getting discharged after recovery, while active cases touched 24,503. Bengaluru Urban on Sunday reported 686 cases and 10 deaths, followed by Dakshina Kannada and Mandya with 48 cases each, two and nil fatalities respectively, while the rest were scattered in other districts. No other districts in the state reported new cases in triple figures. On Saturday, the state had reported 1,522 cases and 12 fatalities. Cumulatively, 8,83,899 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state and these included 11,765 deaths and 8,47,612 discharges, the health department said in a bulletin. Of the active cases, 401 were undergoing treatment in Intensive Care Units of various hospitals. On Sunday, 25 of the 30 districts reported zero fatalities, while almost all of them showed a tremendous decline in fresh infections, the bulletin said. Most of those who succumbed to COVID-19 on Sunday had a history of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI). A total of 1.05 lakh tests were done on Sunday, taking the cumulative number of specimens examined so far to 1.10 crore, the bulletin added. At present, all districts in the state have a recovery percentage in the high nineties. Yadgir has the highest recovery rate at 98.7%, while Bengaluru has the least at 93.9%. In terms of case fatality rate (CFR), the state is maintaining a CFR of 1.3% with some districts reporting CFR upwards of 2%. While Mysuru and Koppal have a CFR of 2%, Dakshina Kannada, Bidar and Dharwad have a CFR at 2.2%, 2.4% and 2.8% respectively. Bengaluru Urban has a CFR of 1.1%.

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/3o6Xx6j
via IFTTT

Not COVID-19 but leopard scare keeps public out of temples in Karnataka’s Koppal

Human-animal conflict

After a person was killed by a leopard in the vicinity of Anjanadri temple, the Assistant Commissioner has barred entry to shrines in the region.

Girisha

A leopard caught on camera trap in Anjanadri Hills

It’s not COVID-19 spread that has caused the Koppal district administration bar entry to a few shrines, including the famous Anjanadri hill temple located in Gangavathi taluk, but a leopard. After a person was mauled by a leopard in the vicinity of Anjanadri temple on November 5, forest officials appealed to the district administration to restrict the entry of devotees and visitors to the shrines from 8 am to 3 pm. They are concerned that human disturbance around the hill shrine could result in a rise in human-animal conflict. But keeping in mind the safety of visitors, the Koppal Assistant Commissioner has stopped all entry to shrines in Anjanadri, Hanumanahalli, Pampa Sarovara, the Durgadevi Temple, among other pilgrim places in the taluk, which are spread over a 5-km radius from the Anjanadri temple. Forest officials are certain that a leopard is on the prowl in the region after a post-mortem of the person mauled recently revealed animal bite wounds, suspected to be that of a leopard. In the past, a woman survived a leopard attack near Anegundi while a child and a tourist were reportedly attacked in the Gangavathi region. According to estimates, about 5 leopards reside in the vicinity of the temple. Sloth bears also share the habitat with leopards. In neighbouring Ballari, leopard attacks had killed two persons in 2018 while Tumakuru district reported five people killed by leopards in 2019-20. Cage set up to trap leopard on the prowl Defending the move to bar visitors, Koppal Deputy Conservator of Forests Dr Harsha Banu said that devotees/visitors who visit Anjanadri Hills unknowingly get too close to caves where leopards reside and may come in contact with the animal leading to conflict situations. The hill shrines in Gangavathi are the perfect habitat for leopards. He added that it was time people in the region be educated on staying away from the dangers of attacks by leopards and other animals. Forest officials said that one way to capture the leopard on the prowl is to trap it in a cage. They rule out tranquilising the leopard based on expert opinion that the habitat is not ideal for this. Furthermore, forest officials are also not in favour of getting shoot-at-sight order from senior officials to eliminate problematic leopards. A forest officer said that eight cameras had been installed in areas where the leopards move and a leopard was caught on one of them. Apart from cameras, seven cages have been set up to trap the leopard but it has eluded capture so far. A drone camera was also used to trace the leopard by forest officials. Wildlife enthusiasts believe the attacks occurred when the persons were in a sitting position, the leopards attacking them thinking they were prey. However, Pompayya Malemath, a wildlife activist, said that the prey density of leopards had dwindled while earlier the region had a healthy deer population. To make matters worse, unchecked wild boar poaching in the region is causing food shortage for leopards and humans are falling prey to them now. Apart from checking poaching of wild boars, Pompayya felt that if deer are reintroduced in the forests, then leopards, which are in good numbers, could prey upon them and mitigate the human-leopard conflict. Forest officials heave a sigh of relief as the leopard on the prowl has not been sighted for some time in the Anjanadri Hills region. A forest source said stopping entry of visitors has been a good measure to avert leopard attacks. Girisha is a freelancer who writes on wildlife and forests. Also read: A house for Manjamma: Crowdfunding campaign for a trans woman leader in Karnataka

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2Jib8ch
via IFTTT

Karnataka BJP minister says his party will give tickets to anyone but Muslims

Politics

Eshwarappa has made several such remarks in the past.

TNM Staff

Making yet another controversial statement, Karnataka Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and former Deputy CM KS Eshwarappa on Saturday said that his party, the BJP, will field a candidate from any community but from the Muslim community. Eshwarappa was speaking with reporters in context of the Belagavi Lok Sabha byepolls which are due to be held with the recent demise of former Minister of State Railways Suresh Angadi, the multi-time winner of the seat.    “Whoever we might give it(ticket) to-- may be Kurubas, Lingayats, Vokkaligas or Bramins--but definitely not muslims. Today Belgaum is a center for Hindutva, there is no question of giving it to Muslims, we will give it to people of Hindutva. I don't know if we will give it to 'Rayanna Sri Kshetra' or 'Chanamma Sri Kshetra' or 'Shankaracharya Sri Kshetra' we will sit and discuss,” he told reporters on the question of the possible byepoll candidate.   However, this comment from Eshwarappa is not an isolated controversy he has stoked. In a very similar context ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in 2019, he had said the party won’t give tickets to Muslim candidates. He had then said, “We won't give tickets to Muslims in Karnataka. Why? Because you don't believe in us. Believe us and we'll see," when asked if Iqbal Ansar, a leader who had then recently jumped ship from the JD(S) to BJP was in the fray to get a ticket. In another example of his provocative statements, ahead of the Karnataka Assembly Elections in 2018, he had alleged Muslims who are with Congress were “killers” while those with the BJP were “good Muslims”.   “Muslims who killed 22 RSS and BJP activists are with the Congress and those who are good Muslims are with the BJP," he had said.

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/39m4hct
via IFTTT

Karnataka Medical degree exams postponed following protests by students

Education

Students had been holding protests since the day the exam dates were announced.

Shishir Rao

In a relief for medical students in Karnataka, the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences in Karnataka has announced the postponement of the exams that were to be held from January 2021. In a revised circular issued on Saturday, the university said that the exams for first year students will commence on February 8, and for second year students it will begin on March 2. For the final year and third year students, the exams will be held from March 23. This revised circular comes after students of medical education institutions affiliated to RGUHS  staged protests in several districts including Bengaluru, and submitted memorandums to deans and principals of medical colleges. This, after a circular dated November 18 stated that the colleges would start from December 1 and exams would commence from January 19.  The students were apprehensive about writing exams at such a short notice, and about writing exams without having completed practical classes. On November 23, medical students participated in a Twitter storm with the hashtag #PostponeMBBSexams, which had more than 20,000 tweets. “The postponement is definitely a huge relief to us and it does make a big difference. Now we will get time to catch up on the practical experience of treating patients we had missed all these days,” said Monica (name change do on request), a final year student of Bangalore Medical College.  She added, “I don’t want to write a compromised exam just to get a prefix in front of my name, I really want the experience necessary to be a good doctor.” Hemant (name changed on request), a final year student of MR Medical College, Kalaburagi, said, “Before the exam we were in a dilemma whether to study for annual exams or our internals. Now the colleges can spread out the internals more and we will get sufficient time to study everything.” 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/3ml01NR
via IFTTT

A house for Manjamma: Crowdfunding campaign for a trans woman leader in Karnataka

Human Interest

Manjamma Jogathi is the first transgender person to head the Karnataka Janapada Academy, and is looking to construct a house for herself and her students.

Theja Ram

When Manjamma was a teenager, her older brother tied her to a pole and beat her until she was close to losing consciousness. “He thought there was a demon inside me. He wanted to rid me of it,” Manjamma says. Born in Kallukamba village in Ballari district, and assigned male at birth, Manjamma has witnessed inconceivable pain due to her identity as a Jogathi – a transgender woman. She recalls how her family tried to “rid” her of her “feminine nature”, and the many ways in which she has been mistreated by society through her life.  But Manjamma’s story is not that of a victim. From a life of destitution, stigma and myriad horrors, Manjamma Jogathi went on to become the first transgender person to head the Karnataka Janapada Academy. She’s a dancer, a teacher, a celebrated theatre artiste… Despite all these feathers in her cap, Manjamma doesn’t have a roof over her head.  Manjamma, who lives in Ballari’s Mariyammanahalli, has been running from pillar to post to get funds for a house, ever since the roof of the house she was staying in caved in, back in 2005. She has been trying to obtain funds from the government under its subsidised housing scheme. With no response from the government, Manjamma has now turned to crowdfunding. Three months ago, Shilpa Mudbi, one of her students, told her about Ketto, the crowdfunding platform. With Ketto’s help, she started a crowdfunding campaign on the website. Within three months, she has received Rs 4,86,000. “I have never seen so much money in my life. I used to beg for a living. I am so moved by the love people have shown me,” Manjamma says.  But the funds are not enough yet to build a house. You can support her cause here. Early life Manjamma says that she loved dancing, and dressing up with the girls since she was a child. After trying various other ways to ‘correct’ her, Manjamma’s parents took her to a priest, who told them that she was blessed with the “goddesses shakti”. She says that her brother never spoke to her since that day. In 1985, her parents took her to the Huligeyamma’s temple near Hospet. It was here that she was consecrated as a Jogathi. She assumed the name Manjamma Jogathi and became a part of the community of Jogappas and Jogathis, devotees of goddess Yellamma. Jogathis are transgender persons who are ‘married’ to the goddess.  “I was given a skirt, blouse and bangles to wear. I remember my mother wailing at the loss of her son. She told me I was dead to her,” Manjamma recounts, and says that she tried to end her life then and was hospitalised. Upon recovery, she left home and began begging for money in Davangere.  “I didn’t have the strength in me to live and I wanted to end it all. I was sitting at a bus stand in Davangere, when I saw a father teaching his son how to dance while he balanced a metal pot on his head. This was Jogathi Nritya and I was fascinated by it,” Manjamma says.  Life as a theatre artiste Manjamma went up to the father, Basappa, and asked him if he would teach her and he agreed immediately. She went every morning to his home and learned Jogathi Nritya. While she began performing Jogathi Nritya for goddess Yellamma, fellow Jogathis introduced her to the folk artist  Kaalavva, from Ballari’s Hagaribommanahalli. She soon began playing small roles in folk plays and went onto become a hit in the folk theatre sphere after her role in the play Renukadevi Charitre.  “Theatre and dance gave me a reason to continue living,” she says. Manjamma, who is an expert in Jogathi Nritya, has been travelling across the state to conduct workshops and also teach the art form to pupils.  Manjamma won the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2010 and her story of resilience is a part of the syllabus for the Bachelor of Arts course at the Karnataka Folk University in Haveri district. The next step Manjamma plans to construct a one-storey house in Mariyammanahalli, where she can provide space for her students who need a roof over their heads too. “I also want a space outside, where I can teach Jogathi Nritya to my students. I am 65 years old. I don’t have big dreams. I will be happy with whatever people give me,” Manjamma says.  From being shunned from her own family to becoming a star in the community of folk artists, Manjamma’s story is one of immeasurable pain, but also one of hope and success. She now needs help to raise more funds to complete constructing the house. The construction began over two months ago and Manjamma says she is hopeful to be able to source money to complete her dream project.  You can support her dream here. 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2VcTSaT
via IFTTT

‘No plan to replace CM Yediyurappa’: Karnataka BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel

Politics

Some members within the party, including senior MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, have been talking about replacing CM Yediyurappa openly.

PTI

File image

BJP Karnataka state president Nalin Kumar Kateel on Saturday asserted that there were no talks at any level about replacing Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa at this juncture. Speaking to reporters in Mangaluru, Kateel asserted that Yediyurappa will not be replaced until the Assembly term ends. "There is no such talk until now about this topic at any levels," The MP from Dakshina Kannada retorted in response to a question from reporters. "Who has raised the issue of leadership change? Who has questioned it? Has our national president or national office bearers or core committee members or our legislators have spoken in this regard?" Kateel asked the media. The statement comes at a time when some members within the party, including senior MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, have been talking about the CM replacement openly. Earlier, scotching the rumours about leadership change in Karnataka, three prominent BJP leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, said on Saturday that incumbent Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa will remain the CM till the end of his term. Of late, rumours have been doing the rounds that the party's national leaders are planning to replace Yediyurappa by this year-end as he is already 77 years old, which is in violation of BJP's own unwritten law of retirement for its leaders. By the time the Assembly term ends in 2023, he will be 80. Deputy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayana and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister KS Eshwarappa, too, rejected the media reports about the possible leadership change, stating that Yediyurappa will complete his term in office. Like several BJP top leaders in the state, Savadi, Narayana and Eshwarappa are touring districts allocated to them to monitor the 'Grama Swarajya', an election campaign designed by the party to win the forthcoming local body polls in the state. Speaking to reporters in Chitradurga district, Savadi said that it is futile to even discuss on a public forum whether their party leader will be changed. "Yediyurappa has got assurance from none other than our party high command that he will be the CM until his term ends (for the next two-and-a-half years)," he said.

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/3o6zkgm
via IFTTT