Why Kuruba community’s tallest leader Siddaramaiah stayed away from their rally

Politics

A source close to Siddaramaiah confirmed to TNM that he has been put in a tough spot by the Kuruba leaders in the BJP.

Pooja Prasanna

The Kuruba community has been demanding the Schedule Tribe tag and held a massive rally in the outskirts of Bengaluru on Sunday. But the glaring absence from their rallies, press conferences has been that of the community’s tallest leader- former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Even when asked about the issue in a press conference, a visibly irritated Siddaramaiah said the reporter should pose the question to those who are organising the rally, refusing to comment any further. In the rallies, several leaders have still been voicing their hope for Siddaramaiah to join their campaign but he has been consciously absent. Siddaramaiah has been alleging that the BJP and RSS has been behind the struggle for ST tag for the community. He has accused the Panchayat Raj minister of Karnataka KS Eshwarappa of trying to get political mileage out of the issue and not using his influence in the government to secure the ST tag for Kurubas. The former CM has challenged Eshwarappa to have the state Cabinet, of which he is a part, pass a recommendation and pass it to the Union Government which is also headed by the BJP.  While Siddaramaiah’s allegation of an RSS hand in the rally could be a contributing factor, a source close to Siddaramaiah confirmed to TNM that he has been put in a tough spot by the Kuruba leaders in the BJP, many of whom are former party colleagues and more importantly, mentees of the Leader of Opposition. If he visibly associates himself with the movement now, no matter what the outcome, Eshwarappa gets the credit and emerges as another power centre in the community.  Read:  The Kuruba demand for inclusion in ST list: The politics and politicking in Karnataka Even invitations for Siddaramaiah to lead the movement now is a trap, the source says. BJP leaders have already left their mark on the movement, with yesterday’s rally being attended by four sitting ministers from the community. So Siddaramaiah getting any credit in case the demand fructifies is minimal.  The BJP has been making several efforts to wean the community away from the Congress since they came back to power in 2019 and of the legislators who abandoned Congress and joined the BJP were Siddaramaiah’s close aides like Byrathi Basavaraj, N Nagaraju (MTB) and R Shankar. In the past, the BJP has also tried to woo the Kurubas by saying they declared Kanakadasa Jayanthi (named after a saint the community follows) a public holiday. But these efforts had not yielded the desired efforts as barring local candidates, the community, as a whole, still looked up to Siddaramaiah as its leader. The ST tag issue is aimed at rectifying that, many believe.  Read: K’taka Min leads state delegation demanding ST status for Kurubas, meets Union MoS Since the 2019 elections, the BJP has been making inroads into a region that has been elusive for the party-Old Mysore Region. So the Kuruba rally is helping them consolidate this effort in districts like Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Tumakuru that have large numbers of Kuruba votes. Siddaramaiah‘s camp believes that if he identifies himself with this rally, it would lend legitimacy to this effort. During his tenure as the Chief Minister, many voices within Congress accused Siddaramaiah as focussing too much on his own community and losing the image of being an AHINDA (acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits in Kannada) leader. Supporting the ST tag for Kurubas, who as OBCs already have 13% reservation, he could further alienate many backward communities who have supported him in the past, sources add.  As questions about his absence grow louder, Siddaramaiah has been attempting damage control- he has repeatedly tried to ‘warn’ Kurubas of the RSS ploy to break the community, which after Lingayats and Vokkaligas, is one of the dominant vote banks in Karnataka. He has also thrown a challenge at Eshwarappa asking why he cannot get both state and Union governments to make the reservation happen and only ‘fooling’ the people with public agitations. But despite these overtures, the issue is surely a double-edged sword for the former Chief Minister. 

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Turahalli tree park row: Bengaluru adventurists bat for controlled access

Environment

The adventure enthusiasts have expressed interest in being a part of a meeting with the state Forest Minister and the residents, which will be held soon.

Prajwal Bhat

Turahalli

Residents living close to the Turahalli forest area in Bengaluru are locked in a tussle with the Karnataka government over its plans to build a tree park in the forest. But amid this opposition, another group says that they are open to exploring the state government's plans. This group, which comprises adventure enthusiasts including cyclists and rock climbers, say that they frequented the forest area in southern Bengaluru for the last 20 years until 2019, when the forest was fenced and entry was restricted. Last week, Sanjay Mohan, Senior IFS officer and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) told TNM that excavators were clearing lantana and thorny bushes to kickstart the construction of the proposed tree park along the lines of 132 other tree parks built in Karnataka. Tree parks are unlike horticulture parks and are established near cities for residents to experience nature and indulge in activities like cycling, yoga and meditation. A section of residents living near the forest are opposed to the 400-acre tree park, which would involve the construction of a walking track and benches for people to sit on. They urged the state government to leave the Turahalli forest area untouched and instead develop the existing 35-acre tree park near the same area.  Residents and conservationists in the area raised alarm about the presence of excavators, and questioned forest authorities about the clearances taken and the work orders issued for the proposed project. They also said that the forest is a nesting ground for peacocks and is home to over 120 species of birds, more than 29 species of butterflies and many species of small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, bees and wasps. The residents are against any activity taking place in the forest area. Read: Residents raise alarm about tree park in Turahalli forest area outside Bengaluru However, others in Bengaluru, including those who have frequented the forest for the last 20 years, say that they are open to the development of the 400-acre tree park 'to a certain extent'. "This issue is nuanced and there are groups that want controlled access to the forest areas. This is a community in Bengaluru which used to regularly hike, climb and cycle here and this stopped in 2019 when the forest department restricted entry into the forest area," said Sohan Pavuluri, who has been climbing at Turahalli for over 10 years. The cycling and climbing activities in Turahalli reduced in 2019, even though the forest department later clarified that there was no ban on entry. But in this time, significant developments took place including the fencing of the forest area. The entry into the forest was debated, and adventure enthusiasts said they were in discussions with local residents and conservationists along with the forest department. "But our voices were drowned out even though climbers have been doing clean-ups in Turahalli for over 20 years. Since 2019, adventure enthusiasts have gradually reduced hiking and climbing in Turahalli," added Sohan.  The adventurists said that forest officials have stopped climbers and cyclists from entering the forest for the last two years. "We watched the apartments come up near the edge of the forest around 2014 and 2015 but before that happened, we would hold clean-ups at Turahalli forest," said Preetham, a cycling enthusiast in Bengaluru. "My contention is that the nature here, the leopards and peacocks here, were disturbed when apartments were built on the edge of the forest. Now, the same residents cannot turn into the guardians of the forest and block access to it," said Dipayan Kanjilal, a climber and cyclist who regularly traversed Turahalli in the past.  He pointed to the Avalahalli tree park near Hesaraghatta outside Bengaluru, as an example of how controlled access to nature can work. Sohan added that the Turahalli forest area is an urban forest with rocks of various sizes. "Most rocks mean so much to climbers that they have their own names," Sohan explains. The area used to be a training ground for rough terrain expeditions and mountain biking. "The state government should definitely not take up any work without clearances but the idea of allowing controlled entry into the forest should be discussed," he added. Residents stated that there is currently no detailed project report (DPR) in public domain for the proposed tree park and have held multiple meetings with the forest department over the issue. They are planning fresh protests this month asking the state government to withdraw its plans. Speaking to TNM on the residents' opposition this week, PCCF Sanjay Mohan indicated that the plan for the tree park may change. Forest Minister Arvind Limbaballi and Minister of Cooperation ST Somashekar will soon hold a meeting with the residents to discuss the tree park. "If the people are not willing to accept it, the plan can be changed. The MLA and the forest minister will hold a meeting to discuss the concerns about the tree park and a decision will be taken," Sanjay Mohan told TNM. The adventure groups have expressed interest in being a part of this meeting as well.  

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Why leopard sightings are on the rise in and near Bengaluru

Wildlife

Fragmentation of their habitat is one of the major reasons cited by both conservationists and officials.

Sanjana Deshpande

Representative Image

Leopard sightings in and around Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka have taken over the headlines for a few days now. In the latest incident, a leopard was sighted near the Bheemanakuppe village in Kengeri. The videos that surfaced were reportedly said to be 15 days old in which an unsuspecting dog falls prey to the leopard. Forest officials had set up food and cage traps to catch the leopard, which eventually helped them capture the visuals of the big cat. And to the relief of the residents, the leopard was caught on Monday morning. The leopard was trapped in a cage that was kept at Kollur and was later rescued by the forest staff. Ravi, the Deputy Range Forest Officer overseeing the case said, “Two cages were set up at a distance of nearly 5 km. The area was being monitored by us twice a day. People were asked to be alert until we caught the leopard.” @DgpKarnataka @BlrCityPolice Please help. Leopard near kengeri, Challegatta on 23rd. Rumors is that there r 3 leopard. pic.twitter.com/drpXpW2yHD — MadhuSudhan (@BM_Madhusudhan) January 26, 2021   This sighting comes just days after a team of forest department captured a leopard from near an apartment off the Begur-Koppa road in the city. Another leopard was sighted inside a tourist spot Brindavan Gardens in Krishna Raja Sagara reservoir in Srirangapatna taluk of Mandya district last Thursday. Another six-month-old leopard was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a ditch in Anechakanahalli village of Mandya district. Meanwhile, a stray dog found itself locked inside a toilet with a leopard for hours last Wednesday in Karnataka’s Bilinele village in the Dakshina Kannada district. The two animals were found inside the toilet by a local resident, she quickly bolted the door and alerted the police. Increased sighting of Leopards The increase in the number of sightings of leopards have worried many residents. Sanjay Mohan, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, in a conversation with TNM, highlighted a few reasons why the sightings of the leopards have increased in the cities. According to Mohan, the environment in the sanctuaries and national parks have been successful in making the animals feel safe. “The animals are leading a better life in national parks we built, they are indulging in breeding which has also contributed in the increase of the number of the leopards,” he said. In addition to that, he said, “During the winter season, the leopards give birth to many cubs. Many leopards foray into the cities in search of food for their young ones which can be viewed as one of the factors that have contributed to the incidents of increased sighting of leopards in the cities.” Citing encroachment of people as one among the major reasons, Mohan opined that the human invasion of the wastelands near the forests have increased the probabilities of a leopard being sighted near residential areas. “The poaching of wild animals has been in control for at least the past couple years now and we are hoping that it remains the same, however encroachment of the wastelands around the forest causes the animals to directly be spotted in the residential complexes,” Mohan said. Joseph Hoover, a conservationist with the United Conservation Movement, says that other kinds of poachings have increased, forcing the leopards out of the forests. “A month ago, there was a leopard near Bengaluru which killed 11 sheep near PES University. Leopards are adaptable and can live in thick forest or on rocky terrain and now we are seeing more. One reason is the fragmentation of their habitat and the second is, people are regularly poaching and killing wild boar and deer which is natural food for leopards. What will the leopards live on? Another reason is leopards are caught and released back into a forest but if there is a leopard already there, then this leopard is pushed out again. There is no space to keep more leopards in zoos either,” he says. Conservationists and environmentalists also say that increased activities in forests and eco-sensitive zones have led to the situation. “The eco-sensitive zones that earlier were 4-5km beyond the forest boundaries have now been reduced to one kilometre to 100 meters in some places. The Karnataka High Court had ordered the forest department officials to form a committee to monitor the eco-sensitive zones. But, they have not undertaken the initiative,” said Bhanu Prakash of Bannerghatta Nature Conservation Trust. He further cited that this reduction of area of eco-sensitive zones have caused the animals to further foray into human settlements. Tackling the increase in sighting When quizzed about what people do in such situations, Mohan said, “The Borivali region in Mumbai used to face the same issue. The residents living beside Sanjay Gandhi national park] would spot a leopard very often and would panic. After multiple sessions of training and awareness programs, the people have learnt to live with it.” Mohan said that the issue was brought upon by excessive encroachment of the wastelands near forests “Programs should be held for the citizens to make them understand leopards. The animal does not need much to hide, it can take shelter behind a bush and attack as well. They usually come in search of food and letting them take up the livestock would be ideal,” he said. He added that leopards don’t attack humans unless provoked. If no harm is caused to the wild animal, it will not cause any harm either, he said. Bhanu Prakash added that if authorities took cognizance of activities like quarrying happening in the areas and formed committees to oversee eco-sensitive zones, these incidents will see a decline.

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If We Want to Defeat Covid, We Need to Boost Medicaid

States often reduce Medicaid benefits during economic downturns. Doing that now could prolong the pandemic.

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Massive rally in Bengaluru by Kuruba community members seeking ST tag

Politics

Former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah, who is also from the Kuruba community, did not attend the rally.

TNM Staff

 A massive rally was held by members of the Kuruba community in Bengaluru on Sunday highlighting their demand for a Scheduled Tribe (ST) tag. The rally began at the Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre in the outskirts of the city on Tumakuru Road and it was attended by thousands of people. The rally was led by a number of seers including Niranjanandapuri Swami of Kaginele Gurupeetha, Eshwarananda Swami and it was also attended by political leaders cutting across party lines like R Shankar, MTB Nagaraju, KS Eshwarappa, AH Vishwanath, Bandeppa Kashempur. Kuruba ST Horata Samiti president K Virupakshappa was also present at the rally. But former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah did not attend the rally. The absence of the senior leader raised questions about his stance on the protest. The seers and political leaders urged the Union government to include Kurubas in the ST list. Before this, religious leaders had held a padayatra from Kaginele to Bengaluru, a distance of 340 km from January 15 to February 4. The crowd disrupted the traffic on the Mumbai-Chennai national highway and traffic police stated that many people who took part in the rally had parked their vehicles on the road, adding to the problems of commuters.  The rally comes at a time when members of the Vokkaliga community and the Panchamasali community are also seeking reservation from the state government. The Karnataka government on Friday referred the demands of the Panchamasali community to the Karnataka Backward Class commission in a bid to contain their anger.   

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Bengaluru riots case: Prime accused former Corporator Zakir granted bail

Bengaluru riots case

Abdul Rakeeb Zakir is named one of the accused in the DJ Halli violence case, in the interim report by the CCB.

TNM Staff

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The Karnataka High Court granted bail to former Pulaleshinagar Corporator Abdul Rakeeb Zakir on Friday, February 6, in the Bengaluru riots case that took place in August 2020. The former Congress leader was named as an accused in the interim chargesheet by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) on October 12, 2020.  Zakir had approached the High Court after the trial court denied him bail. In his bail application, Zakir had argued that he was not involved in an arson attack on Pulakeshinagar MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy's house. Justice John Micheal Cunha, who was hearing his case, granted him conditional bail. Zakir was ordered to not only co-operate with the investigation but also was barred from leaving the court’s jurisdiction without prior permission. Zakir, who was absconding since October, was arrested by the Central Crime Branch of Bengaluru Police on December 2, 2020. He was the one of the prime accused in the DJ Halli and KJ Halli violence case that took place on August 11, 2020, over a controversial social media post put up by Naveen P, the nephew of Srinivas Murthy. Zakir was produced before a Magistrate and the CCB sought police custody for interrogation. A crowd of at least 2,000 people, reportedly enraged over a post derogatory to the Muslim community, had set the MLA and his sister’s house ablaze. The incident left four people dead and over 60 police personnel injured. the state’s Revenue Minister R Ashoka had claimed that the mob had all the materials to incite violence and had reportedly planned to move to Shivajinagar. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) started investigating the case following orders from the Ministry of Home Affairs. NIA reportedly found airguns, pellets, sharp weapons and many Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Popular Front of India (PFI)-related incriminating documents from their Bengaluru base. The NIA also arrested members of the SDPI and PFI in connection with the case. Along with Zakir, former Mayor Sampath Raj is also a prime accused in the case and was arrested by the CCB. His arrest had led to Zakir’s arrest. The two of them were in hiding at Nagarhole.

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Pro-Kannada outfits damage Tamil posters for Sasikala outside Bengaluru resort

Protest

The posters in Tamil were vandalised on Sunday night, just hours ahead of VK Sasikala’s departure to Chennai.

TNM Staff

PTI

Members of various pro-Kannada organisations on Sunday removed the signboards of VK Sasikala, which were put up outside the resort in Bengaluru where she was quarantined after her release from the jail. The posters were in Tamil, which reportedly prompted the activists to vandalise it.  Sasikala, who was the close aide of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, was released from the Parappana Agrahara jail in Bengaluru on January 27. She was convicted in the disproportionate asset case. She was receiving treatment in hospital for COVID-19 but deferred her return until she finished her quarantine in Bengaluru. She is on her way to Chennai. In a video posted on Twitter, the pro-Kannada activists can be seen chanting praises for Kannada, demanding that Kannada should be mandatorily spoken in the state. The activists vandalised and took down the posters while chanting, “Beku beku, Kannada beku (we want Kannada to be spoken).”   Pro Kannada organizations take down posters of Sasikala in front of the resort where she's put up in Bangalore. Posters were in Tamil. @IndiaToday pic.twitter.com/lmzLh9iEly — Nagarjun Dwarakanath (@nagarjund) February 7, 2021   Members of different pro-Kannada outfits, wearing yellow-red scarves, reportedly turned up outside the resort on Sunday night, just ahead of Sasikala’s departure to Chennai on Monday morning. Identities of the groups involved are not known. "She came out of jail after sentence and staying here. But putting Tamil boards here when she's about to go back today is wrong," a protester told ANI.    Karnataka: Pro-Kannada organisation members removed Tamil signboards near resort where AIADMK leader Sasikala is staying, in Bengaluru "She came out of jail after sentence & staying here. But putting Tamil boards here when she's about to go back today is wrong," says a protester pic.twitter.com/5pVqzQ5219 — ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2021   Recently, a pro-Kannada group had gathered outside the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) in Bengaluru, demanding that no other language films should release in Karnataka because Darshan’s film Roberrt was facing release issue in Andhra Pradesh. In another incident, a few pro-Kannada activists, including Vatal Nagaraj, had staged a protest at Mysore Bank Circle against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s tweet, where he said that his government will incorporate Marathi-speaking areas of Karnataka into Maharashtra. Pro-Marathi activists had entered Belagavi with their respective flags on Thursday. In retaliation, the pro-Kannada activists took off to Maharashtra’s Shinoli town at the border to hoist a Kannada flag. The activists, who were planning to plant Karnataka’s flag at Shinoli, were taken into custody by the Belagavi police.

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