by Anisa Fathima, Daijiworld.com, Mangalore
March 18, 2007
If the week before was full of happy happenings, this week was a total contrast. The sad demise of spiritual preacher Ramachandra Bhat Nettar known as ‘Puttur Ajja’ saddened his devotees, the shocking news of the discovery of the body of a Spanish scientist in Beltangady raised many a question about foreign tourists’ safety in the region.
Another sad news was the death of two persons in a ghastly accident that also seriously injured two more. Perhaps the only news that brought some relief from all these tragedies was the announcement of Pustak Awards by the Konkani Sahitya Academy and the acceptance of the blueprint of airport at Byndoor by the district commissioner. End of the week saw another protest against Nagarjuna Power Plant in the form of a National Highway bundh which caused inconvenience to bus commuters.
'Puttur Ajja' Ramchandra Bhat No More
Beltangady: Spanish Scientist's Mysterious Death Reported - Murder Suspected
Mangalore: Car-Lorry Collision Leaves Two Dead on Spot - Pics
Mangalore: Fr Alwyn, Ancy Paladka among ‘Konkani Pustak’ Awardees
Udupi: New Airport to Come up at Ottinene - Blueprint Approved
Udupi: National Highway 17 Bundh Successful - Images
Woman in Naxal Nexus Netted
The anti-Naxal operations in the region received a fillip when the squad arrested a woman who was suspected to be involved in Naxal activities for long. On interrogation, she is supposed to have admitted her involvement with the Naxals for past few years.
Though it is good that we have anti-Naxal squads, it is disappointing that the administration, not just here but throughout the country where Naxalism exists, has failed to identify the root cause of the problem. The existing poverty, unemployment and closure of industries like KIOCL which has taken away the source of livelihood from the villagers have contributed to the rise in Naxal activities as well as increase in number of people joining these groups.
The arrested woman has studied only up to standard third; if she had been provided free education by the government her life would have been different. Along with keeping a check on their activities, the government should also take steps to address their concerns and seek a solution. Easier said than done, but it has to be tried.
Kundapur: Arrested Naxalite Identified, Produced in Court
Kundapur: Arrested Chennamma's Police Custody Extended by Two Days
Guests at ‘Host’el
Of late government hostels have been under the scanner for various reasons from poor hygiene to cases of suicide. This is probably what led zilla panchayat president Sushma Janardhan to raid the boys’ hostel at Kadri here which incidentally led to some surprising (or may be expected) discoveries.
Most of the students are not studying but working, and some of them attend school in the morning and work rest of the day. That’s not all, even those who are eligible to stay in the hostel live there while some come to stay overnight. This is a sorry state of affairs and it is well that the raid was conducted. So far we had seen poor maintenance of such hostels, but now the sorry state of affairs has spilled on to even the way they are managed. The administration should not stop at this; it should make sure that not only the management pays for it, but also that the students go to school full time and those who are not eligible to stay do not continue their illicit activities.
Mangalore: ZP President Raids Hostel - Irregularities Come to Light
Mother’s Love Lost
A very sad incident took place in the city when a mother abandoned her five-year-old mentally challenged girl near a mosque here. The girl was found by locals who informed the police who in turn took the child to Lady Goschen hospital. The mother was not to be found.
There can be several reasons for this. First, that the mother could not manage the mentally challenged child nor could she ask anyone to take care of her and hence thought it best to abandon her. Second, the fact that the child is a girl could also be a reason. The bias against female children is still prevalent especially in the financially backward communities who cannot afford to marry off their daughters. However, no reason is good enough to abandon a child – if the mother found it so difficult to look after her, she should have handed her over to some NGO that looks after children. This is not the first such case; hence there is an urgent need to create awareness among mothers to look after mentally challenged children.
Mangalore: Mother Abandons Mentally-challenged Girl Child
Train Gained for Taking Pain
It was a historic day for the Byndoor Railway Struggle Committee when the Central Railway Board passed the order to halt the trains that pass along the Konkan Railway at Byndoor.
The news comes as a great relief to many who had been struggling for many years to get the order passed. Byndoor is a developing place and with the blueprint of airport being approved, the place has a lot of potential to grow. For those who travel by trains, it was a cumbersome exercise to move elsewhere to catch the Konkan trains. Now with the passing of this order, the locals will have reasons to rejoice. The move will also benefit people who visit the famous Kollur Temple and in turn boost tourism also. The prolonged struggle by the committee has once again proved that it is possible to do anything with undying determination and perseverance.
Mangalore: Konkan Railway Trains to Stop at Byndoor
Jail Inmates to Use Phones, Officially
Jailed persons will no more feel ‘prisoners,’ with the proposal to upgrade the jail and providing telephone facility to the inmates.
Though there may be instances of jail inmates using mobile phones illegally, now their task is made easier with the telephone lines. However, the jail authorities have to be extra careful here, with easy access to the outside world, criminals will leave no stone unturned to find ways to get out of the jails or plan some heinous crime. It therefore becomes very essential to make sure that the facility is not misused and that every call is monitored. All said, it is a humanely act to give this facility to the inmates who are otherwise cut off from the world. For those who are jailed without valid evidence (many of them are) it will be a tool to help gather proof of their innocence with the help of family and friends. For others, it will be a consolation to hear the voices of their loved ones.
Mangalore: Jail Inmates to Get Telephone Facility
Permanently Disconnected
While jail inmates are rejoicing on being connected with the world, the student community is angry for being disconnected. This is because much to the chagrin of most students, the Mangalore University decided to ban the use of mobile phones in all its affiliated colleges.
Though many of the colleges have rules against the use of mobile phones during class hours, this rule is hardly ever followed and most colleges never take strict action even in case of violation. Now with the official ban from the University, it might become easier to take control of the situation. However, unless a blanket ban is out in to force, the rules will still be broken. The use of cell phones has created a nuisance in classrooms and most students are so engrossed in messaging that they seem oblivious to even the teacher’s presence. Unauthorised clicking of photos especially of girls is another nuisance. Campuses survived even before the entry of mobile phones so there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be banned. However, students will be students and so it will be better to have network jammers in all corners of the colleges so that mobiles are used only outside and not within the campus.
Mangalore: Mobile Phones Banned in Colleges
Meanwhile, some of the proactive citizens and social work students decided to take matters in their own hands and staged a protest demanding the eviction of an illegally-run liquor shop.
It is well known fact that liquor is the root cause for most social evils, from poverty to domestic violence. Illegally-run liquor shops accentuate the problem even further by making liquor easily available at lower price. It is commendable that MSW students, the social workers of tomorrow, are bringing together the neighbourhood community to raises their voices against the shop. The authorities seem to be still deaf and blind to their pleas, probably because there’s a greasy hand behind it all. Apart from setting an example to people in other areas of the city, the protests have also given a hands-on experience of fighting for people’s rights to the MSW students.
Mangalore: Residents Demand Eviction of Liquor Shop at Mangaladevi
That was quite an eventful week, with much of tragic news, some good news, along with news that disappointed some and made others happy. It will be interesting to wait and watch the aftermath of ban on mobile phones in campuses and arrest of the Naxal woman. Till then, its goodbye!
Anisa Fathima
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