by Anisa Fathima
March 25, 2007
The week began on a high note with celebrated Bollywood music composer and singer Shankar Mahadevan making Mangaloreans literally dance to his tunes at a live show in Nehru Maidan here. Meanwhile, animals of the deep jungle continued to be fascinated by their more ‘civilised’ counterparts as yet another forest animal in the form of a wild cat, which was incidentally mistaken for a bear thus creating chaos, was captured while it was peacefully resting on a tree. Thankfully, it was released in to the forest and not jailed in a zoo. It was a tense week for SSLC students began their examinations amidst squads to check malpractice comprising of several officials. The Jagannath Rath Yathra by ISKCON saw devotees from all over the world gather in the city towards the end of the week.
Mangalore: City Dances to Mahadevan’s Tune
Udupi: Wild Cat Mistaken for Bear, Creates Sensation at Yermal
Mangalore: SSLC Exam Moods Caught on Lens
Udupi: ISKCON Jagannath Rath Yatra Held in City - Pics
‘Petrol’ling LPG
With sky-rocketing petrol prices, many have resorted to using gas cylinders in their vehicles. This has sparked off concern in the state food and civil supplies department with the minister directing his officials to deal with the matter stringently.
If the government cannot seek a solution to the rising prices of petrol, the citizens will themselves find a way out. LPG cylinders are not only cost efficient, but also last a longer time. Instead of cracking the whip on those who use LPG in their vehicles, the government should legalise its use keeping in mind the need of the public. It might be risky to use cylinders on the move; hence, vehicle manufacturers must step in to solve this problem. Auto rickshaws have been permitted to use LPG cylinders, so why not other vehicles? Probably because the government will lose a lot in terms of revenue from petrol. On the other hand, large number of vehicles using LPG cylinders would result in a shortage and affect households, which would definitely be a matter of concern.
Mangalore: Misuse of Domestic LPG to be Severely Dealt with
Perseverant Police
Last week, the police had found the missing Spaniard after a thorough, determined search. Now they proved their worth yet again by solving the mysterious murder of a financier six years ago. The case had been incidentally closed due to lack of evidence but was reopened by inspector Venkatesh Prasanna who arrested the prime accused recently.
Yet another example of what perseverance can do. This is not the first time that a case has been after it was thought to be hopeless. Yet it is quite surprising that despite having the culprits in custody all these years, the police failed to get anything out of them regarding the case. We definitely need more people like Venkatesh Prasanna in the police who leave no stone unturned to find the perpetrators of crime. There is no crime that cannot be solved, and the police would do well to keep it in mind.
Mangalore: Six-year-old Murder Case Solved - One Held
A Deep Plunge to Death
It was a tragic week for six different families who lost their sons in the beaches of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts in different incidents. Two of the victims were from north India, and another was an engineer from Mysore while two others were pilgrims from Dharwad and another was a fisherman, an unlikely victim of deadly waves.
It is a peculiar coincident that all the victims, except the fisherman who perished in the deep sea, were from other distant places. The beaches are perhaps a fascination to them just as snow would be us. As a result, they put all caution to wind and plunge in to the saline water without realising the danger in doing so. Despite having caution and warning boards at Panambur, not many give any attention to them, and the attitude is ‘it’s not for me because nothing will happen to me.’ Instead merely putting up signs, we should have lifeguards on duty who would be available anytime. Most of the time is the fishermen or lookers-on who take up the rescue mission. A professional swimmer would save many a life in such situations.
Udupi: Kin Claim Bodies of Two Haryana Students Drowned at Kaup
Beltangady: Two Pilgrims Drown at Dharmasthala
Mangalore: Engineer from Mysore Drowns at Panambur Beach
Kundapur: Fisherman Drowns near Gangolli Estuary
Burden of Load-shedding?
Students have enough burden over their head with exams coming up or many already answering them and here we have MESCOM bent on increasing their ‘load’ by cutting off power supply in the evenings. The protests going on against the load shedding haven’t had much affect so far and MESCOM has even made MCC seem ‘power’less by refusing its plea to show some mercy on the student community.
The city may be developing at a face rate, but it lacks the most vital ingredient – power – to help it grow economically. Frequent power cuts are a bane to industry. However the problem seems to go deeper here. It almost looks as if the entire power cut issue is being manipulated so as to gain backing from the public to go ahead with Nagarjuna and other power projects that have been on the receiving end from various quarters. How else will you explain power cuts on every evening, just when students are about to study? This will ensure that people realize the need for a power plant in the region. At the end, in all the politics involved, it is the common people who have to suffer, especially the students who work hard all year only to be let down by MESCOM.
Mangalore: Protest Staged against Irregular Supply of Electricity
Moral Values v/s Sex Education
While students buried themselves in books, members of local unit of Student Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) led a protest against CBSE Board of Education’s decision to introduce sex education in schools from VI standard.
The protestors did have a point or two to make which indeed is worth taking serious note of. First, the kind of syllabus that has been drafted, and second, what exactly should be the goal in implementing the rule. The syllabus drafted is reportedly not meant for 11-year-old kids and instead of having a positive impact, it might backfire by instilling all the wrong thoughts in the tiny tots while also making parents weary of sending their little girls to schools. Secondly, the goal here should be to prevent the act of sex altogether, and not merely preaching practice of safer sex. This might give the idea that premarital sex is fine provided it is safe, which is totally against the societal as well as religious norms followed in our country. Moral education is the need of the hour, a teaching that educates and also warns the young of the consequences.
Mangalore: Stress on Moral Values, Not Sex Education - SIO
The week was a mixed bag – while the frequent power cuts frustrated us even more than our cricket team’s dismal performance at the World Cup, the death of six people due to drowning left us aghast. It remains to be seen if MESCOM will do anything about power cuts in the days ahead. Will we have another visitor from the wild next week?
Wait and watch!
Anisa Fathima
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Anisa Fathima - from 'Exclusive Archives'