By Anisa Fathima
April 8, 2007
The week was brimming with events. While the grandeur of Krishi Mela gave us a glimpse of our treasure-trove of agriculture and proved to be an important initiative for farmers, the self-help groups also found ‘Nava Kundotsava’ a good platform to exhibit their wares. Meanwhile, the evergreen Bollywood actress Hema Malini along with daughters Esha and Ahana Deol graced Subrahmanya and Kollur Temples of DK and Udupi districts amid media glare. Thieves were busy yet again and this time made away with cash and ornaments worth more than Rs 6 lac that too in broad daylight from a house in Karkala.
Mangalore: CM Attends ‘Krishi Mela’ Concluding Ceremony - Pictures
Kundapur: ‘Nava Kundotsava’ Gets off to a Colourful Start
Kundapur: Hema Malini Visits Kollur Temple with Family
Karkala: Daylight Theft of Rs 6 Lac-plus Valuables from Tellar House
Promises, Promises!
The newly-opened Patrika Bhavan had its first press conference addressed by none other the mayor herself. As expected, promises were a galore, and at the end of it one was actually made to feel good about all the developments about to be witnessed in our dear old city.
Now wait a minute. All those roads and markets have not yet happened. On the contrary we were happily informed that the already tormented citizens will have to suffer some more – the road between Hampankatta and Jyoti here which was supposed to have been opened to traffic on March 31, will not be host to scurrying commuters till May 10 (hopefully). On the other hand, it was nice to know that the city will have more concrete roads and bustling markets, though no one knows when all these projects will be implemented (and then we have to wait patiently till they get completed also). Cheers to the ‘patient’ Mangaloreans, who are so not just in character, but also become one thanks to the potholed roads!
Mangalore: Mayor Promises More Markets, Concrete Roads for City
MES‘SED’COM…!
Talking of development, er… it doesn’t look like the authorities think having uninterrupted power supply is prerequisite to development. But the residents of Kavoor and Panjimogaru led by DYFI were bent on making MESCOM realise that it was established to SUPPLY power and not to cut it off.
Oh, so what if the heat of summer has us sweating and panting? So what if students are answering career-deciding exams? So what if we are forced to spend sleepless nights in the company of mosquitoes? That’s our problem, MESCOM need not bother. Power cuts have become a part and parcel of our life these days, and numerous protests in this regard have failed to spark any change in the state of affairs. However, contrary to DYFI’s stand against privatisation of MESCOM, it would benefit the public if the company is privatised, for not only would it be better managed, but we may also expect a better service. Until then, we will continue to sing praises of how the city is developing, de-light-fully!
Mangalore: Load Shedding - Kavoor MESCOM Office Picketed
Mild Concern for Wildlife
Visits from the wild have become so frequent these days that sometimes you wonder if there is some kind of invisible forest around us that only leopards and apes can see! It is a sad fact that we are losing so many members of the wild species because of our inability to handle these creatures with care and our apathy towards preserving our forests. The week saw another leopard that had wandered in to a farm being captured by the forest department only to meet its end later.
It is a terrible thing to see our wildlife on the verge of extinction. Almost every fortnight we have had some or the other creature making its way to town, and most of the cases, the animal has met a sad end at the hands of the forest department officials. The question is, why do these animals leave their natural habitat and wander in to forest? The answer may be in search of prey, and the resultant death may be out of starvation coupled with doses of tranquilisers used on them by the captors. It is time the authorities took notice of this issue and held inquiries as to the state of our wildlife. If not pretty soon we would literally be telling, ‘it’s a jungle out there’ about our own backyards!
Beltangady: Leopard Captured near Shibaje Dies En route to Mangalore
Tippers Turn Terminators
It is not just the wildlife that is in danger. Tippers, lorries and buses have played havoc on their lesser-sized counterparts on the roads. Their drivers not just over-speed but also seem to think that all the roads belong to them and anyone who trespasses is not prosecuted, but executed.
How many drivers of these tippers, lorries or buses are made to pay for their reckless driving? Their licenses may be seized but hardly ever are they convicted. Numerous deaths have been occurring due to badly driven tippers. Also, such vehicles often carry heavy stuff like lead rods etc without proper protection causing danger to other commuters. The way buses, lorries and tippers go, one lives in constant fear of meeting with an accident at the hands of merciless drivers. Probably the only solution is a public outcry against such recklessness. The victim’s family should pursue the case and make sure the culprit is brought to book.
Mangalore: Speeding Tipper Knocks Rider Down
Bajpe: Accident in Maravoor Kills One Person
Ban on Bandhs
Meanwhile, the youth are taking the responsibility to make the society better. The MSW students under Sparsha Youth Counselling submitted a memorandum to the chief minister requesting a ban on bandhs.
The student community is perhaps the most affected by bandhs, after daily wagers. Not in terms of classes lost which later results in extra classes during revision holidays, but also in terms of food shortage to hostel students and safety concerns. Most of the times, the students are unable to go home too, thus raising anxiety in parents. It is commendable that students who are normally thought to look for every opportunity to be away from classes, actually collected signatures from 20,000 other students before submitting the memorandum to the CM. It is to be seen what comes out of this move; there is no dearth of people waiting to put normal life on hold, so we will soon get to see what the government does in this regard. For now, let’s keep our hopes minimum.
Bangalore: DK Students' Delegation Demands Ban on Bandhs in District
Teacher Tantrum
It is that time of the year when teachers suddenly realize how ill they have been treated by the government. This week, the evaluators of Social Science and Mathematics papers of SSLC examinations were at loggerheads with each demanding dearness allowance and more number of days to correct the papers.
Teachers are perhaps one of the most overworked and underpaid professionals. They work round the year, and while students enjoy holidays, they spend most of the summer vacation either evaluating papers or demanding their rights. Their responsibility is great – the careers of lacs of students depend on them. Often students miss out on marks due to evaluation mistakes, and the teacher is heavily fined. The stress therefore is immense – to correctly evaluate lacs of papers in a week’s time for a meagre amount is no child’s play. However, they must also make sure that students do not suffer due to late results. In fact, the handwriting of some of the students is enough to drive anyone crazy – the government ought to pay more!
Mangalore: DA Row - Teachers Boycott SSLC Answer Paper Evaluation
Mangalore: Teachers Demand More Time to Evaluate Extra Papers
Train before Rain?
And then there was the happy news that rekindled our hopes of going to Hassan on a hundred tyres, that is, the train. MP D V Sadanand Gowda is to be believed, we will be well on our way to realising this dream by next month.
The heart wants to believe, the mind says no - it has happened several times before and every time our hopes have vanished in to thin air, or rather, smoked out. Landslides are to be blamed, they say. Well, it might be so, but we all know the real politics behind it too, don’t we? The bus owners (read politicians) will lose a lot if the trains are introduced. Nevertheless, hoping against hope that train service will indeed be begun next week, it will also boost our hopes for Mangalore-Bangalore train which seems far from chugging off.
Mangalore-Hassan Train Service before Monsoons
The week was important for another reason – after 21 years Brahmakalashotsava was held at Kateel, and it was no small affair, with the chief minister himself gracing the occasion.
As expected for events of this magnitude, the preparations went on for several days, keeping the media also busy. The result was for all to witness and cherish – a grand display of festivities coupled with spiritual awakening. The manner in which it was all organised was commendable, despite the presence of a huge crowd. The coastal region has become the hub of spiritual activities and the centre of all blessings for rich and poor alike. From actors to cricketers to commoners, everyone flocks the coastal districts to either amend for their deeds to have better fortune or to thank the divine being for the blessings bestowed on them. Religious events of this kind will also bring in more people from across the state, therefore boosting tourism.
Mangalore: CM Attends Brahmakalashotsava at Kateel - Pics
What a happening week that was! Next week promises even more, with events like air show scheduled for April 8. See you next week with much more from in around the coastal districts.
Anisa Fathima
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