MANGALORE TODAY - FEBRUARY 2018 MANGALORE TODAY - FEBRUARY 2018 Publisher and Editor V. U. GEORGE Executive Editor MAHESH NAYAK Associate Editor JAYASHREE SUDHIR Senior Reporter SATYA

MANGALORE TODAY - MAY 20181



WWWWW O R D S WO R D S WO R D S WO R D S WO R D S W O RO RO RO RO R T HT HT HT HT H““““““ ””””””

PPPPPOWEROWEROWEROWEROWER POINTPOINTPOINTPOINTPOINTP

ICT

UR

E O

F T

HE

MO

NT

H

“The legal profession is a

service oriented

profession and not a

business”Supreme Court judge Justice Abdul Nazeer at

a book launch function.

“Society always wishes

to watch quality movies.

There is no dearth of

viewers for good and

interesting movies”Sadananda Suvarna, veteran theatre

personality and film maker at the inaugural of

Nitte International Film Festival in the city.

“The dictators in the

history of the world

always had a pathetic

end. But when they

rule, innocent lay down

their lives”

noted actor Prakash Rai at Democracy

Day programme organised in the city.

Pedalling for Success: Unlike his counterparts who arrived by processions to file their nominations, Mangaluru North MLA and

Congress candidate B A Moidin Bava chose the other way round by cycling all the way to the office of the Electoral Officer.

“People who put

institution ahead of

themselves have always

progressed faster than

the ones who put

themselves ahead”Bhasker Bhat, Managing Director, Titan

Company Ltd at the 32nd annual convocation

of TAPMI.

“The apathy among urban

electorate is on the rise,

and even one person’s

apathy towards our

democratic right to vote

will have a cascading

effect on who represents

us in the state assembly

and whether he/she will be

the voice of voters”

renowned limerick poet H Dundiraj at a

multi-language poets’ meet on voter

awareness.


Publisher and Editor

V. U. GEORGE

Executive Editor

MAHESH NAYAK

Associate Editor

JAYASHREE SUDHIR

Senior Reporter

SATYA REDDY

Special Correspondents

ESHWAR SUNDARESAN (Bangalore)

HARSHA D’SOUZA (Mangalore)

RAMESH S PERLA (Mangalore)

ADOLPH LOBO (Dubai)

MADHUSUDAN KUMAR (Mumbai)

Contributors

Prof. NARENDRA NAYAK

I. J. SALDANHA SHET

SRINIVASAN NANDAGOPAL

V MOHAN RAO

BHAMY V. SHENOY

Production & Marketing

SHASHIDHARA AMIN

JAGADISH PAI (BENGALURU)

Copy Desk

POOJA

RASHMI SANTHOSH

Contributing Photographers

RAMACHANDRA BHAT

PRASHANTH NAYAK

Editorial, marketing & correspondence office:

26, Venkatramana Building,Temple Square,

Car Street, Mangaluru 575 001

Phone: 0824-2492549, Mobile: 98455 24558

E-mail: [email protected]

Edited and published by

V.U.George, Mangalore Today,

26, Venkatramana Building, Temple Square,

Car Street, Mangaluru 575 001

Printed by V U George at Prakash Offset Printers,

Plot # 164, Industrial Area, Baikampadi,

Mangaluru 575 011

Views and opinions expressed in individual articles

are those of the writers and need not necessarily

reflect the opinions of MANGALORE TODAY.

All disputes and legal proceedings are subject

to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent

courts and forums in MANGALURU only.

VOL 22 ISSUE 3 MAY 2018

Time to Vote

Come May 12, 2018 when the

people of Karnataka will go to vote

to choose a ‘Party’ to power in the state.

But with the way the political scene has

been shaping up over the past few

months both in state and national,

political analysts have been keeping a

hawk’s eye on the Karnataka Election-

2018.

The 2018 Assembly election in

Karnataka is being pitched as a direct

battle between incumbent Chief

Minister Siddaramaiah of the Congress

Party and BJP’s BS Yeddyurappa,

former Chief Minister of

Karnataka.Yeddyurappa had to resign

when he was indicted in a corruption

scandal.

Former Lokayukta of Karnataka, Justice

N. Santosh Hegde, who had severely

indicted B.S. Yeddyurappa, is

“saddened” that the BJP has nominated

him as its CM candidate.

Since 1994, the Dakshina Kannada,

Udupi, Uttara Kannada and

Chikmagaluru districts, comprising the

state’s coastal region, have contributed

a big quota of BJP MLAs. In 2004, the

BJP won 14 of the 24 seats in these

districts (out of a total of 224 in the state

legislature), while the Congress

managed to win just five. In a reverse

effect, the Congress won 14 and the

BJP five in the 2013 Assembly election.

EEEEEDITDITDITDITDITOROROROROR’’’’’SSSSS EDGEEDGEEDGEEDGEEDGE

However, the BJP won all three

parliamentary constituencies of the four

districts in 2014.

Of all regions, coastal Karnataka is the

hottest and the most interesting to

watch in this election. This time, all of

the sitting Congress MLAs have been

re-nominated. But in the BJP, there is a

high degree of heartburn with new

faces snatching the tickets. However,

activists are bullish that the coast will

reject the politics of minority

appeasement and will vote for the BJP.

While the congress party men are over-

confident of a hat-trick of repeating the

victory of the previous election.

The BJP has also been heavily criticized

for the demonetization drive and the

implementation of GST. And in

Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts,

communal politics, stirred up by party

workers, has not gone down well with

the locals.

Will the ‘flower power’ be able to bend

and break the Congress digits or will

Congress manage to forcefully snap off

the BJP petals?

As for the minor parties- will the

octogenarian JD(S) honcho and former

PM, HD Deve Gowda finally find his

place in the sun as the kingmaker or is

he planning to pass on his baton to his

grandson, Prajwal Revanna and keep

dynastic politics alive?


n COVER STORY ..... 14

Reactions ...................................... 6

Wordzworth .................................. 7

Editorial ......................................... 8

City Politix ..................................... 9

DK Diary ..................................... 10

Column ....................................... 12

Opinion ....................................... 25

Reminiscence ............................. 27

Profile .......................................... 28

Poetic License ............................ 33

Picturesque ................................. 34

Happenings ................................ 38

Nostalgia ..................................... 47

Random Thoughts ...................... 48

Humour ....................................... 50

Kids ............................................. 52

City Information ........................... 54

News Briefs ................................. 56

People ......................................... 58

n OPNION 44

n FEATURE 36

CCCCCONTENTSONTENTSONTENTSONTENTSONTENTS

A unique Bharatanatyam recital on the

Biblical themes of faith, hope and love

shown by Jesus Christ himself to

mankind, writes I J Saldanha-Shet.

‘Kristha Patha’

Bharathanatyam

based on Bible

The high profile loot of

Public Sector BanksStrict pecuniary action needs to be

taken against all responsible for the

mind boggling loss as this is not a

peccadillo, writes V Mohan Rao


RRRRREAEAEAEAEACTIONCTIONCTIONCTIONCTION

nMangaluru Today cover story on Unity

Health Complex and its Visionary

Chairman Dr C P Habeeb Rahman was

inspiring. Dr Rahman's life and his

achievements are exemplary examples of

how an individual who has a zeal and

perseverance can earn success in life.

UMESH KAMATH, Mumbai

n'Doctor with a grand vision," this title

aptly suits Dr C P Habeeb Rahman whose

great leadership qualities and acumen have

helped Unity Health Complex rise to

greater heights.

VIVEK RAJ, Mangaluru

nUnity Health Complex is one of the

pioneering healthcare institutions of the

region known for its quality services.

The thousands and thousands of patients

who have undergone treatment here

have words of praise for the great

services offered at the hospital

RIYAZ AHMED, Mangaluru

nNo wealth is greater than Health

which is vital for an individual to

achieve progress in life. Contributing

towards a healthier society is

Mangaluru's renowned Unity Health

Complex with its finest healthcare

services keeping the interests of

patients uppermost in mind.

KARUNAKAR P., Mangaluru

HOT PROPERTIES IN MANGALORE

22 cents land for sale

near Padil Main Road

in Mangalore city

Rs.13 Lakh per cent

1000sft. 2BHK apartment for

sale at Konchady-Derebail

Mangalore.

Price: Rs. 32 Lakhs

CONTACT: 9880616670 / 0824-2492549

1 acre land for Sale

near to Kaikamba

bridge, Vamanjoor,

Mangalore

Price: 75 Lakhs

CORRECTION:

The family photo in the article ‘God’s

Own Country-Kerala’ pertains to the

extended family of Mr & Mrs. V.

Mohan Rao and not his family. The

error is regretted.

nKarnataka Bank, one of the premier

private sector banks of our nation, has a

place of pride in the heart of its customers.

The various banking products as well as

its customer centric approach have made it

a most friendly bank for the customers.

Mahabaleshwara M S, the MD of

Karnataka Bank is an experienced banker

whose wealth of experience would be

greatly beneficial in bringing much more

success for the bank.

RICHARD LOBO, Mangaluru

nMotorbikes are meant only for men? Gone

are those days.Gutsy ladies are taking up

bike riding with gusto. They have proved

they can take the road less travelled.

SUSHIL KUMAR, Mangaluru

nA visit to Kerala will always be a fulfilling

experience. The beauty of nature in this

land is mesmerizing. Thankful to V Mohan

Rao for a good write-up on his visit to God's

Own Country. I too have an ardent wish to

visit this place in the near future.

EDWIN D’SOUZA, Mangaluru

nA mention of the Konkani cultural field

in the coastal region would be incomplete

without a mention of Eric Ozario, the

Gurkar of Mandd Sobhann. His biography

'The indefatigable crusader' by Royston

Fernandes provides an insight into the life

and achievements of this great personality.

LAVINA D’SILVA, Mangaluru

nEveryone wants to be happy in life. But

happiness seems to be eluding many

however hard they try. Happiness is a state

of mind which we can achieve provided

we follow certain guidelines. "The Way to

Happiness'' write-up is an eye-opener.

ARVIND NAYAK, Bengaluru

nMangaluru has a lot of expectations from

Bhasker Moily who took charge as Mayor

from Kavitha Sanil who had an eventful

tenure. Every city has its own share of

problems and Mangaluru too is no

exception. Mayor Bhasker Moily has to

live upto the expectations of the people who

by and large were happy with the style of

functioning of Kavitha who through her pro-

active approach had won the confidence of

the people. A request to the Mayor to kindly

take note of some of the gaping holes on

footpath stone slabs which are missing at

many places. They are extremely dangerous

particularly during night time and more so

whenever there is a power breakdown.

PREM KUMAR, Mangaluru

nIt is really good to know that the old

building of the erstwhile Mangaluru

Municipality will be restored and developed

into a historical monument as part of the

Smart City Project. A welcome move. The

City has to preserve its heritage structures

for the posterity, lest it will be left with a

mere concrete jungle.

AJITH SHETTY, Mangaluru



EEEEEDITDITDITDITDITORIALORIALORIALORIALORIAL

The election slated to be

held on May 12 is just a few

days away. Ever since the poll

dates were announced, life has

never been as usual both for

politicians and general public.

The innumerous guidelines in

the name of election model

code of conduct have proved

to be testing times with some

politicians too raising voices

against the too many

restrictions.

As many as five flying

squads, 33 static surveillance

teams, five excise teams and 24 video

surveillance teams are active in the district

to ensure there is no poll code violation.

Still there have been nearly nine violation

cases. So far the total seized unaccounted

cash is Rs 3 lakh while as many as 149

excise law violation cases have been filed

in Dakshina Kannada district.

The election scenario or more

particularly the election arrangements

scenario has seen a vast change over the

years. Due emphasis is now being laid on

voter awareness and to increase the voting

percentage in the district. Young voters

too are sensitized on how each vote counts

and can prove crucial. Several programmes

aimed at encouraging voters to exercise

their franchise are being organised and more

are on the pipeline.

There has been an 11% increase in the

number of voters in Dakshina Kannada as

compared to the figures in 2013. As per

the final voters list, there are 16,67,194

voters in the district as against 15,01,024

voters during the 2013 elections. The

number of young voters too has seen a rise.

If there were 18,256 voters in the 18-19

age group in 2013, this year there are

23,346 young voters.

Voter awareness drives through SVEEP

(Systematic Voters’ Education and

Electoral Participation) Committee led by

Zilla Panchayat CEO M R Ravi is also

doing significant efforts to ensure

maximum voter participation this election.

A toll free helpline is also operative to

assist voters.

In a bid to encourage villagers in Naxal

hit areas of Belthangady taluk to come out

and vote in large numbers, the Deputy

Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil S and SP

Dr B. R. Ravikanthe Gowda visited

Naravi, Kutlur, Sulkeri and other areas and

urged villagers. The top officials also had

interactions with the villagers and reviewed

security arrangements.

Along with EVMs, for the first time

VVPAT machines will also be put to use

this time to nullify any doubt in the minds

of the voters while exercising his franchise

as the VVPAT will be displaying the

printout containing the serial number, party

symbol and the photo of the

candidate he/ she has chosen

for seven seconds.

Awareness programmes

are being conducted at booth

levels regarding EVM and

VVPAT on behalf of the

SVEEP Committee.

In another novel

initiative, the SVEEP

Committee even organised a

multi lingual poets meet

under the leadership of senior

humorist Dundiraj. The

Election Commission has

also taken the initiative to set up 20 pink

polling stations with all women staff in the

district. According to District electoral

officer and Deputy Commissioner S

Sasikanth Senthil five polling stations each

in Mangaluru City South, Mangaluru City

North and Mangaluru constituencies will

be declared as pink booths. Similar booths

will also be set up in Belthangady,

Moodbidri, Bantwal, Puttur and Sullia,

There are also plans to have a couple of

model polling stations. The district

administration has also identified 10,300

physically challenged voters and would

assist in bringing them to the booths on

election day. Transportation arrangements

are also expected to be made in remote

areas.

The District had recorded a total

turnout of 72.38 percent in 2013 Assembly

which was less when compared to the

polling percentage (73.28) in the 2008

Assembly elections. With ceaseless efforts

by the administration to ensure more people

come out and vote, will the district see a

rise in voting percentage this year?

Welcome initiative towards

maximum voter participationAmid the hustle and bustle in the political sphere, the clamour over tickets, the dissidence, the

differences, allegations, counter allegations and political outbursts, the District Administration on

its part is decisively making all arrangements for the smooth conduct of free and fair polls.


CCCCCITYITYITYITYITYPPPPPOLITIXOLITIXOLITIXOLITIXOLITIX

O F F T R A C K

Poojary in demandTill recently, none in the

Congress bothered about him

despite him being a veteran

leader and a former union

minister. He was never invited

for Congress meetings or

functions. He was literally

ignored. But no chance of

ignoring him now when

elections are round the corner.

As expected Poojary is much

in demand. Party leaders, more

precisely the election

candidates are making a

beeline to his residence at

Bantwal to seek his blessings. This is believed to be an attempt

by these leaders to garner Billawa votes.

The first leader to visit was Ramanatha Rai who is seeking

re-election from Bantwal followed by JR Lobo and Moidin Bava,

MLAs of Mangaluru South and Mangaluru North respectively

who too are contesting from their respective constituencies.

Indeed a great sight. It was as well amusing to see all of them

touch the feet of the veteran leader who duly blessed them.

After all, everything is fair in love, war and politics.

Sand

stormSand has become more

precious than gold and is being

mined indiscriminately no

matter the rules and the safety

of the river bed. Innumerous

raids have left the sand mafia

undeterred. The recent raid and

seizing of sand and machinery

worth a staggering Rs 60 lakh

from the banks of Phalguni river

at Bantwal reveals the magnitude

of the problem. Where lies the

solution?

Ticketless troublesLosing a ticket seems to be more disappointing for politicians

rather than losing elections. At least that seems to be the case as

of now. The BJP is in for some real trouble in Mangaluru North

where the party has sprang a surprise by choosing a lesser known

person Dr Bharath Shetty. Left in the lurch was former MLA

and former minister Krishna Palemar who was all hope fu l

of getting a ticket to contest this time. He came

out in the open and blamed none other than

MP Nalin Kumar Kateel. “A man for

whose victory I had strived has betrayed

me,” lamented the former minister who

claims he has strived ceaselessly for the

party even after a shocking defeat against

Bava in the 2013 elections. As expected

Nalin has refuted the allegations and

said he has nothing to do with the

selection of candidates and that it was

the party’s decision.

Nonetheless rumours are afloat that the MP has had his way

by getting a ticket for a man of his own community. Palemar too

is quick to point out that the BJP has given tickets to Bunt

candidates in five out of the seven constituencies, with the

remaining one being a reserved seat. Now, it’s upto the leadership

to answer this question.


DDDDDKKKKK DIARDIARDIARDIARDIARYYYYY

Michelin-starred Chef Vikas Khanna’s

venture, India’s first living culinary

museum that is set to display over 10,000

objects in the near future was inaugurated

recently by Vikas Khanna’s mother in the

presence of Vasanthi R Pai, MAHE Pro

Chancellor Dr H S Ballal, Indira Ballal,

Registrar Dr Narayan Sabahit, Poornima

Baliga and others. Vikas Khanna is the

Founder and Curator of the museum. The

Culinary museum spread approximately

over 25,000 sq ft, is shaped in the form of

a giant pot very similar to the ones found

in Harappa. Located at the Welcome group

Graduate School of Hotel Administration,

Manipal University, the museum is an

attempt at preserving the history of India’s

rich tradition of culinary arts. The museum

already boasts of thousands of objects such

as the plates made by the Portuguese in

India, a 100-year-old ladle used to dole out

food at temples, vessels from the Konkan,

A mini railway station

in the making at

KulshekharThere will be a new addition to Southern

Railway in the form of a mini railway

station near Kulshekhar in Mangaluru. The

works are presently underway and the

station is likely to be completed by this year.

Once the new station becomes

operational it is expected to ease the

congestion at Mangaluru Junction.

Presently works of constructing a tunnel

near Padil is underway. The new railway

station will provide space for stationing

trains whenever there is lack of space at

the Mangaluru Junction platform.

Railway officials state that the Indian

Railways was giving top most priority to

the safety of passengers. Presently, the task

of track doubling from Mangaluru Junction

to Panambur as well as tunnel and

overbridge works are underway, points out

Gopinath, PRO of Sothern Railway.

Vikas Khanna's Culinary Museum inaugurated at Manipal

Udupi and Chettinad regions, bowls dating

to the Harappan era, an ancient samovar

and so on. The display will be in 17

categories including samovars, pots, cups

and saucers; serving dishes; rolling pins,

chulhas, tiffins and containers, churners etc.

District Principal Sessions

Judge KS Beelagi gave a pleasant

shock by stating that he could

not exercise his franchise even

once during the last 32 years of

his service in the judiciary. The

judge was speaking after

inaugurating a blood donation

camp organised by the DK

District SVEEP Committee with

the theme "Blood Donation to

Save Lives, Voting to save

Nation" recently.

"I joined the judicial service

in 1986. During every election year I would have been transferred to some other place

and was deprived of voting," he expressed his regret.

"Once I had been to a polling booth at Gulbarga to cast my vote. But my name was

missing in the voters’ list," he recalled and added he was determined to exercise his

franchise. "I will be casting my vote this time when I am on the verge of retirement," he

said. Judge Mallana Gowda Patil, ZP CEO Dr M R Ravi, District Health Officer Dr

Ramakrishna Rao and others were present.

This District Judge hasn’t voted

even once in last 32 years


DDDDDKKKKK DIARDIARDIARDIARDIARYYYYY

Several institutions

from coast figure in

NIRF ranking list

A park at Karangalpady which

was in a poor condition and was

renovated and named Arise Awake

Park as part of the Swachhata

Abhiyan of Ramakrishna Mission,

Mangaluru was inaugurated by J R

Lobo, MLA of Mangaluru South.

The task of renovating the place

which had over the years turned out

to be a haven for illegal activities

was taken up by the Mission after

residents approached it as a last

resort. Earlier repeated pleas by

residents to the authorities had fallen

on deaf ears. The Mission after

getting a no-objection certificate from

the MCC took up the renovation and

the result is the beautiful park

complete with a 220-ft-long

acupressure track, a water fountain with LED, a garden, grass lawn, seating and

lighting arrangements. A small footpath has also been laid and a parking area too has

been created nearby.

Swami Jithakamananda, Head of Mangaluru Branch of Ramakrishna Mission and

others were present at the inaugural function.

Several prominent educational

institutes of excellence from the

coastal districts have found a place in

the National Institutional Ranking

Framework (NIRF) 2018 list released

by Union Minister for Human

Resource Development Prakash

Javadekar recently. The ranking has

been provided to educational

institutions of different streams based

on the quality of education, learning

levels, resources, research and skills.

Among medical education

institutions Kasturba Medical

College, Manipal bagged the fourth

place while KMC Mangaluru secured

the 16th spot. In the Architecture

division, the Architecture

Department of Manipal Academy of

Higher Education bagged the tenth

spot.

Among engineering institutes, the

NIT-K Suratkal secured 21st rank

while St. Aloysius College,

Mangaluru bagged the 64th spot

among colleges.

In the Universities ranking list the

Manipal Academy of Higher

Education stood seventh while

Yenepoya deemed university secured

92nd spot.

Among Pharmacy colleges, the

NGSM Institute of Pharmaceutical

Sciences, Derlakatte,Mangalure

secured the 25th spot.

A total of 3,954 institutions of the

nation have found a place in this

ranking list.

Arise Awake Park- a glowing

example of Swachh Mission

Mangaluru Airport, NMPT are the CleanestMangaluru International

Airport has been adjudged as the

cleanest airport among the

small airports in the country in

a survey conducted across the

nation in connection with

Swachh Bharath Abhiyan. A

total of 53 small airports were

part of the survey.

VV Rao, Director of

Mangaluru International Airport

Authority received the Award

at a ceremony held at New Delhi on the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of Airport

Authority of India.

Cleanliness aspects at the airport terminal, toilet area, parking area, customer

lounge, commercial outlets as well as road connectivity were inspected and graded.

New Mangalore Port Trust has been ranked in No.1 position among 12

Major ports of the country by the Quality Council of India which was appointed

by Ministry of Shipping, for up keeping the port and its surroundings under Swachh

Bharat Mission.


IN BLACK&

WHITE

Prof. NARENDRA NAYAK

CCCCCOLOLOLOLOLUMNUMNUMNUMNUMN

WHILE PERPETRATORS HAVE

criminal minds one wonders as to

how politics and religion creeps in. The

attempts in this regard have resulted in some

of the worst incidents that can happen in a

civilized society if we can be called one.

When the case of Jyoti Singh aka as

Nirbhaya stirred the conscience of the whole

nation, the brutal rape and murder of an

eight year old child, the rape of a seventeen

year old child followed by the murder of

her father in police custody have shown

the nation the callousness of the ruling class

to crimes committed by their own gang.

One happened in Kashmir and the other in

Uttar Pradesh but the one which happened

at Dharmasthala, right in our backyard is

yet to reach a conclusion because the CBI

court trying it has been shackled by a

number of legal processes. In fact the tardy

investigation by the CBI, the so called

premier investigation agency of the country

has drawn the wrath of the Karnataka High

Court who have castigated them and

threatened to appoint their own special

investigation team to re-investigate the case.

The brutal rape, the organized methods

tried to hush up the investigation and destroy

the evidence have stirred the conscience of

the whole nation or at least those of our

countrymen who consider it as a most

horrible crime against an innocent child.

The details of the charge sheet are enough

to move even the most stone hearted person

and the organized ways used to destroy

evidence to cause an outrage even in the

hearts of the most timid person. The little

girl belonging to the community called as

Bakerwals who are nomads looking for

pastures for their live stock have been

occupants of the land since centuries. Their

presence caused resentment among the

people in that area in southern Kashmir

because probably their decent, middle class

existence was threatened by these people

who happen to be Muslims. So, it was an

attempt to teach them a lesson by using a

little girl as the subject! She was kidnapped,

sedated, raped for several days and this was

done in a temple! The criminal activity was

in such an organized manner that a man

was invited from far off Meerut to come

over and satisfy his lust. Not only that one

special police officer was also an invitee

who asked them to postpone her killing till

he had his turn at raping this sedated child.

Later on money changed hands and the local

police were bribed to destroy the evidence!

The Politics of

Sexual Crimes

against Children

Gender equality and sensitization isthe only way the society can put acheck on such heinous crimesagainst children and women,writes Prof. Narendra Nayak


CCCCCOLOLOLOLOLUMNUMNUMNUMNUMN

Prof. NARENDRA NAYAK is a consumeractivist and a rationalist. This is a regular columnand we invite readers’ response. The writer canbe reached at: [email protected]

While attempts have been made to project

this horrendous crime as a result of various

political, religious and regional issues -the

fact remains that an innocent life has been

snuffed out in the most cruel way. While

the accused no 1 is a retired govt. servant

the others include policemen who helped

to destroy the evidence.

While that is the case with these two

girl children, the one of the third one is

totally different. The life lost has been that

of her father who was murdered in police

custody. While the Chief Minister was busy

organizing pardons for many cases of rape

the cries of the seventeen year old rape

victim were not audible to him! The incident

had happened several moths back and the

police had refused to register an FIR. Yes,

this is about the Unnao rape case in which

the MLA of the ruling party Kuldeep Singh

Sengar was the rape accused. The victim

had finally attempted self immolation in

front of the chief minister’s residence. For

this sin her father was beaten up and when

the complaint was lodged with the police,

the complainant himself was arrested. He

was lodged in judicial custody where he

died. The autopsy revealed the cause of

death as septicemia due to perforation of

the colon. How that could happen in judicial

and police custody is any one’s guess!

But none of these moved the supposed

yogi chief minister. It was the Allahabad

High Court which had to ask the chief of

police for the state as to whether he would

wait in another case in which such a serious

offence was alleged to affect an arrest. The

case was handed over to the CBI which

finally arrested the accused MLA. But

would that result in a conviction as its

logical end is any one’s guess. Because even

the so called premier investigation agency

is a caged parrot singing the tunes of the

ruling party!

a knee jerk reaction, handing over the

investigations to an established agency like

the CBI or constitutes a special investigation

team or the court does that and the public

outcry subsides and the incident gets a quiet

burial. Unless the relatives of the victims

or some organization with stamina follows

it, the accused get bail and finally acquitted

by the courts ‘due to lack of evidence’, the

witnesses are bribed, scared into turning

hostile and that is the end of the matter.

Will more strict new laws going to

change the situation? POCSO act has laid

very stringent penalties about sexual

exploitation of children, there are such

about custodial rape and we can even see

allegedly powerful so called godmen like

Asumal Harpalani (alias Asaram Bapu) and

Ram Rahim Insan(?) behind bars. But only

an attitudinal change accepting the female

gender as equals is the ultimate solution to

Most recently a horrendous murder of

an eleven year old girl child has been

reported from Gujarat. It was at Surat that

a body of this child was found with more

than seventy injuries and rape. She has been

not identified as yet. This brings to our

minds the horrible state of affairs in our

country. Rape and murder are both very

serious crimes and the perpetrators getting

away with them is a serious lapse on the

party of the society at large and the

government in particular to protect a

vulnerable section of the society.

Though protests have followed these

horrible incidents, the long term effect is

nonexistent. The ruling combination shows

this age old problem. Instead of telling the

female to avoid dressing temptingly(?)

which of course is a stupid argument

because women wearing the most

conservative of dresses including nuns have

been raped the only way out of this is to

get over the age old patriarchal system

considering the female of the species as a

commodity or a second rate human being.

In every one of the major religions this

attitude is seen and gender equality and

sensitization is the only way out of this.n



OF ALL REGIONS, coastal

Karnataka is the hottest and the

most interesting to watch in the

upcoming assembly elections slated to be

held on May 12. This time, all of the sitting

Congress MLAs have been given tickets

in the coast. But in the BJP, there is a

high degree of heartburn with new faces

snatching the tickets. While the Congress

is over confident of a repeat win this time

again, the BJP camp is trying to ride high

by claiming that the region will reject the

politics of minority appeasement and will

vote for saffron party.

The 2018 Assembly election in

Karnataka is being pitched as a direct battle

between incumbent Chief Minister

Siddaramaiah of the Congress Party and

State BJP Chief as well as the party's CM

candidate BS Yeddyurappa who

incidentally had to quit as CM in July 2011

after he was indicted in a corruption

scandal. The battle for Karnataka has been

high-pitched, with both the Congress and

the BJP putting out aggressive campaigns

in the state. While Rahul Gandhi and Amit

Shah are leading the campaigns for the

Congress and BJP respectively, beyond

doubt is a battle between the present CM

Siddaramaiah and former CM, BS

Yeddyurappa.

Since 1994, Dakshina Kannada,

Udupi, Uttara Kannada and

Chikkamagaluru districts, comprising the

state’s coastal region, have contributed a

big quota of BJP MLAs. In 2004, the BJP

won 14 of the 24 seats in these districts

(out of a total of 224 in the state

legislature), while the Congress managed

to win just five. In a reverse effect, the

Congress won 14 and the BJP five in the

2013 Assembly election. However, the

BJP won all three parliamentary

constituencies of the four districts in 2014.

The BJP nominations for DK seats,

especially Mangaluru City South, had

turned into a guessing game for the last

few weeks as there were said to be several

contenders who were vying with each other

for the seats. The release of the third list

that too after keeping the people of the

state on tenterhooks for several days saw

the inclusion of Vedavyas Kamath as the

candidate for Mangaluru City South, Dr.

Bharath Shetty for Mangaluru City North

and Santosh Kumar Rai for Mangaluru

(Ullal) . They are pitted against their main

rivals J. R. Lobo, Moidin Bava and

minister U. T. Khader, all incumbent

Congress MLAs. All three BJP nominees

are fresh faces who have never faced an

election before. Vedavyas Kamath

replaces four-time MLA N Yogish Bhat,

while Dr. Bharath Shetty replaces former

District in-charge minister J. Krishna

Palemar.

The CPM has fielded Sunil Kumar

Bajal from Mangaluru South while Madan,

a former cop who quit service recently is

contesting as an independent. An expelled

BJP man Shrikar Prabhu is also contesting

this time as an independent much to the

resentment of the saffron party.

But, not everything is fine in the top

MANGALORE

Voters: 190361

Male: 93708 Female: 96653

Congress

BJP

VS

U.T. KHADER SANTHOSH KUMAR

MANGALORE SOUTH

Voters: 230351

Male: 110318 Female: 120033

Congress

BJP

VS

J R LOBO VEDAVYAS KAMATH

MANGALORE NORTH

Voters: 228025

Male: 111448 Female: 116577

Congress

BJP

VS

MOIDEEN BAVA BHARATH SHETTY

JR Lobo along with large number ofsupporters filed nomination paper forthe 2nd time from Mangalore South.

CCCCCOOOOOVERVERVERVERVER STSTSTSTSTORORORORORYYYYY


parties. Former MLA and former minister

J Krishna Palemar who was one of the

aspirants from Mangaluru North, a

constituency which he had once

represented seems to be utterly

disappointed over the party decision to

grant a ticket to Dr Bharath Shetty who

will face the Congress candidate, sitting

MLA, B A Moidin Bava. Muneer

Katipalla is the CPI(M) candidate for

Mangaluru North constituency.

Palemar has openly aired his

resentment and has held Dakshina Kannada

MP, Nalin Kumar Kateel responsible for

the same. He claimed that State BJP Chief

Yeddyurappa had promised a ticket to him

and alleged that he missed a ticket due to

the ploy of a few. However, Nalin was

quick to react and say he has nothing to

do with the selection of candidates.

Meanwhile, another ticket aspirant

from Mangaluru North, Satyajith Suratkal

too is disappointed and was reportedly

contemplating to contest as an independent

after discussions with his supporters.

However, latest reports indicate he has

refrained from contesting but would also

remain away from campaigning.

The Congress too had to face some

heat in Mangaluru North when former

MLA Vijaykumar Shetty was dumped for

the third time to pave way for Bava.

In Mulki-Moodbidri constituency, four

time MLA and former minister for youth

empowerment, sports and fisheries K

Abhayachandra Jain filed nomination and

is facing the election for the fifth time.

Here too the Congress was in for trouble

with District Youth Congress President

Mithun Rai who was one of the strong

contenders for a ticket facing utter

disappointment, The District Youth

Congress as well as NSUI office bearers

had also tendered their resignations quit

enmasse to protest denial of ticket to their

leader.

However, the dust seems to have

settled as of now, with Mithun who had

been to Delhi, reportedly to air his grouse,

returning and saying everything has been

sorted out and he would strive for the

BELTHANGADY

Voters: 213875

Male: 107230 Female: 106645

Congress

BJP

VS

VASANTH

BANGERA

HARISH

POONJA

BANTWAL

Voters: 230351

Male: 107233 Female: 108794

Congress

BJP

VS

RAMANATH

RAI

RAJESH NAIK

MOODABIDRI

Voters: 194947

Male: 94397 Female: 100550

Congress

BJP

VS

ABHAYACHANDRA

JAIN

UMANATH

KOTYAN

BJP's candidate for Mangaluru South constituency,

Vedavyas Kamath filed his nomination papers amidst a

crowd of loyal supporters



victory of the party in all eight

constituencies in the district. The BJP has

fielded Umanath Kotian from Moodbidri.

DK District in-charge Minister and

Minister for Forest, Environment and

Ecology, Bellippadi Ramanath Rai filed

nomination for the 8th time from Bantwal

assembly constituency. He won six

elections from 1985 to 2013.

"Congress is my religion. I am not

contesting in any religion’s name. People

of Bantwal have blessed me in the last six

elections. I have worked as minister for

home, excise, transport, Fisheries and

Ports, and forest departments. I don’t want

to reiterate my achievements. However, I

can assure people of the constituency that

I will work more if I am elected," Rai

said.

The BJP has fielded Rajesh Naik

Ulipady against Ramanath Rai, his arch

rival since the past two elections. Speaking

at a BJP workers convention at Bantwal,

MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said, “If BJP wins

in Bantwal, it would be equal to winning

seven constituencies in Dakshina

Kannada." Well, that explains the

significance of this constituency

represented by the Congress heavyweight.\

In a move, that has brought smiles in

the Congress camp in Bantwal, the Social

Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has

withdrawn its candidate Mohammad

Riyaz from Bantwal Assembly

constituency. It is believed that the SDPI

took this decision to prevent the division

of Muslim votes thereby affecting

prospects of secular forces.

In Mangaluru (erstwhile Ullal), sitting

MLA and State Minister for Food and

Civil Supplies U T Khader will face

Santosh Rai Boliyar from the BJP who

seems to be having bleak chances

considering the popularity of Khader.

Former mayor of Mangaluru and ex-

Congressman K Ashraf who had defected

to JD(S) sometime back, is the JD(S)

candidate from Mangaluru constituency.

Karkala in Udupi district is another

constituency where the Congress had to

face some heat from its own men. Gopal

Bhandary, a former Congress MLA who

was given a ticket by the party has filed

his nomination amid some uneasiness as

his candidature has been vehemently

opposed by supporters of Uday Kumar

Shetty Muniyalu who was very much keen

to contest. Bhandary however has made

his stance clear, that he has no personal

enmity against anyone and that he is

confident of winning.

In fact, Karkala was a constituency

that raked up a lot of interest initially as

former CM and former union minister

Veerappa Moily had shown strong

SULLIA

Voters: 195305


Congress

BJP

VS

DR B RAGHU S. ANGARA

PUTTUR

Voters: 197923


Congress

BJP

VS

SAKUNTHALA

SHETTY

SANJEEVA

MATTANDOOR

Bellipadi Ramanath Rai filed nomination paper

for the 8th time from Bantwal constituency

Moideen Bava

campaigning at

Surathkal



WHILE MUCH ANGER

has been directed at the

sitting MLAs and the state

government, the chief minister

continues to enjoy popularity. On

the other hand, even with a popular

CM candidate, the BJP is unable

to gain from the anti-incumbency

sentiment, mostly because of

extreme infighting within the rank

and file of the party. The CM leads

the pack in the popularity race as

well.

In a poll on the most preferred

candidate for the top slot, the

sitting CM Siddaramaiah, had a

clear edge. But the edge varies at

the regional level, as the opposition

candidate also happens to be a

popular choice. Among Congress

supporters, over 75 percent approve of

Siddaramaiah, while the other Congress

candidates don’t even reach double digits

in their approval ratings. No surprise that

the House of Congress looks undivided

and has accepted the popular face of

Siddaramaiah’s leadership in the run-up

to the polls.

However, Siddaramaiah’s lead in the

popularity chart in Karnataka is not as

huge as the startling lead of Modi on the

PM popularity chart. In short, the

Congress CM may be popular, but the

runner-up CM candidate of BJP is not

too far behind. It is not a one-way traffic

as seen in national level popularity charts.

Give Congress a second

chance

Almost 45 percent of electorate in

Karnataka are of the opinion that the

Siddaramaiah-led Congress government

in Karnataka should be given another

chance. Support for giving the party a

second chance is particularly high among

Muslims (65 percent). Among Hindus

44 percent feel Congress deserves a second

chance. According to the caste-wise

breakup, 55 percent Kubras and 53 percent

Dalits believe Congress should get a

second chance. Only 37 percent Lingayats

and 36 percent Brahmins believe the same.

Issues of concern

Unemployment seems to be the biggest

issue of concern in Karnataka with 22

percent of respondents saying it is an issue

that concerns them the most. Price rise,

corruption and lack of access to drinking

water are among the other top issues of

concern, according to the India Today-

Karvy Insights opinion poll.

Siddaramaiah did fairly well

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has

scored fairly well after being in power for

five years. 38 percent of people have rated

the performance of Siddaramaiah as very

good or good while another 31 percent

have rated it average. Less than 30 percent

feel that Siddaramaiah's performance is

not up to the mark. The perception that

Siddaramaiah's performance has

been very good or good is

relatively weaker among the

Vokkaligas, Lingayats and

Brahmins.

CM vs Former CM

Who will be Karnataka's next

chief minister? According to 33

percent of those polled

Siddaramaiah is best suited to be

the next chief minister, while

Yeddyurappa gets the support of

26 percent. HD Kumaraswamy, on

the other hand, is the favourite of

21 percent of people.

Life is largely the same

For 46 percent of people in

Karantaka, their lives over the last

five years of Congress rule have

remained the same. On the other hand

30 percent believe that their lives have

become better while only 19 percent say

that their lives have become worse.

Jobs in Karnataka

Underlining the belief that

unemployment is the biggest issue of

concern in Karnataka, as many as 56

percent of people believe that there is

either a serious lack of jobs in the state

or that unemployment has become worse

over the last five years. Only 33 pre cent

are optimistic about the jobs situation in

Karnataka.

Corrupt Congress

A significant 40 percent of people

believe the Congress is corrupt while

nearly half of that find the BJP to be

most corrupt. Similarly, nearly 50

percent of people believe that over the

last five years of the Congress

government, corruption has either

significantly or somewhat increased.

WHAT PRE-POLL SURVEYS SAY...



inclination towards fielding his son Harsha

Moily from here. However, he had later

backtracked after the tweet row over

alleged influence of money in giving

Congress party's tickets to the aspirants.

Thus Karkala will this time will see a

keenly contested battle between BJP's

sitting MLA Sunil Kumar and Gopal

Bhandary.

In Sullia reserved constituency,

Congress has fielded Dr Raghu for the

fourth time. A tough fight is expected in

the Sullia Constituency as it has been held

by BJP candidate for the last five term.

This time, the trend is said to be in

favour of Dr. Raghu who has been

improving his popularity steadily. In 2013

Dr. Raghu had lost the elections by a

narrow margin of 1373 votes. Dr. Raghu

had secured 64540 votes, while Angara

UDUPI

Voters: 203777

Male: 98759 Female: 105015 Others: 3

Congress

BJP

VS

PRAMOD

MADHWARAJ

RAGHUPATHI

BHAT

KAPU

Voters: 179794


Congress

BJP

VS

VINAY KUMAR

SORAKE

LALAJI

MENDON

BYNDOOR

Voters: 218863


Congress

BJP

VS

K GOPAL

POOJARY

B SUKUMAR

SHETTY

KARKALA

Voters: 179008


Congress

BJP

VS

GOPAL

BHANDARY

SUNIL KUMAR

KUNDAPUR

Voters: 197061


Congress

BJP

VS

RAKESH MALLI HALADI SRINIVAS

SHETTY

had secured 65913 votes last time.

Belthangady will see a direct fight

between sitting MLA Vasanth Bangera and

BJP candidate Harish Poonja.

In Puttur it will be an interesting battle

on cards between sitting Congress MLA

Shakuntala Shetty who is an ex-BJP leader

and District BJP Chief Sanjeeva

Matandoor.

In Udupi district, former BJP MLA

Raghupathi Bhat is the nominee for Udupi

constituency and Lalaji Mendon for Kaup.

Both the candidates are old timers and are

pitted against sitting minister Pramod

Madhwaraj and ex-minister Vinay Kumar

Sorake of Congress respectively.

Raghupathi Bhat had dropped out of

the race in the last assembly election after

an infamous sex CD allegedly featuring

him had surfaced.

The BJP's choice of candidate in

Udupi doesn’t promise a shift in favour of

the party as sitting MLA, influential

Mogaveera leader and state minister

Pramod Madhwaraj will certainly give a

tough fight to Raghupathi Bhat. Though

rumours were rife until recently that

Madhwaraj would shift base to the BJP,

everything has been put to rest with him

filing his nomination.

Meanwhile, Sri Lakshmivara Theertha


UT Khader shows

victory sign after

filing his nomination


Swamiji of Shiroor Mutt, who had filed

his nomination as an independent, after

he could not get a ticket from BJP as

wished by him, has withdrawn his

nomination despite stating time and again

that he would not withdraw. "I have

withdrawn with to pledge support to Prime

Minister Narendra Modi and BJP

President Amit Shah," the seer stated and

also added that the party has agreed to

consider his demands.

Had he remained in the fray, then he

would have been the first seer in the history

of the Ashta Mutts to contest the elections.

Nonetheless, he now turns to be the first

seer to at least have filed a nomination for

the elections.

Anupama Shenoy, former Deputy

Superintendent of Police who founded the

Bharatiya Janashakti Party would be

contesting from the Kaup Assembly

Constituency in Udupi district.

Shenoy said she has chosen Kaup

because she was from that place and knew

more people there. The incumbent MLA

Vinay Kumar Sorake, had become active

only in the last one-and-a-half years, she

alleges. In Kaup, Anupama will fight

against Sorake and BJP's Lalaji Mendon.

Kundapur is another constituency

where there is said to be dissidence in the

BJP mainly over the candidature of

Halady Srinivas Shetty who had last time

contested as an independent and won. He

had quit the BJP after he was denied a

cabinet berth in the eleventh hour during

the Yeddyurappa regime. The Congress

has fielded INTUC leader Rakesh Malli.

In Byndoor which has the highest

number of candidates (Nine), the

Congress has fielded K Gopal Poojary.

Sukumar Shetty is the BJP candidate.

The newly formed Sasantra Tulunad

Paksha is fielding its candidates in all

Assembly constituencies in Udupi district

and all Assembly constituencies in

REBELS: Srikar Prabhu who was expelled from BJP

after 2014 Lok Sabha polls for anti-party activities,

has now filed his nomination from Mangaluru South

constituency as an independent, while Congress

corporator and former Mayor K Ashraf who joined

JDs, submitted nomination from Mangaluru

constituency.


Madan, a former cop who quit service recently

is contesting as an independent.

The CPM has fielded Sunil Kumar Bajal from

Mangaluru South.


4,96,82,357 voters

Dakshina Kannada district. Aikalbawa

Chittaranjandas Shetty, President of the

Udupi district unit of the Paksha, said that

the aim of the party was to protect and

promote Tulu language, the culture and

environment of Tulunadu. The party had

already selected three candidates -

Sudarshan Poojary for Udupi Assembly

Constituency, Sumanth K. Poojary for

Karkala Assembly Constituency, and

Vidyashri Shetty for Puttur Assembly

Constituency in Dakshina Kannada. All

these remained a hollow threat.

Akhila Bharatha Hindu Mahasabha’s

State unit President Na. Subrahmanya

Raju has said that the Sabha would be

fielding its candidates from 30

constituencies in the upcoming Assembly

elections. Apart from the Mahasabha, the

Sampoorna Bharatiya Kranti Paksha is

fielding its candidates from 15

constituencies and the Sri Rama Sene led

by Pramod Mutalik will have its candidates

from 35 constituencies.

He also stated that a separate saffron

outfit comprising Shiva Sene, Sri Rama

Sene, Hindu Jana Jagruthi Samithi, Hindu

Mahasabha and Sampoorna Bharatiya

Kranthi Paksha would be formed later.

He said all saffron outfits would come

together to fight elections unitedly with

the objective of having clean politics.

Top leaders to Coast

Top leaders from BJP, Congress and

JD(S) are expected to campaign in the

coast in the next few days. Congress

President Rahul Gandhi who had recently

taken part in Janashirvada Yatra has

already visited the district again. In

Mangaluru, he released the Congress

manifesto, and later addressed a mammoth

rally in Bantwal, the home constituency

of DK District in-charge Minister and

Bantwal candidate B Ramanatha Rai.

Rahul also visited Dharmasthala during

the course of his visit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the

star campaigner of the BJP is likely to visit

the region in the first week of May. BJP

The total number of voters as per the draft

electoral rolls stands at 4,90,06,901

(approximately 4.90 crore), however the total

number of voters as per the final electoral rolls

stood at 4,96,82,357 (approximately 4.96 crore).

Voting will happen in a single phase across the

state.

The number of polling stations in Karnataka

have gone up by 9 per cent since the previous

assembly election in the state five years ago. The

total number of polling stations for the 2018

assembly election are 56,696. In 2013, the total

number of polling stations were 52,034. The election commission had announced

that All-women managed polling stations will be set up in Karnataka for the first

time, where the entire staff including polling staff, security, police personnel, etc

will be women. One such station shall be set up in each of the 224 constituencies.

Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail

(VVPATs) will be used in all the polling stations across Karnataka. A two-stage

randomisation of EVMs and VVPATs will also be done to enhance the transparency

and credibility of the election.

BJP, Congress, Janata Dal (Secular) and Janata Dal (United) are the major

parties contesting the elections. Some of the other regional parties include Coorg

National Council, Karnataka Congress Party, Karnataka Vikas Party, Kannada

Chalavali Vatal Paksha and Karnataka Kranti Ranga. These regional parties have

an influence in their respective regions and respective castes, and will play an

important role in case the major parties fall short of a majority mandate. Yogendra

Yadav's Swaraj India will also be contesting the election.

The Lingayat votes which constitute around 17 per cent of Karnataka's overall

population is expected to play a crucial role in the upcoming election with the

Siddaramaiah-led Congress government proposing granting of a separate religious

minority status to Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats. The Lingayat community

account for around 17 per cent of Karnataka's overall population. Though Lingayats

are considered traditional BJP supporters will they support the Congress this time

is a question that has led to a lot many speculations.


Pramod Madhwaraj

submitting nomination

from Udupi.


Chief Amit Shah and UP Chief Minister

Yogi Adityanath too are expected to visit

the district.

JD(S) President HD Devegowda and

State JD(S) Chief HD Kumaraswamy are

likely to campaign for the party in all the

eight constituencies of the district.

Ask senior leaders and they have their

own opinion on what the scenario would

be like in the Karnataka elections. Former

CM and former union minister M

Veerappa Moily says single seat will

witness a tough fight among the three

parties in the fray and ruled out his party

entering into any post-poll alliance with

the JD(S). The Congress is in a much

better situation in the state unlike the BJP,

money power and fanaticism of BJP will

iron ore mining in the state in July 2011

that had severely indicted former chief

minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, is “saddened”

that the Bharatiya Janata Party has

nominated the very same person as its chief

ministerial candidate in the upcoming

assembly elections despite his report had

“foolproof” and clinching evidence against

Yeddyurappa and his sons receiving

“bribes” from mining companies and

granting them illegal favours.

"The state government and other law-

enforcing agencies had not diligently

pursued the cases against the former chief

minister and his family members," Justice

Hegde regrets.

On the other hand Udupi-

Chikkamagaluru BJP MP Shobha

Karandlaje states so - "The people of the

state are all set to pull the government

down. "The BJP will come to power in

the state "she strikes a note of optimism

and does not forget to add that

“Siddaramaiah-led government in

Karnataka is the worst government.”

Ultimately, it is the discerning voter

who will be the deciding force. Whom will

he choose? Will the voters ride along with

the Congress which is banking upon its

populist schemes or do they want to give

BJP another chance?n

not work in the state," he asserts and adds

that there is no Modi wave. Even the

BJP's CM candidate B S Yeddyurappa's

image is dented, states Moily.

Former Lokayukta of Karnataka,

Justice N. Santosh Hegde, who had

prepared a voluminous report on illegal

Congress manifesto released

by Rahul, Promise to make

Mangaluru a Silicon City

BJP national president

Amit Shah addressing a

press meet in Surathkal

JD(S) Chief HD Kumaraswamy in Mangaluru



By SRINIVASAN NANDAGOPAL

WALKING DOWN THE

memory lane to about

twenty years, I was witness

to a shift of tide in electioneering. The

Circuit House of Today was then the hub

of activities where one aspirant hobnobbed

with the other to gain a ticket for the

constituency of his choice. The

hobnobbing is on even today, but on the

other side of the spectrum. The tide has

turned and so has the politics of Dakshina

Kannada.

I am sure, those who have seen those

days, will smile a bit as they read the

preface of my analysis of the all important

elections of 2018 which will in a way

determine the course of political activities

in the run up for the national political

scenario in almost an year to come. While

some term this region as the Crucible of

Hindutva agenda while others define it as

the Experimental laboratory of Right

Winged ideology to flap its wings in the

south.

Let me take you through the coastal

district of Dakshina Kannada which stands

at a threshold of a mixed mindset, confused

and not convinced with any of their leaders

who have led them to this state of affairs.

Development no longer is the bone of

contention here as in most of the country.

Specific agenda of respective political

parties have been thrown to dust as people

of this literate district have shown their so

called leaders - the political

representatives, their place, sending them

to the legislature and also defeating

candidates in equal measures.

The Karnataka elections of 2018 is

seen as the semi finals to the ensuing Lok

Sabha elections next year and Dakshina

Kannada is no different. However, as we

watched the final moments of filing of

nominations, an interesting situation comes

to fore, especially in the selection of

candidates in the saffron brigade. That is

where I compared the present BJP to the

Congress of the past. While it was certain

that all the sitting MLAs of the Congress

would be given the B-Forms, it was in the

BJP that we saw hectic lobbying, alleged

back biting and finally disgruntled

elements raising noise of foul play by local

MP and some leaders of the party.

With the battle lines now drawn, the

fight is all set to be a fight till finish.

Viewing the candidates of the BJP in some

of the constituencies, the sitting Congress

MLAs and minister may become a bit

complacent. However, the confidence of

the BJP top brass in fielding their

candidates is being logically justified. I

am in no way predicting any result through

this article.

We like it or not, more than political

ideologies and development agenda (if at

all there is one), it is the caste and

community politics that play a pivotal role

in the results of the elections at this level.

With four Bunts, a Billawa, a Gowda, a

GSB and an ST candidate, the BJP has

mustered all the courage to face the

onslaught of the predominant Billawa and

other backward communities in the region.

However, they are only banking on the

polarised votes of the Hindus at large.

According to party functionaries, the

selection of candidates will affect the

results as the odds have turned against

them in at least three of the eight

constituencies, namely Suratkal, Ullal and

Belthangady. Going by the candidates,

superficially, it is imminent that Dakshina

Kannada is most likely to see a repeat

performance of all the victors at it was

five years ago. But the ground realities

are a bit too complex as we dig deeper.

The straight fight between the two ST

candidates in the reserved constituency of

Sullia is always regarded as a cake walk

for the saffron brigade due to the strong

A Mixed Fried Rice Of Politics:

Dakshina Kannada Today

OPINIONOPINIONOPINIONOPINIONOPINION



footing of RSS workers in the grass root

level. Though the margin of victory has

diminished over the years, Angara has

scrapped through victorious for five

consecutive terms. This time too, it will

be that extra effort of Dr. Raghu that will

be needed to give a befitting reply to the

winning spree of his arch rival.

The Billawa dominated Belthangady

constituency is again contested by political

stalwart Vasanth Bangera (from Congress)

who is known for winning irrespective of

the party that has fielded him. This time

too, it should not be an uphill task for this

seasoned politician to return victorious but

for his ailing health conditions. The

political novice Harish Poonja’s

youthfulness is being seen as a plus by the

BJP as he is going overboard in

campaigning ever since his name got

thumbs up by the party high command.

Will his enthusiasm with the under currents

of disgruntled Ranjan Gowda (Son of

Former Minister Gangadhar Gowda) and

Mahesh Shetty Thimarody (shot to fame

in the fight for justice in Saujanya Murder

case), remains to be seen in this battle

between David and Goliath.

Coming to the traditional stronghold of

Sangh Parivar, Puttur, sitting Congress

MLA Shakuntala Shetty is working really

hard to safeguard her seat against the BJP

district president Sanjeeva Matandur who

seems to have garnered the confidence of

the party cadres at the ground level and

also empathised by the reasonably high

number of voters from the Bunt community.

It is interesting that at the ground level, all

close aides of Shakku Akka (as the MLA

is fondly known) are all foot soldiers of

RSS and BJP which introduced her to

electoral politics, paving way to become

MLA for two terms as BJP candidate.

Another bigwig (literally and

politically) who is eyeing for his eighth

tenure as the legislature is the Forest

Minister B Ramanath Rai. His clout among

the minorities is attributed to his successful

conquests through the decades (Except

once when he lost to BJP’s Nagaraj

Shetty). His opponent, businessman and

progressive farmer of repute Ulepadi

Rajesh Naik has been rather soft in his

approach since the past five years when

he first tasted defeat against the political

heavy weight. However, this time round,

the presence of Congress ousted Billawa

leader Harikrishna Bantwal and his

electioneering experience may come handy

to Naik, as Bantwal is known for his

expertise in strategising ‘how to defeat a

candidate’.

The strong opposition to his re-

nomination Jain among the youth in the

Congress, the consolidation of right wing

cadres with rising strength of fringe outfits

like the Bajrang Dal and the instinctively

aggressive charater of Abhayachandra Jain

are seen as a few of the factors indicating

that the going is not easy for him this time

in Mulki-Moodabidri constituency.

Despite a strong voice of decent by local

BJP strongman Jagadish Adhikari, the BJP

nominee Umanath Kotian seems to be

confident to pull a surprise this time after

his desperate attempt to wrest the seat from

Jain five years ago.

The three seats of Mangalore surprises

very many political analysts in more than

a way. It was probably for the first time

in more than three decades that all three

seats, Mangalore (Ullal), Mangalore South

(Mangalore City) and Mangalore North

(Suratkal) are being defended by members

of one political party, that too the one

ruling the state. It was evident that all the

three sitting MLAs minister U T Khader,

J R Lobo and Moideen Bava were obvious

choice for the Congress candidature unlike

in the past when the candidature would

not be predicted till the last moment.

The comedy of errors, now seem to

have shifted to the Saffron front. Till a

day before the date of nomination, one was

left to wonder about the candidature with

hectic lobbying by multiple candidates.

The churning ended with the announcing

of three new young faces to the coastline.

It will be nothing short of a miracle if the

trio Santosh Kumar Rai, Vedavyas Kamath

and Dr. Bharath Shetty pulls up a win in

the respective constituencies. Noting can

be accurately predicted in this war that

has gone miles beyond the realms of

democratic spirit as candidates themselves

have declared it a “War against Ram and

Rahim”.n

The author is a senior journalist andpolitical analyst. He is presently theConvenor of Centre for Integrated

Learning.



Dr. G. SHREEKUMAR MENON

I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING

appointed as Election Observer by the

Election Commission of India in

Chamoli, Palghat, Satara and Jaipur, to

monitor different General Elections. It was

a rich experience giving a deep insight into

the intricate workings of the electoral

process and the myriad problems connected

with it. In each Constituency itself hundreds

of officials drawn from Central and State

government departments from all ranks and

cadres, toil day and night, for the smooth

conduct of the elections, which is a

mammoth exercise, unlike anywhere else

in the world!

Elections in India do not mean that the

meritorious candidate wins. Very often a

host of sociological, political and economic

factors compel the electorate to make

choices where merit is not given due

weightage. This in turn has affected the

quality of governance and affected the

progress of the country. Whether it is GDP,

Health index, global rankings in education

or other parameters, India is not placed

comfortably. Though we claim to be the

world’s biggest democracy, trenchant

observers will note that, the system has

deteriorated, to becoming, a periodic clash

between different political ideologies, and

citizens being compelled to take sides in a

game of ideological warfare. Democracy

as conceived and practiced today in India

is – by the political party, of the political

party and for the political party. The

political party is pre-eminent, undermining

the importance of the nation itself. 3M’s

determine the growth and stability of all

political parties in India – money power,

muscle power and media support. To

augment money power, corruption is

needed, and to consolidate and perpetuate

it, political families are needed. Muscle

power and media support, are automatically

acquired with growth in financial strength.

Amassing incredible wealth is thus the key

goal of all political parties. The scams of

all kinds that litter the political landscape

are a testimony of the insatiable greed for

money by political parties. Towards this

goal it has been ensured that other pillars

of the government are emasculated and

made irrelevant. The routine swindling of

banks, financial institutions and Temple

Hundis are a striking feature of independent

India. Savings of the common man are

knocked off by cheats posing as business

magnates. Looting of Temple Hundis has

been institutionalized by political appointees

whose sole objective is to siphon off Temple

offerings. There is no proper accountal of

funds collected, spent or diverted by these

political appointees. Since there is no

regular audit and zero transparency, looting

becomes a simple task. Imagine the scale

of corruption! Political parties try to keep

the electorate happy by offering various free

schemes. In many States, the people have

no need to work, for there are a host of

free schemes, catering for requirements

from cradle to grave, thereby ruining their

careers and personal growth.

Consider the frequent clashes occurring

between the Legislature, Executive and

Judiciary. How do we stop this rot? All

political parties fight elections to gain brute

majority so that they are not answerable to

anybody. Three fourths majority is the

target that gives them the license to run

amok and indulge in wholesale corruption.

This greed for unassailable power is often

reinforced by unleashing the spectre of

violence and sordid brutality as seen in

many districts in the country.

Ayn Rand explained why the idea of

Democracy is actually evil:

“Democratic” in its original meaning

[refers to] unlimited majority rule... a social

system in which one’s work, one’s property,

one’s mind, and one’s life are at the mercy

of any gang that may muster the vote of a

majority at any moment for any purpose."

It is only the electorate that can rein in

truant political parties. How can this be

achieved? In our electoral system,

candidates are thrust by the political parties

on a constituency. The people have no say

whatsoever as to who they prefer to contest

in a constituency. It is a straight fight

Phalanx ofIndependents

OOOOOPINIONPINIONPINIONPINIONPINION


between pre determined candidates put up

by opposing political entities. Though, there

is now a NOTA (None of the above) option,

it is not able to control the election trade

and foisting of unwanted candidates upon a

constituency, and the victory of an

undesirable. What could be the solution for

this intractable problem?

My considered opinion is that the

electorate should encourage meritorious

independent candidates. The term

‘independent’ has good connotations. It

conveys images of self-reliance, freedom,

and open-mindedness. But, when the word

is linked with ‘candidate’ at election time,

the reaction may not be enthusiastic. Many

voters view an independent candidate as

an anomaly, to be seen as one of the names

on the ballot to be ignored, or viewed as a

maverick who is making a futile attempt in

a party dominated world. But, an

Independent Member of Parliament/

Legislative Assembly can achieve the best

results from the Government for their

constituents. Independents are generally

able to vote according to their beliefs and

the perceived will of their electorate,

whereas members who belong to political

parties can only follow the party line on

every issue. If a substantial number of

independents can make it to Panchayats/

Corporations/Legislative Assembly and

Parliament, it can redefine the political

landscape of our country. Non party

Parliamentarians and Legislators can have

a significant impact on State and Central

politics. As the support for the major parties

fragment, high profile, locally admired

personalities can gain electoral support.

There are many distinguished retired civil

servants, police officers, decorated officers

from the defense forces, professionals from

the medical, engineering, and banking

sectors, respected teachers and professors

from the educational sector, and

accomplished artists, who can make a

meaningful contribution to change this

political landscape. It is heartening to see

many young police officers quitting their

jobs in Karnataka, and preparing to contest

in the ensuing elections. More and more

professionals have to come forward so that

the electorate can have a diverse choice.

The presence of a large number of educated

and knowledgeable candidates, in the

electoral fray, can be a trend setter in Indian

politics. It is sad to see youngsters keep

away from politics. Without a constant

influx of youngsters into the electoral arena,

the dynamism of the nation cannot be kept

alive. Youth participation in politics in

Europe and U.S.A. is also very low. This

is the reason why voters elect the same

parties over and over again, as also the same

candidates or their chosen family members.

It only indicates that the democratic process

is malfunctioning.

Australia has one of the lowest levels

of party membership and more independent

politicians per capita than any comparable

western country. Also, Australia is home

to more non-party independent

parliamentarians than any other comparable

Western country. Ian Marsh states “The

habits and practices of two-party politics

are deeply ingrained. Those most ambitious

for power have the deepest stake in current

arrangements. The only hope is for new

political forces outside the existing structure

of party politics.... The renovation of our

present political policy-making system is a

potential unintended consequence of the rise

of independents.”

The longest-serving Independent in any

Australian Parliament was Thomas Aikens,

who represented the electorate of

Townsville South in the Queensland

Parliament from 1944 to 1977. Mr Aikens

served 12 continuous terms as an

Independent Member of Parliament.

This is an extremely opportune time for

Independents. In the United Kingdom, Dai

Davies, who won Blaenau Gwent byelection

for his grouping, the People's Voice, in

2006, states "The party structures have lost

the plot," he says. "They don't understand

individual constituencies. They think we're

all the same. We're not. People feel let down

by the Labour party in many ways. They're

not listening, and are taking their heartlands

for granted. The very areas of this country

that built the Labour party have been

abandoned. They've abandoned communities

for the big bucks. The banking system is a

prime example of it. I take nothing for

granted, but I'm hopeful that the community

of Blaenau Gwent will realise that the way

the party structures are at the moment, there

is no chance [for an individual MP] to say

'This is wrong, stop it', because within that

party structure you're swallowed up. The

whip system has destroyed democracy."

Colin Copus, professor of local politics

at De Montfort University and author of

Party Politics and Local Government, says

that “the election of independent mayors and

the number of independent councillors show

that the electorate is willing to embrace non-

party figures, and believes that it can be an

antidote to traditional politics. “Independents

offer an approach that doesn't have a great

ideological scheme of the world, and is less

likely to degenerate into party political point-

scoring and yah-boo politics. Parties have

their role to play within any form of

democracy, and I'm not arguing for party-

free government. But parties produce a

political discourse that is really about the

advancement of party interests, and we need

competition from people who think

differently and are able to oppose parties. It

is argued that political parties make

government easy, but I don't want

government to be easy. The more

independents and other groups engaged in

parliament and engaged in local government,

the harder it is to govern, and that's good. It

results in a more discursive, more engaged,

more consensus-oriented type of politics."

Independents planning to contest in the

upcoming Karnataka Legislative Assembly

Elections 2018 can plan a network of

independents across the State to make a

coherent statewide challenge to the

established parties. Politics in India is today

an elite sport, only a diverse crowd of

independents can help in the much-needed

renewal of simple public life.n

OOOOOPINIONPINIONPINIONPINIONPINION

Dr G ShreeKumar Menon, IRS (Rtd) Ph.D (Narcotics)

is a Former Director General, National Academy of

Customs Excise and Narcotics & Multi Disciplinary

School of Economic Intelligence. He presently serves

as Registrar, Yenepoya University, Mangalore. He may

be reached at [email protected]


By SATYA REDDY

On December 11, 1967, an earthquake

measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale shook

the region of Koyna, in Maharashtra’s Satara

district. 177 people died and over 2000

people were wounded as a result. As the

area bordered the Mysore state, both the state

governments decided to conduct 10 cricket

matchs to raise money for the victims.

Both international and State level players

participated in a benefit match called ‘Koyna

Earthquake Relief Fund Cricket Match’ at

Nehru Maidan on the 5th 6th and 7th April

1968, just a few months after the calamity

occurred. The two teams, Mysore State

Finance Minister’s XI and Maharashtra State

Finance Minister’s XI, boasted some of the

biggest names in cricket.

Mangaloreans were very lucky to see

the likes of Ajit Wodekar, Chandu Borde,

Bapu Nadkarni,Narendra Tamhane,

Ramakanth Desai, Hemant Kanitkar,Vijaya

Manjrekar, Umesh Kulkarni, Padmakar

Shivalkar, V Subramaniam, G R

Vishwanath, E A S Prasanna, B Vijaykrishna

and others play. Administrators like M

Chinnaswamy, Madhav Mantri, Karunakar,

Manohar Nivas (the Hon. Secretary of the

South Canara Cricket Association) were also

present.

These legends put aside all differences

and played 10 matches in total to drum up

money for relief efforts. Going by reports

of the time it was a resounding success as

they managed to donate 1lakh for the victims.

For the Golden Anniversary of the charity

match, two rare photos have been published,

showing the iconic players in one frame.

The Mangalore match was organized

by the South Kanara Cricket Association.

In those days, all important visitors to the

city were put up at Moti Mahal Hotel.

Kasturi Balakrishna Pai was then just 18

years old. As his grandfather owned Moti

Mahal, he was lucky to see cricketing royalty

at such close quarters. Reminiscing about

those three days, Mr. Pai said that he took

some of the cricketers around

Mangalore. Vijay Manjrekar’s

wife was from Mangalore so

Mr. Pai took Manjrekar to

Subhash Nagar to the latter’s

Father-in-law’s house. Others

wanted to see some temples and

do a bit of sight-seeing.

In a conspiratorial tone, Mr

Pai also recalled getting Feni for

some of the players! “It used to

be a home-made drink for just 6 or

7 rupees! When one crate was sent

up to the 3rd floor of Moti Mahal

where the players were staying, it

got over so fast,I was sent out to

get some more!”

The bill for the hotel came to

Rs.32,000. In a magnanimous gesture,

Mr. Pai’s grandfather asked for just half

the amount and donated the other half for

earthquake relief efforts. “What I want to

stress is that in those days, most people

put aside differences to help each other.

Nowadays, there is so much fighting going

on over water sharing between states,

politics...” says Mr. Pai ruefully.

One fascinating piece of history that

Mr.Pai recounted was the fact that in 1966,

when the Shiv Sena came to power, they

had attacked a number of Udipi

establishments in Bombay, wrongly

accusing them of taking away jobs

from the Marathis. To voice their

protest against the visiting

Maharashtrians, on the last day,

some ruffians started a fire (albeit

a small one) in Nehru Maidan

while the charity match was taking place.

This frightened the 5,000 strong crowd and

brought the match to an early stop.

The earthquake in 1967 occurred very

close to the Koyna Dam, and even at that

time, many believed that the tragedy was

‘induced’ by the gigantic construction.

Reservoir Induced Seismic Activity was

again recorded in Koyna in 2017 but

thankfully, no one was hurt this time. Koyna

also has the dubious distinction of being

one of the ‘earthquake hotspots’ of the

world, having witnessed thousands of

earthquakes and tremors between 1967 to

2017. n

Memories of a Charity Match

BALAKRISHNA PAI

RRRRREMINISCENCEEMINISCENCEEMINISCENCEEMINISCENCEEMINISCENCE


Dr. AUSTIN D'SOUZA PRABHU,

has been an extraordinary and

exemplary Indian and citizen of USA, even

receiving a rare honour of having a road

named after him there among scores of

admirable honours and achievements. Yet,

his contribution to his original homeland,

to his community, to Kanara and Mangalore

and even his mother tongue 'mai bhaas'

Konkani, is evenly admired in the USA

and his home city in India, Mangaluru.

Lion Austin Prabhu has numerous

awards and recognition to his credit,

recently he received “District 1A Citizen

of the Year Award, 2018.” On March 25,

2018 during District 1A 50 th Convention.

He is also elected as a District Trustee from

District 1A for Lions of Illinois Foundation

and nominated to run for its Secretary.

He will be receiving Excellence Award

from Jessie White, Secretary of State,

Illinois on May 16, 2018.

Currently he is editing three e-

magazines: Veez Konkani, Illustrated

Konkani Weekly Magazine, State of Illinois

Lions and Leos Monthly Magazine and

District 1A Governor’s Newsletter. All

three are e-publications. But, for him

bringing out publications in a bunch has

been an age old thing in which he excels.

Street named after him in the

US

A street in Illinois, will be named after

Austin D'Souza -Prabhu The mayor of

Forest Park, Illinois, US, has passed a

resolution favouring this Indian born

philanthropist , taking into consideration his

multi-pronged consistent service. The

formal arrangements for this process are

done. Mayor of Forest Park will be

honouring Dr Austin Prabhu with his own

street sign in Forest Park. Dr Austin is the

resident of Forest Park for the past 38 years.

Mayor’s confirmation said, "Dunlop

Avenue from Harrison Street to York is to

be named in honor of Dr Austin (Prabhu)

D’Souza. I could not think of a better

qualifier for this type of honor and it would

be my pleasure to move forward with this

presentation, in the spring May 2018.

Towards that end, I have asked my assistant

to reach out to you early April to begin

making formal arrangements for the event.

In addition to the official unveiling of a

street sign, I will also be drafting an official

resolution to be adopted by the Village

Council in his honor and I hope that his

family and friends can be present for the

meeting and the unveiling.” So, it will be

on May 26th at 2:00 p.m. at Harrison and

Dunlop Avenue in Forest Park. Mayor

Antony Calderon will do the inauguration

of the sign it is learnt. Mangalureans the

world over should be proud of Dr Austin’s

achievement, such street names of Indian

origins are very rare in Western countries

other than Mahatma Gandhi Marg or

Mother Teresa Avenue in Chicago.

Dr. Austin Prabhu

Mangaluru’s Gentle

Giant in USA

PPPPPROFILEROFILEROFILEROFILEROFILE


According to a well known

Mangalorean Genealogist, Dr. Austin's

ascendants are of typical Konkani roots:

A Family of Valencia Mangalore origin,

The first recorded ancestor, Pascal

D'Souza, (born about 1850) and his wife

Cocess D'Souza. The name of one of their

son appears in the Rosario marriage

register, Gaspar born about 1885, as per

Rosario cathedral marriage register,

married Christine d/o Sebastian D'Souza

& Isabella Lobo....on Jan 13, 1913. They

had 4 sons. An elder daughter appears on

the Milagres baptismal register; she must

have died young: Victoria (b 28 Dec 1914)

- John Peter Paul (b 24 Feb 1918), Gaulbert

Paschal Leo (b 28 June 1921 / d 3 Aug

1995: aged 74), married Rose (died in 2008

aged 84) d/o Simon D'Souza & Piedade of

Angelore (orig. Fajir), Valerian Julian (b

11 April 1925) m Jane D'Souza (settled in

Bombay), Benedict - bachelor. Parents of

Dr. Austin, Gaulbert and Rose D'Souza,

were married in 1945. They had 9 children

- all now in Chicago (more precisely at

Forest Park, Illinois). Austin (b 8 Aug

1950), Norbert, Dorothy, Godwin,

Melville, Stany, Felix, and Queenie.

Well, there is much to be said about

this extraordinary 'Kodialgar' in America,

loved here in his native place and in the big

apple...but, the space is tight and so let us

look at vital aspects of his many spheres of

action:

Lion Austin's American

dream - all real:

Dr. Austin Prabhu, an outstanding

community leader throughout his 40 years of

Lionism is a well known Mangalorean

personality. He joined the Padil-Mangalore

Lions Club in 1979 in India and has been a

tall member of repute ever since. He has held

all of the offices in his clubs including the

Presidency in 1992-1993 (Chicago Damayan

Lions Club), Charter President, 1996-1998

Broadview Kala Sampath Lions Club. He has

hopped across all of the club committees and

chaired most, including Candy Day, the July

4th Parade, Chicago Christmas Parade and

the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Matchless services through Lionism

serving the Club, District, State and

International levels doing an outstanding job

at all levels. The Forest Kala Sampath Lions

Club bestowed upon him a Life

Membership from in July, 2005 for his

dedication and hard work for Lionism. Lion

Austin’s commitment to the principles of

Lionism and to the service of those less

fortunate makes him an outstanding leader

in MD1. As a Sector Coordinator for Sight

First II Campaign who stood third in sector

wise total collections in the United States.

Currently he is a Multiple District 1 Alert

Chairman and also Lions of Illinois State

e-Magazine Editor who took this magazine

to a higher level of appreciation from Lions

of Illinois. Official Photographer for USA-

Canada Lions Leadership Forum 2016 in

Omaha, Nebraska where more than 2,000

Lions from USA and Canada were in

attendance.

Twice as a Governor and Vice Council

Chairman, he showed his leadership skills

in making special programs like Lions

Open University, Vision First and Tsunami

Relief Fund and made them great successful

programs. He has been a resident of Forest

Park since 1981. Lion Austin was

employed at Deltrol Corporation as a

Department Manager who earned Green

Belt training from University of Illinois,

Dr Austin Prabhu and Terry were awarded the Lifetime Asian Humanitarian Couple Award

2013 by the Asian Chronicle, USA in recognition of their involvement in Lions Clubs International



Naperville Campus in Six Sigma Lean

Manufacturing. He has retired since August

2016. Lion Austin is a writer, actor, public

speaker, publisher and a true leader with

multi skills, knowledge and experience

deep.

Lion Austin was also two terms

president of India Catholic Association of

America, one-time secretary of Federation

of Indian Associations in Mid-America,

Treasurer of The Federation of Indo-

American Christian Associations of North

America, Director of New Republic of

India, International, Advisor of

International Biographical Center,

Cambridge, England, Editor and publisher,

chairman Leadership Day Prayer

Committee, Archdiocese of Chicago, and

so on. His biography published in several

national/international magazines and

websites including Who’s Who in the World

by Marquis, USA. Lion Austin received

Award from the President of India in

December 2009 in Mangalore for

promoting Konkani culture and literary

contributions through his books and articles

in the US. He received ‘Millennium

Leadership Award’ from Federation of

Indian Associations in 2000 and a

Leadership Award by Bishop of

Mangalore-India, also in 2000. Received

special award for his literary contributions

in 2004 in Dubai and Chicago Mayor’s

Award in 2005 for organizing ‘Vision First’

for Chicago Public School children.

Lion Austin’s family received Asian

American Humanitarian Family of the Year

2005 Award from Asia TV Chronicle. He

is also a Certified Public Service TV

Program Producer by Comcast Public

Television. Lion Austin & Terry received

Distinguished Couple Award from Chicago

Filipino American Lions Club. Lion Terry

and Austin were named as “Lifetime Asian

Humanitarian Couple 2013” by Asian

Chronicle, USA. Lion Austin received

numerous awards including 3 Intl.

Presidents Medals from Lions Clubs

International, 3 International President’s

Leadership Medals, Millennium Leadership

Award from the Federation of Indian

Associations in Midwest, Award from the

President of India, 49 Diamond Progressive

Melvin Jones Fellow, Progressive Lions

of Illinois Fellow, three time Lion of the

Year club awards, District Lion of the Year

Award, Life Time Community Volunteer

Service Award from President George W.

Bush. The American dream is unending.

Dr. Austin D'Souza Prabhu a

star in Mangalore:

Austin D'Souza was born on August 8,

1950 in Nanthur, Mangalore - now a

developing spot. His lineage appears above

- 'Gaulbert Tailor' was a well-known

Ladies Clothes Designer in Kadri,

Mangalore. Ask the seniors and they swear

by the only and famous dress maker

'Gaulbert' of past Mangalore. Austin's

siblings too are charter members of the

Broadview Kala Sampath Lions Club. He

spread Lionism in his entire family and they

have a total of at least 18 lions in his family.

Young Austin went to primary school

at St. Joseph’s Calvary Elementary School,

Nanthur, Mangalore; Later to Padua High

School, Nanthur, due to a certain interests

he did a Machanical Fitter's course from

Industrial Training Institute (ITI),

Mangalore; then B.A. from Mysore Open

University, Computer science from Triton

College, River Grove, Illinois, U.S.A.;

M.B.A (Business Administration) from

Pacific Western University, Los Angeles,

U.S.A.; and Ph. D. in Management from

Pacific Western University, Los Angeles,

U.S.A.

Austin married Terry Pinto, a

Mangalorean settled in Bombay (now

Mumbai) on October 25, 1980. Austin often

speaks about his better half - and yes, behind

every successful man is a good woman.

He lights up and says, “My dear wife

Terry is a terrific woman. She came to the

United States when she was just 17. She

had to adapt to a lot of change, Mumbai to

Chicago then for a young girl was a different



universe. As a strong headed young woman,

she took up many challenges including

working 36 hour stretches 3 times a week

to prove herself the best in her profession.

Side by side with work and attending

University she earned a BS degree in

Applied Behavioral Sciences from National

Louis University in Lombard and then

achieved her MS in Psychology. Her work

for Cook County Hospital for 30 years is

legendry, she retired a few years ago taking

advantage of the early retirement incentive

from the Cook County’s retirement plan.

Terry still makes 80% of her salary without

working and by productively staying home

now. She will perhaps still get her doctorate

in psychology or be an entrepreneur soon

after she concludes her duties as First Lady

of district 1-A of the Lions of Illinois, Lions

Clubs International.”

Terry and Austin have four children in

their own image, all grownups now; Anita-

Sr. Project Manager, Abbott Laboratories;

Anil-Vice President of Goldman Sachs;

Atina-Accounts Executive, Procter &

Gamble; and Angel-New Accounts

Strategist, Google - Lions all. Lion Austin

was employed at Deltrol Corporation as a

Department Manager who earned Green

Belt training from University of Illinois,

Naperville Campus in Six Sigma Lean

Manufacturing. Now he is retired since

August 12, 2016. Lion Austin is a writer,

actor, public speaker, publisher and a true

leader with multi skills, knowledge and

experience that is rare.

Dr Austin Prabhu, even from young and

youthful days in the 1970s in Mangalore,

has been the focus of admiration unlimited.

His hands on involvement through a whole

gamut of activities and contributions in

whole cannot be presented in words. As

the president of Catholic Youth Movement,

present ICYM, of the Diocese of Mangalore

for 5 years he has played a leading and

land mark role. To his credit he used to

publish four Konkani periodicals

simultaneously that even a juggler cannot

do. He was a theatre artiste and drama

writer and the Founder Secretary of the

Konkani Bhasha Mandal(Regd), Karnataka.

He was also the Secretary of the erstwhile

Yuva Janatha Party of DK district. His

talents along with his cronies on and off

stage at Don Bosco Hall in the 70s is really

a thrilling chapter. It is not possible to

present here what many who know

Dr.Austin for a while say about his talents,

dynamism and integrity it would indeed

have been useful to many of the young.

An inspiration to younger

generations:

When it would be announced that young

Mr. Austin D’Souza Prabhu from

Mangalore is chief guest, everyone went

with enthusiasm. And dashing Austin

D’Souza came forward to speak, the young

simply hung from his lips, many still

remember his gestures, jokes, the new

generation he was an instant role model and

Receiving honor from Rev. Fr. William Gonsalves during Melvin Peris Nite organized by

Sangeeth Ghar at the Don Bosco Hall, Mangalore in 1981.

Receiving Award from Mother Teresa in

Mangalore in 1981. Late Blasius D'Souza

is also seen.



hero, even though he often said he was a

zero.

Austin is really a dynamic personality,

a one only in a generation. Managing and

editing 3 well known publications

simultaneously at one point in Mangalore

can be seen as a real feat. His organizational

skills proved to be extraordinary during the

'Tyagi Bill' activism. He managed to wake

up most sleeping Mangalorean Catholics

of Mangalore Diocese. The protest he

engineered was a runaway success like

many of his rally's and activities. His book

for youth ‘Adarsh Yuvazonn’ was truly

inspiring. He has penned all his youthful

knowledge in this one book. The Dynamic

leader, actor and popular writer that Austin

Prabhu was reflects even to this day. Dr

Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikaari at

Dharmasthala, recently too hailed the

services of Austin through Lions

International and presented with him

‘Abode of Dharma – Dharmasthala’

(Pictorial Information Book) and a

memorial medal. His leadership is

recognized all over the world and recently

he has been named as the “International

Konkani Icon” at the program held at the

Milagres College, Kallianpur by Valley

Quadras where prominent Konkani writers

gathered.

Words from his heart never to be

forgotten, that one must stand on 'your own

feet, do not lean on others'. You never know

when they are going to leave you without

giving you any notice. Do not be a selfish,

spare some time, wealth and energy to uplift

community, those who are in need. Even

if you spend one penny out of your dollar,

you are not going to lose out. Make one

soul happier in this world at least. Come

out of the box and look around this world,

unity in diversity is to be admired. Nothing

is impossible in this world - one-step at a

time can take you to the moon. Austin

always insists never had any godfathers to

push him over the ladder in life. Give to

yourself respect and challenges and always

be positive, adopt positive thinking. Name

and fame follow automatically those who

are sincere and hard working. Never say

that you have no time.

“Make some time and learn to live for

others; do not be a selfish human being by

spending time and money just for you, your

wife, your kids, your TV and your

Dr Austin Prabhu was felicitated by Konkani Writers and Artists Association in city last year

internet.” It is not life, but a prison.

Motivate all those you can to be more

community oriented. Remember, money

is not everything in this world. The smile

you see on a face when you help someone,

will show you the way to heaven.

His youngest daughter Angel, had

sometime given him these lines, she had

said of her dad, 'He is my Hero' which in

many ways speaks well and covers some

points to conclude this :

H is for humbleness. Having the ability

to help others without needing credit and

helping someone because you can and not

because for pride.

E is for energy. Going to meetings and

fundraisers that run late into the night still

getting up at 4:30 for work and doing it all

with a smile.

R is for rare. Possessing qualities rare

that distinguish you from the rest and make

you unique.

O is for open. Sending off vibes making

you more appealing, significantly more

approachable and open.

Those four qualities may spell HERO,

but to many, like Angel, stand for Austin

D’Souza Prabhu, a father figure, to

remember forever.n

Compiled by I J SALDANHA-SHET

Dr Austin Prabhu along with Mr. & Mrs. T. A. Pai, then the Union Minister for Railways and

Heavy Industry being the chief guests on the occasion of Konkani Day Celebrations organised

by Konkani Bhasha Mandal (R), Karnataka on March 15, 1981 at the Don Bosco Hall in city.



PPPPPOETICOETICOETICOETICOETIC LICENSELICENSELICENSELICENSELICENSE

MANGALORE TODAY CROSSWORD

Poems by MAMTA PATHAK

LearningLong is the path of seer learning

Leaving, healing and zeal-feeling

Moving on the path of the moral

to achieve & heighten the morale.

Learning the tit-bits of kerb-drill

till being highly eminent and still.

Learning the pitch of pronunciation

till knowing the art of great elocution.

Learning all the time to give and take

For all the sympathy's & empathy's sake.

Learning the lore of worldly alphabet

Till empiricism and insight we do get.

From the rudiments of life and strife

towards the cosmic light to afterlife.

Since the day one of the human birth

till the soul departs and regains berth

We do keep on moving and moving...

We do keep on learning and learning.

WordsMind thinks of heart

And heart searches its soul

Soul gets soothed

When meets thee alone

Spell sweet words, it can heal the pain

Unsaid words do increase the pain

Pain of body can be seen and healed

Pain of heart remains concealed

Pains do hurt, it is the fact unveiled

And increased if loving words fail

It's good to let words express

If kept deeper, it feeds stress

Gracious words do heal the soul

Unsaid words make a hole

Words give way to one's hidden thought

Words of love are life to the rot.

MemoryO Memory! Slowly and softly you come

Subtle is 'he' but present, though

The shower of his love is still felt

Let me feel his gentle touch

And be with him in the cosmic world.

O Memory! Wait and don't go

Reflect my desires being thy mirror

My dancing heart denies being slow

My loving song needs a rhythmic ground

He adorns my smile with love and its glow.

Songs of togetherness were sung by us

Unsung souls dwelled in togetherness.

O Memory! You penetrate my heart

But 'his' presence in you is the sweetest part

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14

15 16

17

18 19 20 21

22

23 24 25 26

27 28 29

30 31 32

33 34 Solutions on page no. 48

ACROSS

1. Converse (4)

3. Surpass (8)

6. Stickleback (7)

9. Daring (5)

12. Breach (4)

14. Slippery person (3)

15. Unhappy (9)

17. Advance payment (4)

18. Forest tree (3)

19. Crawled (5)

21. Young boy (3)

22. Operatic song (4)

23. Groundless hope (9)

27. Droop (3)

29. Holm-oak (4)

30. Rubbed skin (5)

31. Forecastes race results (7)

33. Frame of mind (8)

34. Coupling (4)

DOWN

1. Emblem of clan (5)

2. Small child (3)

3. Musical drama (5)

4. Pleased, happy (9)

5. Rescue (4)

7. Dismiss (9)

8. Curved bone (3)

10. Loathsome (9)

11. Large antelope (5)

13. Flutter (4)

16. Receptive (9)

18. Aggregate (5)

20. Abuse (4)

24. Favourite (3)

25. Banish (5)

26. Blend together (5)

28. Female relative (4)

32. Double agent (3)


PPPPPICTURESQUEICTURESQUEICTURESQUEICTURESQUEICTURESQUE

"It was a rewarding, thrilling and most

unforgettable experience." This is how K

Balakrishna, a Professor in the Department

of Civil Engineering, MIT describes his

Antarctica Expedition. And of course, he

has every reason to

cheer. Prof.

Balakrishna was the

only scientist from a

deemed-to-be private

university to be part

of a group of

scientists which had a

golden opportunity to

stay at Bharati and

Maitri, India's bases

at Antarctica.

He spent a whole

95 days at Antarctica

as part of the expedition organised by

the National Centre for Antarctica and

Ocean Research, a Goa based research

institute of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

His task at the expedition was to obtain

a baseline of the micro-pollutants like

pharmaceuticals, personal care products

and other naturally occurring metals in the

Rewarding

Expeditionseawater, sea-ice,

lakes, sediments and soil of the region.

And how did they travel around for

the sampling works ? They had a skidoo

or snow scooter and helicopter for this

work. The over 100 samples which Prof

Balakrishna thus collected are presently

being analysed at the Manipal College of

Pharmaceutical Sciences laboratory.

Rock On ....Music is at the heart of K2's Rock On- a music

club with a difference founded in the city early this

year. All that one needs to be a part of this club is

love for music.

Members get a platform for exposure of their

musical talents at least once a month as part of a

special programme organised the club.

Dynamic couple Kamlesh H

Baldev and Komal are the founders

of this Club which incidentally does

not charge any fee from its members.

Practice sessions are held at the office

space of Kamlesh at Saibeen Complex.

What started as an informal practice

group in the beginning gradually took

the shape of a club which now has

23 members, each a unique talent in

his or her own way.

Mini concerts are organised by the Club and

the latest was held at Bhagini Samaj Orphanage

while the maiden event was held at Donut Magic

followed by another programme at Empire Mall

on Valentine's day.


PPPPPICTURESQUEICTURESQUEICTURESQUEICTURESQUEICTURESQUE

A few years ago, a young lad had

broken the University record

in Weight lifting. Today, he

is India's pride after

winning its first medal in

the Commonwealth

Games at Gold Coast in

Australia. That this

spirited youngster hails

from our very own

coastal district has

doubled the joy.

No matter his

silver medal, 23 year

old Gururaja

Poojary has turned

out to be the Golden

Boy for his home town

Vandse in Kundapur

taluk which is elated on his

achievements just as his proud

father Mahabala Poojary, a truck

driver by profession and mother Paddu

Poojarty.

Ask him how he entered the weight

lifting field, he would reply with a

broad grin that he indeed dreamt to

Sterling

Performer

be a wrestler after seeing Sushil

Kumar lift the bronze in the 2008

Olympics. It was his coach at SDM

College, Ujire, Rajendra Prasad who

noticed the talent in this boy and

pushed him into weight lifting and

today he has lived upto the

expectations of his coach.

Gururaja did his primary

schooling in Vandse and later

completed his PU from Sri

Mookambika Institutions in

Kollur before joining SDM

College in Ujire.

With big dreams

before him, this young

weight lifter who is

employed with the

Indian Air Force is

now the cynosure of

all eyes. He has

worked hard to reach this level and

hopes to further improve his

performance in the years to come.

Her name is Bhavya Rani. True to

her name Bhavya, she has a glorious

vision to convert Karnataka into an

open-defecation free state. She can be

considered the true cleanliness

ambassador-for such is her zeal

towards building toilets in villages. As

of now, she has succeeded n

constructing 662 toilets in Tumakuru

and Bellary districts and is relentlessly

pursuing her mission through her

Shine India NGO.

Hailing from Ananthady in

Bantwal, she is the daughter of a

retired school teacher Chandrappa

Master. After her graduation from

Vivekananda College, Puttur and

MSW from Alva's College, Moodbidri

she started working for Swasti, an

NGO in Bengaluru.

It was a visit to Shettigondanahalli

in Turuvekere taluk of Tumkur for a

friend's wedding that changed the

course of her life. Realising that there

were no toilets in the entire village,

she was determined to do something

to alleviate the sufferings of the

people. Armed with self-confidence

she quit her job and with the help of

her savings returned to

Shettigondahalli from where she

launched her mission of constructing

toilets. Since 2015, the mission is

carried out through her NGO Shine

India.

Her campaign has resulted in

construction of 432 toilets in

Shettigondanahalli, 51 in Dibbada

Hatti of Shira taluk and 179 toilets in

BM Sugur village.

An inspiring achievement.

Bantwal is proud of its daughter and

her mission.

Champion of Cleanliness


BHARTHANATYAM IN THE

Christian circles of Mangaluru is

better accepted at celebrations. On

Easter Sunday, April 1, the city's famous

Town hall was packed to capacity, a

revolutionary solo Bharatanatyam

performance to project the message of Jesus

Christ from the Bible for the first time, by

a brilliant exponent immensely impressed

the huge turnout of admirers. The

performance was superb. It was a unique

full-fledged solo performance on Bible

episodes depicted through the ancient Indian

dance form. Vidwat Ruth Prithika, the

artiste, said the output is the efforts put in

by her teacher Vidyashree Radhakrishna,

her parents Dr Roshan Maben and Dr E V

S Maben and her own practice for months

and that she would put in all possible effort

to take this concept forward in the Christian

world.

mudras created to depict Jesus and his

symbolism were indeed edifying. All 5

parts were carefully created in accordance

with the Natya kala and culture defining a

spiritual path too. Padam was from John's

gospels and Kirthana depicted genuinely the

feelings of the Samaritan woman by the well

and was a moving experience. Thillana was

very special and spell binding taken from

Mark in the Bible. The scope for Bible

variations is truly vast.

“At Easter this is a very exclusive way

to make Christ's word better known and

reflect on it through my God given talents

and capacity,” said Ruth Prithika, a third-

year computer science engineering student.

While the concept is yet unknown, the

enthusiastic experts ensured that the

performance adhered to the traditional

forms of Bharathanatyam, the 'Margam' -

path. “There was no change in style. We

introduced the concept in the content,” Ruth

said. According to Ruth, it was her father

who spear headed the idea. Her music

'Guru' gave the lyrics a poetic form, and

arranged the music recorded from

internationally-recognized artistes in

A unique Bharatanatyam recital on the Biblical themes offaith, hope and love shown by Jesus Christ himself to

mankind, writes I J Saldanha-Shet.

‘Kristha Patha’Bharathanatyam based on Bible

‘Kristha Patha’ Performance: The

two-hour performance showcased the

essence of the Bible, from the Book of

Genesis to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

in all five compositions of the dance form.

A unique Bharatanatyam recital on the

Biblical themes of faith, hope and love

shown by Jesus Christ himself to mankind.

The repertoire begins with a Pushpanjali

based on the seven days of creation,

followed by the birth of Jesus, His

ministries, His sacrifice on the cross and

resurrection. It ends with a message that

the risen Christ continues to dwell in the

hearts of mankind, guiding them in the path

of righteousness. All the dance

compositions are within the framework of

a Bharathanatyam 'Margam' or path. Fresh

FFFFFEAEAEAEAEATURETURETURETURETURE


Bengaluru, and choreographed the

performance. It is indeed an effort that

spells out the laudable dedication and

commitment of all involved. Guru

Vidyashree said the biggest challenge was

that unlike depicting Shiva and Krishna,

whose mudras are prescribed in

Bharatanatyam, she had to create mudras

and steps suiting Jesus. “We had to start

from scratch. We were able to do it, and I

am glad people appreciated it immensely.”

Mangaluru Bishop Rev Dr Aloysius

Paul D’Souza, CSI Dakshina Prantha

retired Bishop Rev Dr C L Furtado and

senior art critic Prathibha Samaga were the

chief guests. Rev Dr. C L Furtado who

gave a touching picture of Vidushi Ruth as

she grew to this level before his very eyes

over the years said that indeed this is a gift

of God and endorsed and reiterated the

Indian perfection in Christianity. All

expressed high appreciation on Vid. Ruth's

enterprise and the spiritual commitment.

Catholic Bishop Rev Dr. A P D'Souza, said

that while the Christian communities were

projected as strongly Western oriented, this

makes an impact to the contrary and such

efforts must increase and grow in keeping

with our Indian-ness. A Yakshagana

episode on “Yesu Krista Mahathme” was

presented way back in 1976, it was

developed to a very good extent, which was

later translated into English and German

languages and taken overseas. A book on

it was published in 2017.

About Vidushi Ruth Prithika: Ruth

has been learning Bharathanatyam since the

tender age of five. She has successfully

completed her Vidwath exam in

Bharathanatyam and in Carnatic music. She

has performed with the Gaana Nritya

Academy at various stages in and around

the country. She has also performed at the

Doordarshan studio in Delhi for Prasar

Bharati during the ABU Dance festival in

2016. She is also been trained in Kathak

and Odissi dance forms through the

Academy.

Ruth hitched her wagon to the stars and

enthralled audiences and judges in various

district, state and national level programmes

and competitions. Along with other artistes

of GNA, Ruth performed for Doordarshan,

New Delhi, sculpting for herself the stature

of National Level Artiste. Complementing

the dance form is her prowess in violin and

piano. The highest echelon of

accomplishment is her academic brilliance

in her educational pursuit of Engineering

Degree at NMAMIT, Nitte after her earlier

education at St. Theresa’s and Lourdes

Central Schools Mangaluru.

Vidhushi Ruth Prithika is the first to

get the superior title of "Vidhushi" in the

Protestant Christian community (CSI).

Church of South India -CSI, is the successor

of the regions illustrious 'Basel Mission',

which arrived with the German

Missionaries on the shores of Mangalore

at Old Bunder on October 30, 1834. Ever

since then the community mainly consisting

of Tuluva and Kannadiga local people, have

contributed tremendously to the local ethos

and languages. The German missionaries

in the region gained high prominence and

are known for the first indigenous Schools,

News Papers, printing presses, trade

schools, dictionaries and books and

Mangalore tiles and so on - the blend of

Christian culture that is truly unique and

continuing.

Presently in this fast paced world of

consumerism and materialism, well-

informed and clear sighted youth, blessed

with worthwhile talents can be the

ambassadors of change and ensure the

health of a society. Ruth, undoubtedly, is

one such youngster and if she is in the right

place, at the right time, she can create

wonders in many spheres and in the

magical and mystical world of

Bharathanatyam.n

FFFFFEAEAEAEAEATURETURETURETURETURE


Probe into Udupi

DC attack case

makes no headwayIt has been a year since Udupi Deputy

Commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis and Kundapur

Assistant Commissioner Shilpa Nag were attacked

by a group of around 50 persons allegedly belonging

to the sand mafia. The incident had occurred on April 2, 2017 at Kandlur in Kundapur

taluk when the DC and the AC had been to an illegal sand extraction site in the area and

at Halnadu following complaints from the members of the general public.

The team of officials which had first raided Halnad had later proceeded to Kandlur on

the banks of Varahi at around 12.15 when a group of over 50 people intercepted the

vehicles of the officials and attempted to assault them.

The officials had subsequently lodged a complaint at the Udupi town police following

which as many as 26 to 30 accused including a minor were arrested. One accused

Bhasker Mogaveera had got himself admitted to hospital with severed fingers. The

incident had even sparked protests by various organisations and political parties.

In connection with the incident, the Tahsildar had ordered extradition of five workers

of Uttar Pradesh origin. The parents of the arrested had even staged protest in front of

the station alleging innocents were arrested. The then Udupi DySP Kumaraswamy had

filed a charge sheet before the Public Prosecutor and the same is under review and will

be submitted to the court. All accused have been presently been released on bail.

Five eminent achievers namely P

Jayaram Bhat, non-executive chairman of

Karnataka Bank, V Ravichandran, CEO

of Diya Systems, Dr K V Rao, Director,

Pilikula Regional Science Centre, Joseph

Gonsalves, chief traffic warden and

entrepreneur Jeevan Saldanha were

honoured with the 'Eminent Aloysian

Alumni Awards' at a function held at the

L F Rasquinha Hall of St Aloysius College

recently. The function was hosted by the

St Aloysius Institution and St Aloysius

College Alumni Association.

Speaking after receiving the honour,

Jayaram Bhat said he was proud to be an

Aloysian and hailed Aloysius as an

institution that imparts quality education

without any bias thereby helping students

reach higher positions.

V Ravichandran, CEO of Diya

systems who also spoke said this was a

special day for him and recalled that his

father served as a teacher in Aloysius

Five achievers conferred Eminent Aloysian Alumni Awards

institution for 35 years. He also stated that

the Award would further motivate him.

Other awardees namely Dr K V Rao,

Joe Gonsalves and Jeevan Saldanha also

spoke.

Principal of St Aloysius College Fr

Praveen Martis said the institution was

proud of its alumni who are a role model

for the younger generation. Patron of St

Aloysius Alumni Association Dr

Dionysius Vaz, its President Archibald

Menezes and others were present.

Elephant herd near

Sullia panic localsA herd of elephants is camping on the

banks of Payaswini river at Bhasmadka

sending waves of panic among people. In

case they succeed in crossing the river, then

there is the possibility of the elephants

entering Devarakaliya, Kuntinadka,

Kerpala and other places.

There are a total of eight elephants

including five baby elephants. Meanwhile,

forest staff are camping on the other side to

ensure that the elephants do not cross the river

and enter mainland. It is said the place where

the elephants are at present is a low lying

area. The elephants have to climb to enter

the forest which is in an elevated area. As

soon as the baby elephants succeed in this

regard, the elephants may move away, say

forest officials. It is believed that the same

herd of elephants were responsible for going

on rampage in agricultural fields at Narkodu,

Enavar, Mandekolu and other places recently.

HHHHHAPPENINGSAPPENINGSAPPENINGSAPPENINGSAPPENINGS


MRPL commissions

largest solar power

project in a refinery siteMRPL has successfully commissioned

the largest solar power project at a refinery

site in the country. The solar power project

with a total capacity of 6.063 MWp is

spread across 34 roof-tops within the

refinery premises comprising both RCC and

sloping sheet steel roofs. Built at a cost of

Rs.27 crores by M/s Tata Power Solar

Systems Limited, these solar plants generate

more than 24,000 units per day amounting

to more than 8.8 million units per annum.

This is a part of MRPL’s commitment

to sustainable development with a focus on

reduction in carbon emissions and

renewable energy generation.

A press communique from MRPL

informs that the solar project results in an

annual savings of about 2,680 tonnes of oil

equivalent and reduction in CO2 emissions

by about 7,000 tonnes.

A special postal cover brought out by India Post to commemorate the birth

centenary of renowned surgeon late Dr M P Pai was released by M Jagadish Pai,

Senior Superintendent of Mangaluru Head Post Office at a function held recently.

Dr Mangaluru Panduranga Pai who was popularly known as Dr M P Pai was the

founder Chairman of the first post graduate department (general surgery) in KMC

and was also the first doctor from the district who received the prestigious Dr B C

Roy awardee.

Dr B M Hegde, Vice Chancellor MAHE was the chief guest. Dr M Venkatraya

Prabhu, Dean of KMC, Mangaluru who was also the guest of honour spoke about

the achievements of late Dr Pai who prioritized research and was instrumental in

setting up research labs at the KMC Building at Light House.

Senior Post Master L Prakash, Urologist and Philatelist Dr GG Lakshman

Prabhu and others were present.

Vipul Kumar is new city Police CommissionerVipul Kumar, an IPS officer of

1999 batch has taken charge as the new

Police Commissioner of Mangaluru

from outgoing Commissioner T R

Suresh.

Hailing from Jehanabad in Bihar,

Vipul Kumar is an M.Tech degree

holder. He has earlier served as IGP

and Director of Karnataka Police

Academy in Mysuru. Along with the

posting of Commissioner of Mangaluru

City he will also be handling the post

of IGP Western Range.

The new City Police Commissioner

has said that it would be his utmost

priority to ensure polls are held peacefully in all the three assembly constituencies

coming under the Commissionerate limits.

Special Postal cover releasedto commemorate Dr M P Pai birth centenary

Convict in rape case

on minor hurls shoes

at Public ProsecutorA person who was convicted in a rape

case on a minor, hurled shoes as well as

abuses against the Special Public

Prosecutor in the case just as the Udupi

District Special POCSO Court pronounced

the quantum of punishment to the person

on April 12. The court had sentenced him

to 20 years jail and a fine of Rs 25,000.

The convict is Prashanth Kulal alias

Pachhu alias Mani (32), who sexually

abused a 15 year old girl from Kundapur

on 17-2-2013. The then Circle Inspector

Diwaker had field the chargesheet, A total

of 15 witnesses were heard in the case.

Just before the court could pronounce

the quantum of punishment the Special

Public Prosecutor had sought maximum

punishment to Prashanth as he was an

accused in several other cases too. This

is learnt to have angered Prashanth

resulting in the incident.



Karnataka Bank which has surpassed a total business turnover of Rs 1.10 lakh crores

as on March 31, 2018 is targeting a business turnover Rs. 1,30,000 crores comprising

of deposits of Rs. 72,000 crores and advances of Rs. 58,000 crores for the financial

year 2018-19, said Bank's Managing Director and CEO Mahabaleshwara M S.

Addressing a meeting of the bank staff recently, he highlighted the Bank’s business

performance during the financial year 2017-18 and rolled out the business agenda for

the new financial year 2018-19.

“As per the provisional figures for the financial year ended March 2018, the Bank

has achieved a new business high of Rs. 1,10,440 crore business turnover registering

a growth rate of 17.82% on year – on – year basis. The advances of the Bank increased

from Rs. 37,004 crores to Rs. 47,564 crores in the FY 2017-18 registering a growth of

28.54% over the corresponding period of the previous year. The deposits of the Bank

also grew from Rs. 56,733 crores to Rs. 62,876 crores in the FY 2017-18 registering

a growth of 10.83% over the corresponding period of the previous year," he said.

Karnataka Bank business turnover

crosses Rs 1.10 lakh crores

Mangalore United clinches

MPL Cricket TrophyThe Mangalore United team owned by

MLA Moidin Bava has clinched the

Mangalore Premier League Cricket

Trophy by registering an easy victory of

8 wickets against Karkala Gladiators.

Batting first the Karkala Gladiators

was bundled out for 72 runs in 16.1 overs.

The Mangalore United reached the

winning target in 9.1 overs by losing only

2 wickets in the final match held at B.R.

Ambedkar Stadium, Panambur

Mangalore. This tournament was jointly

organized by the Brand Vision Events,

Mangalore Occasionals and Sea Bird

Cricket Academy with the approval and

guidance of Karnataka State Cricket

Association.

The Winners received a Trophy and

cash prize of Rs.6,00,000 whereas runners-

up received a trophy with a cash prize of

Rs.3,00,000. Prizes were distributed by

Alex Lewis of DNI company, the main

sponsor of the tournament. Manohar Amin,

Convener, KSCA Mangalore Zone was

present among others.

"No government should be the

advocator of any particular religion. A

democratically elected government should

work for the welfare of all sections, while

the task of construction of mutts and

mandirs should be left to those in the

religious field," said senior actor Prakash

Rai.

He was speaking as a chief guest at the

Democracy Day programme organised by

the Karnataka Dalita Sangharsha Samithi

(Prof. Krishnappa founded) at Town Hall

recently.

The communal incidents that have taken

place in the district due to some selfish

people have tainted the image of the district,

regretted Prakash Rai. He also pointed out

how some people were misinterpreting

Hinduism. "Though criticisms are an

Those who question are threatened, regrets Prakash Rai

integral part of democracy, at present those

who question are threatened," he said.

"The Constitution of India drafted by

Dr B R Ambedkar has a noble intention of

peaceful co-existence of people of all

languages and religion. But the attitude of

the BJP seems to be contradicting this," he

said. DK District unit President of DSS

Raghu K Ekkar presided over the function.

State Organising Convenor M Devadas

inaugurated the programme. Prof Narendra

Nayak, President of Federation of Indian

Rationalists' Association, Jyothi Chelyar,

lecturer, DSS Women's wing Convenor

Sarojini nad others were present.

As part of Jana Kala Mela a colourful

procession was also taken out from

Bavutagudda to Town Hall.



The legal profession is

service oriented

profession and not a

business, said Supreme

Court judge Justice Abdul

Nazeer.

He was speaking after

releasing "Kanoonu

Peethada Olumeya

Osarugalu" based on the

experiences of senior

advocate Thonse

Narayana Poojary. The

book brought out by

Akruthi Ashaya Publications was released at a function held at SDM Law College recently.

Justice Nazeer said the profession of law should never be commercialised. He also

expressed his resentment against the practice of many to opt for legal profession as a part

time profession while engaging in other businesses.

Former advocate general B V Acharya, who presided over the function, said the

legal profession is a very respectable profession which aims at ensuring justice to the

clients. It should be considered as a service activity, he added

Veteran writer Erya Lakshminarayana Alva was present as a chief guest. Kallur

Nagesh and Ravindra Ullal of Akrithi Ashaya Publications were honoured.

Author Tonse Narayana Poojary was present among others.

Journalists should engage

in learning along with their

profession as it only helps in

widening their horizons of

knowledge but will also him

them in accurate reporting,

said Dr M Mohan Alva,

Chairman of Alva's

Foundation.

He was speaking after

releasing "Raja Nota"

authored by veteran journalist

P B Harish Rai at a function

held at Patrika Bhavan in the city. The book provides an insight into the election history

of the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi right from 1952 to 2014.

SCDCC Bank Chairman M N Rajendra Kumar, Chief of Udayavani Mangaluru

Bureau Manohar Prasad and Patrika Bhavan Trust President K Anand Shetty were the

chief guests.

Author P B Harish Rai, Kallur Nagesh of Akruthi Ashaya Publications, Srinivas

Indaje, Secretary of District Working Journalists' Union and others were present.

Legal profession is a service, not

a business: Justice Abdul Nazeer

"Raja Nota" by journalist Harish Rai released

Biodosimetry Lab

inaugurated at KSHEMAThe Biodosimetry Lab set up at

KSHEMA under the aegis of Nitte Deemed

University was inaugurated recently by Dr

Ajay Kumar Singh, Director of Institute of

Nuclear Medicine and Applied Sciences

(INMAS), New Delhi. Speaking on the

occasion, Dr Singh said India presently has

three recognised Biodosimetry labs and that

Nitte lab could also get the status of a

recognised lab provided it registers highly

qualitative achievements.

This lab set up with the co-operation

of INMAS is a radiation diagnostic lab for

radiation over exposure among medical

professionals and participates in building

national and international capacity of

Biodosimetry service for handling medical

radiation energy. This diagnostic

information will also help in prediction of

short term and long term health

consequences of radiation exposure.

Row over authorship of

voter awareness songThe confusion over the authorship of

the poem penned to create voter awareness

on behalf of the District SVEEP Committee

has ended with Yakshagana Bhagavatha and

the singer of the song Patla Satish Shetty

issuing a clarification.

Shetty has said that he had lent his voice

for the song after compering the music

for the song as per the request of DK ZP

CEO and District SVEEP Committee

Chairman Dr M R Ravi.

He said the original song was penned

by Dr M R Ravi who sent it to him and that

he has used the pallavi or the first two lines

of the song which has been completed by

using the lyrics penned by another writer

Kadri Navaneeth Shetty. The song has the

lyrics of both MR Ravi and Kadri

Navaneeth Shetty, clarified Patla Satish

Shetty.

Lack of communication was the reason

for the confusion as to who authored the

song, Patla Satish Shetty further stated.



V Mohan Rao, retired deputy chief manager of Bank of

India (Chennai Branch), legal expert and author, giving

a talk on “Non-Performing Assets And Frauds of Public

Sector Banks” to the Commerce, Business Management

and Economics students at the Dr. B.B. Hegde First Grade

College, Kundapur recently.

(Right:) He also delivered a talk on ‘Non-Performing

Assets of Public Sector Banks and Modern Banking’ to

the Commerce and Business Management students at

the Bhandarkar’s Arts and Science College, Kundapur.

The second edition of the four day

Nitte International Film Festival held at

Bharath Cinemas at Bharath Mall in

Mangaluru showcased critically acclaimed

cinema from across India and the world

to the public in Mangaluru, while

providing a platform for film-makers and

film-viewers to have a conversation.

Organised by Nitte-Deemed-to-be

University (Nitte University) the Festival

was declared open the eminent film maker

and playwright Sadananda Suvarna.

In his inaugural address, Sadananda

Suvarna said "There is no dearth of

spectators in theatres. When there are

good films, naturally people are attracted

towards movies and theatres," he added.

Dr Satish Kumar Bhandary, Vice

Chancellor of Nitte University presided

over the function. Prof Raviraj Kini,

Organiser of the event and Head of the

Department of Journalism and

Communications, Nitte University,

Student Co-ordinator Maitreya

Deshapande were present among others.

Nitte International Film Festival thrills

Mangaluru with critically acclaimed cinemas

As many as 40 filmmakers too attended

the festival wherein over 60 films across

various Indian languages, including

Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam,

Marathi, Gujarati and Odia along with a

few Chinese, French and Czech movies

were screened. Three screens at Bharath

Cinemas were dedicated to the Festival

films.

The National Film Award winning

Hindi film Mukti Bhawan (2016, Special

Jury Award), Village Rockstars (Best

Film, Best Editing), Thondimuthalum

Driksakshiyum (Best Malayalam film,

Best Original Screenplay), Mayurakshi

(Best Bengali Film), Dhh (Best Gujarati

Film) and To Let (Best Tamil Film) were

screened as part of the Festival.

Valiant young soldier from

Neranki gets rousing

reception at hometownA young

soldier Zubair M

hailing from

Neranki in

Bajattur village of

Kadaba taluk who

made his home

district as well as

state proud by being a part of the CRPF

team that valiantly fought against the

Lashkar-e-Taiba militants who were in

hiding in a building at Srinagar in

February, was given a rousing reception

by people of his hometown recently.

Local youth celebrated the occasion by

taking out Zubair in a procession in an

open jeep.



SubscribeThe only English monthly of DK & Udupi

SUBSCRIBE for 3 YEARSAND SAVE RS. 220/-

For 1 year Rs. 200/- (12 issues including postage, against cover price of Rs. 240/- [Rs. 20/- per copy])

For 2 years : Rs. 350/-, 3 years : Rs. 500/-)

YES I would like to subscribe to MANGALORE TODAY. Please post it to me at the following address.

Name : ..................................................................

Address : ..................................................................

...................................................................................

State...........................................................................

Country:.......................................................................

Mail the form to: The Circulation Manager, MANGALORE TODAY

26/27 Venkataramana Bldg.,Car Street, MANGALORE - 575 001.

Subscription for any country other than India:

Rs. 1600/- including postage for 12 issues

Please issue the cheque/DD in favour of MANGALORE TODAY

payable at Mangalore

My cheque / DD No. ...................................................................

Date : ........................................................................................

for Rs. drawn on .........................................................

..................................................................................................

is enclosed herewith ...................................................................

The only English monthly of DK & Udupi

PINCODE:

PAYRs. 500

Rs. 200/- per year


IF ONE GOES BY THE HISTORY OF

India, it will indeed be pathetic to note

that from time immemorial India was

subject to loot of its resources by the

Moghul Emperors, followed by the British

rulers. Land was then the primary source

of power during the Moghul rule. The

emperor was the sole owner of every inch

of land. He distributed its revenue in return

for payment of royalty. The trend now

depicted that scams ruled the roost and the

misdeeds of the persons involved grew

more boldly disheartening the common

citizen.

The 2G scandal took nearly 3 years to

bear a scam in the collective psyche. Even

though the Court has acquitted all the

accused the scars will never go away though

they might fade In India scams results in a

few arrests made and they are subsequently

bailed out by virtue of their subtlety and

then they are back to rhetoric. Going by

of governance is recognized by the

management of crisis. But sadly the

Governance in the Banking industry has

failed miserably. The Punjab National Bank

fiasco is a symbol of merciless greed and

has become a national by word more due

to the apathy of the bank, Reserve Bank of

India and the Government in not protecting

the interests of the bank. The response of

the concerned authorities for the endless

scandals in banks is not due to Mark

Antony's exoneration of the assassination

of Julies Ceaser "Wove to the hand that

shed the costly blood". It is attributed to

the flawed disputable report of the auditors

and system failure for exoneration A less

complacent lot in the banking sector could

have seen the approaching fire storm in the

Punjab National Bank and also in other

banks but they chose to show a Nelson's

eye to the matter. There goes a saying that

familiarity is not synonymous with

certainty. The PNB scam has become a

national by word not only because of the

mind boggling amount involved but also

because the Bank, Reserve Bank of India,

the Government and auditors were

suspected of having compromised the Banks

strength. The mind boggling figure kept in

his closet by the borrower is a symbol of

merciless greed in a culture of elitist loot.

A fissiparous tendency of the borrowers

with money and power has played a decisive

role in the loot of the banks. PNB is already

saddled with gross Non Performing Assets

amounting to Rs. 57519/- crore on

December 31, 2017. Incidentally the PNB

had almost turned the corner posting a net

The high profile loot of Public Sector Banks

the Court verdicts it is alleged our

investigating authorities have presented a

weak case and the court has acquitted all

the accused for lack of evidence or the

prosecution has failed to prove the charges

beyond doubt The inference in this case

appears that the scams were either bogus

or the Government did not put in genuine

efforts to reach at a positive conclusion.

The Judge may be correct when he said the

prosecution did not produce substantial

evidence and he waited for months for it.

However it is felt that the Judge could have

ordered the CBI or the Government to

produce substantial evidence in the

intervening period.

Tackling corruption in India is akin to

fighting a cancer that has spread into the

very vitals of our Governance. The quality

CA

RT

OO

N C

OU

RT

ESY

: SA

TIS

H A

CH

AR

YA

Strict pecuniary action needs to be taken against all responsible for the

mind boggling loss as this is not a peccadillo, writes V Mohan Rao

VVVVVIEWPOINTIEWPOINTIEWPOINTIEWPOINTIEWPOINT


profit of Rs. 1325/- crore in 2016-17 as

against a net loss of Rs. 3974/- crore in the

previous fiscal. But the present fiasco has

taken a heavy toll on the bank where shares-

are reported to have fallen 30 per cent as

on February 2018, culminating in eroding

nearly Rs. 11000/- crore of its market cap.

There is more than that meets the eye in

the instant case. It is alleged that a scam of

such magnitude would not have been

possible without the connivance of some

top officials of the bank. There are several

reasons why a borrowal account becomes

a Non Performing Asset. One of them is

the flouting the laid down norms. It is

incumbent on the banker to make discreet

enquires when huge withdrawals are made

in the account or where the borrower is

requesting for Letter of Understanding

(LOUS) for raising huge amounts. In the

instant case the banker ignored the alarm

bells. The scam was in vogue and remained

importing pearls and diamonds for making

jewellery. The borrowers intention of

raising overseas capital was due to

availability of cheaper loan with interest at

about 3.5% when compared to loans in

India with interest rate as high as 10%. An

LOU is normally issued for 90 days which

is guaranteed by the issuing bank, in the

instant case the issuing bank is PNB which

agreed to pay the full amount in case the

borrower defaulted in repaying the amount.

The normal procedure in such cases would

be to secure the loan by collateral security

worth 100% value of the guarantee issued

by the bank. It is alleged that the Deputy

Manager connived with officials of the

borrower's firms without obtaining

collateral security thereby flouting RBI

norms. A very serious and deliberate lapse

indeed. The amount totalling to about Rs.

11400/¬crore was transferred by way of

messages by PNB on SWIFT (Society for

exposed on change of guard at PNB who

demanded 110% value of collaterals which

the firms refused. The argument of the firms

was that the Bank had never asked for such

collaterals when the earlier LOU was

sanctioned to them. It was then, realized

(late realization) that the firms had cheated

and defrauded the Bank substantially.

Investigations are in full swing with arrests

of some junior officials of the PNB. It is

pertinent to note that the banks which

transferred money into PNB's nostro

account continued to discount LOUS despite

their failure to check whether there was

movement of goods or shipping documents.

It is also incumbent on the part of the branch

auditors to verify such transactions. The

branch manager is required to review the

SWIFT transaction register. LOUS issued

by banks need to be sent to RBI every

quarter. In the instant case it is reported/

alleged that all these procedures were

The high profile loot of Public Sector Banksundetected by the Bank, its internal and

external auditors as well as the R.B.I.

auditors besides the concurrent auditors. A

concurrent auditor checks all the

transactions on a day to day basis and

submits a report at the end of the day which

is signed by both the concurrent auditors

and the Manager of the Bank's Branch. It

is thereafter sent to the head office /

controlling authority. Ironically the auditor

reports to the controlling authority directly

and hence cannot be influenced. But in the

PNB's case the transactions skipped the

bank's core banking net work.

The modus oprandi of the

borrower in swindling the bank

The sister concern or firms promoted

by the borrower Mr. Nirav Modi

approached and requested the PNB Officials

to issue them Letters of Undertaking

(LOUS) that would enable them, to raise

overseas capital for their business of

World Wide Inter Bank Financial

Telecommunication - a global provider for

secured financial messaging services) to the

overseas branches of host banks by

overstepping PNB's Core Banking System

(CBS) which in the normal course would

have reflected the transactions. The foreign

branches of Indian banks transfer the money

to the nostro account of PNB where other

Hong Kong based branches of these banks

send the money as desired by PNB.

However the norms in this regard were also

overlooked by them. Though the amount

of LOU was paid by PNB to the borrower

and his firms for their business transactions

it is alleged that the amount was diverted

by them to retire import bills or to repay

the buyers credit in other banks that were

matured~ Subsequently the borrowers firm

approached PNB and requested for LOUS

for extension of earlier ones which would

cover the interest as well, leading to the

gross borrowal spiraling. The scam was

ignored / overlooked.

It appears that the principles of

operating a computerized system had been

compromised. The SWIFT system

normally has multiple pass words as per

the size of the transaction and the bank. In

large transactions it is incumbent to have

atleast three pass words but in PNB's case

it is not clear how many persons where

handling the three passwords. It is

mandatory-that the SWIFT system needs

to be reconciled with bank's Core Banking

System (CBS).

This procedure was ignored for reasons

best known to the bank. Further it is

incumbent that all transactions in a Nastro

Account need to be reconciled in the bank's

treasury branch. However in the case of

PNB episode it is not clear whether this

procedure was followed.

It is alleged that three directors of a

Mumbai Company are held for a duping

Axis Bank of Rs. 250/- crore. Along with



other banks there are some other 19 banks

that have credited the money to the firms

account. The arrested - directors are

charged with flouting fake invoices and

manipulating bills through bogus companies

to commit the fraud by issuing Letter of

Credit (as per the reports published in The

Times of India, Financial Express:- logical

India on 20/03/2018).

It is also alleged that other banks like

Syndicate Bank and Canara Bank have

become victims of fraud. A recent report

indicates that a Jewellery firm in Chennai

has cheated banks of Rs. 824 crore (as per

the report published in Deccan Herald 23/

3/2018).

There are several other fraud cases

engulfing the Public Sector Banks.

Letter of Undertaking (LOUS): A

letter of undertaking (LOU) is a bank

guarantee that permits a holder to raise

money from another Indian Bank’s foreign

branches in the form of short term credit.

Goldman Sachs is of the opinion that

the banks may have to write off upto 65%

of their bad loans.

Frauds will turn out to be a prolonged

period of pain for the Indian Economy. It

has already turned out to be an International

issue and perhaps may affect investments.

Public Sector Banks are the pillars of

the economy. Hence it is implicitly clear

that banks need to be protected from

massive frauds. The Government by virtue

of being a major share owner in Public

Sector Banks, cannot shift the onus of fraud

on others, so also RBI. The regulator needs

to be more vigilant in all transactions

forwarded to it by the banks. There has

been a lot of mudslinging between the ruling

and opposition parties, government & RBI

whenever there is a bank scam. It is just

like the pot calling the kettle black. Since

the banks are dealing with depositors hard

earned money it is imperative that the

Government, RBI and Bank's Board should

sit and solve the problems across the table

and evolve a fool proof method to curb such

frauds and irregularities. Strict pecuniary

action needs to be taken against all

responsible for the mind boggling loss as

this is not a peccadillo.

We have this king of good times who

owes Rs. 9000/- crore to consortium

bankers, and left his legions in lurch while

living a Monte Carlo life abroad. These

two cases are only tip of the ice berg. There

are industries who have defaulted

substantially

In another alleged fraud case the

promoter allegedly raised foreign letter-of

credit from Public Sector Banks to procure

wheat and export of goods for other

purposes but allegedly diverted the funds

to his company and sister concerns. The

investigating authorities are conducting the

investigations and outcome is awaited.

questions and credit reputational risks

according to Fitch Ratings, a significant

portion of the loan has become non

performing asset.

It is alleged that between 2012 and 2016

Public Sector Banks lost a whopping

amount of about Rs. 23000/- crores in

fraudulent cases. The Indian Institute of

Management in its report of 2017 attributed

the losses to laxity in supervision and lack

of other checks.

The different types of frauds besieging

the Public Sector Banks are: a) The loan

Fraud viz. diversion of funds., b) Fraud,

c) Bribes for loans, d) Fictitious account

and e) Cheating (Source: Media Report)

It is imperative that Bank scams are

treated on a priority basis. In the event of

an enquiry involving politicians the

incumbent is directed to resign or is

suspended until such time they are

exonerated of the charged if any. However

it is not clear what prevents the RBI or

Finance Ministry from directing the

Managing Director or CEO to step down

until they are cleared of the charges. This

is explicitly clear in consortium Advances

which are significantly very large. In the

case of above it is not clear why the

borrowers were sanctioned large

consortium advances despite their being in

the defaulters list of Reserve Bank of India

and caution list of ECGC at the tie of initial

sanctions of the consortium advance to the

borrowers.

The ghosts of crisis are splattered all

round, a noxious debris sucking the very

life of the depositors. The stench from the

Bank's scam has turned toxic and the

depositors are lost in the labyrinth. All this

goes to say that time is not the healing factor

as it allows the memory to revisit the

forsaken species of history.

In England they said God save the king

but in India we say God save the

depositors.n

Yet in another case it is alleged that he

directors of a company in Vadodara cheated

eleven banks by not repaying loans of

Rs.2604 crore. The account is declared as

non-performing Assets in 2016-17. The

modus operandi of cheating as reported in

the media is that the company fraudulently

availed itself credit from consortium of 11

public and private banks since 2008, though

the company and its directors were on the

Reserve Bank of India defaulters list and

ECGC caution list at the time of initial

sanction of credit. It is alleged that Axis

Bank was the lead bank for term loan and

Bank of India the lead bank for cash credit

limit.

It is reported by Business Line dated

10th April 2018 that an investigation into

allegations that ICICI Bank extended a loan

with potential conflict of interest raises

V. MOHAN RAO is a

Retd. Deputy Chief Manager,

Bank of India, Chennai Main

Branch and Advocate.



By BRENDON FAIFE

SUMMER HOLIDAYS IN

Mangalore of old are for many an

unsurpassed nostalgic memory. One

often hears even old people speaking of this

and the indelible bond that it created in them

and those around them. Our mother, would

take us to Mangalore for most holidays.

The date of departure was a red letter day

for me and my sister. We were so excited

that we used to mark the date of departure

on a calendar and countdown long before

the day dawned.

When the D-day arrived the excitement

was overflowing... the night on the train

passed like magic. With the humid dawn,

the Mangalore Express chugged into the

old station, loudly booming it's whistle to

signal arrival, a joy beyond words. There

would be a flurry of activity on the platform,

which to us smelled of fresh fish. The

'coolies' in their red shirts, would run

alongside the train, choosing potential

customers. People would hurry to get off

the train. Babies would yell and kids would

jump excitedly. People on the platform

would wait to welcome their loved ones

with smiles and hugs.

The train seemed to have transported

us into another world which seemed nothing

short of magic!! Unlike the present concrete

jungle the city was beautiful full of greenery

and coconut, mango, jack and fruit trees,

the chirping of birds and had the relaxed

atmosphere of a coastal town. The

anticipation of the fun stuff which we could

do made us look bright. The beach, ice

creams, parks beckoned us! And oh, did I

mention that there would be no homework

or studies?

At our grandmother’s house in high

spirits the coconut trees would seem to sway

and welcome us. My grandmother would

be pretty excited to meet us. She had

numerous stories to share. I remember

running small errands for her like bringing

her 'beeda' from the small shop across the

street. She would also give me some pocket

money, with which I would buy the local

cold drink 'Joy'. “Ganji rice” and “fish

curry” sometimes for all the 3 meals was

not unusual - it was a feast! We would

struggle with our Konkani and so my

auntie’s and uncles used to converse with

us in Kannada instead, for we lived and

worked near Bangalore. This sometime led

to hilarious situations. One instance I

recollect was when I told my aunty I was

not too keen on fish and she said she would

instead prepare 'Bajji' for me. I eagerly

waited for the spicy snack of potatoes or

onions deep fried in oil (the Kannadiga

Bajji) and what do I see at lunch time...

Spinach! What she actually meant was the

Konkani 'Valchi bhaji' 'Basaale'! But,

special local stuff like, jack fruit dishes,

sweet potato and bread fruit fried would all

make us glad.

The minute we met our cousins and

neighbouring kids, we would be like a house

on fire. The warm humid weather could

never deter our enthusiasm! We would

always find some type of fun to do (read

nuisance) be it sun or rain! We loved the

beaches. Thannirbavi, Ullal and Panambur

were God’s gift to us. Eating white apples,

building sand castles, doing hand-stands ,

playing with Frisbee’s, local games like

'lagori' (7 tiles), cricket with the solid end

of a coconut frond as bat..... given a chance

we wouldn’t mind spending the entire day

at the beach. Our favourite snack would

be the variations of spicy puffed rice

prepared by the sellers on the beach. Bhel-

puri, Churmuri, Mango-bhel etc. If we had

the means, we would have tried all the

varieties he had to offer. No matter how

much our parents coaxed us not to eat from

the roadside vendor, citing how unhygienic

the guy looked; our trip to the beach would

simply be incomplete without it.

We would also unfailingly visit the

Kadri Hill park and hitch a ride on the toy

train. The nearby snake park too had its

own charm. The huge variety of snakes it

showcased left us awestruck.

The final treat would be a visit to Ideal

Ice cream in Hampankatta and the challenge

would be to down a famous Gadbad which

we would accomplish with glee!! I also

recollect during one of our visits to

Mangalore an encounter with a troupe of

folk dancers. It was late in the evening

when a small troupe of people painted with

tiger stripes and wearing tiger masks were

dancing to the rhythmic beating of drums.

As I cowered behind my grandmother in

fear, she told me this was the Tiger dance

or 'Huli Vesha'. Gradually my fear was

replaced by amazement and I was entranced

by the dancers. I even purchased a tiger

mask the next day and pranced around my

grandmother growling and snarling for all

I was worth!

But like all good things come to an end,

so did the summer holidays. We would with

heavy hearts bid adieu to our family, friends

and relatives. As the train departed

Mangalore we would hold back our tears

simply because we didn’t want to say

goodbye to this beautiful little coastal

paradise. Seeing the 'Smart City' it is being

turned into like any other common place

tugs my heart, will children in the future

have Mangalore summer

holidays like the ones we

enjoyed ?

MANGALORE SUMMER HOLIDAYSDOWN MEMORY LANE

Brendon Faife is an engineer

by profession and works for a

leading MNC in Bangalore.

NNNNNOSTOSTOSTOSTOSTALGIAALGIAALGIAALGIAALGIA


RRRRRANDOMANDOMANDOMANDOMANDOM THOUGHTSTHOUGHTSTHOUGHTSTHOUGHTSTHOUGHTS

voice, Ghanta Fakir etc. etc are all there in the top layer of my

mind as if I have seen them only yesterday. I can write about

them at length and will sure do it sometime.

Every human being has a story to tell. The story is not of

anybody else but his own. If only we have the patience and the

person the felicity to narrate, the story will emerge, worth making

a film. Not many people try to remember what happened to their

life as they live it. The few people who keep at least a mental note

become writers, speakers of excellence. Not that the others do

not have anything to tell. They only do not know how to do it.

You speak and you are special.

My father was an interesting man. He had certain very

interesting experiences to tell. He used to tell them when we were

young. Later perhaps, he was annoyed with the too very strong

personalities, and stopped talking about his past. I even requested

him to write something like memoirs. He accepted. Never did it

happen that he even spoke about them. He passed away without a

record of his travels and travails. Was he a face in the crowd?

Definitely not! Only pity is the world does not know him, even as

much as it knows me!

The secret is, it is not enough to be great, you should be

known as doing great things, and perhaps you should also be seen

as doing great things. Otherwise who cares about who is who? In

this dog eats dog world, personal excellence has ceased to be of

any importance.n

Solution to MANGALORE TODAY Crossword(From page No.33)

A Face in the Crowd

Not even a face in

the crowd. Several

times I thought about

going back to the

village. If there is

something that we can

do there. I have even

written a poem that I

am looking for

myself, in this city. When one grows old, one usually starts

talking about good old days. I do not belong to that kind

anyway. All things new and young are also acceptable to

me. When a famous newspaper group wanted to employ

me, there was a comment about me that I am one with

involvement in the present time and respect for past. I know

that in a given time there is an equal amount of good things

just like the bad things. It only depends on where you stand

and look at the goings on.

The problem is, you have a lot of ideas. Everyone has

ideas. May be, there are some who do not have anything to

tell the world. But, I have ideas. When people listen to you

and you make a difference in their thought process, you are

not exactly a face in the crowd. When you are walking on

the road in a place which is not your usual haunt, no on

greets you. These days even at home no one greets you.

When they do it is so mechanical that you ignore it. Then

you are a face in the crowd even in your own place. In such

a situation where is the question of complaining about being

a nobody in the world. When a cricketer does something

unusual they print in the first page of the news paper. When

an intellectual tells something that could change the direction

of the world, only the miniscule group of intellectuals listens

to him. Many of them discard the theory because they did

not understand it properly. Many intellectuals do not know

how to tell their story. If they know they cease to be

intellectuals.

It is easy to live as a face in the crowd. No expectations

from the world in your face. Once you get noticed by people,

you become a butt of criticism. One among the lot also

does not agree that he or she is common. Who is a common

man or woman in this world? It is the collectiveness of

more than one person that deserves this word. In that case

there is no person who can exactly be called face in the

crowd. I even remember the beggars I have seen in my

childhood. The lame Lambada, the man with a very high

By Dr. GOPALAM KARAMCHEDU

T A L K O U T C L A S S

O I P O A

T I D D L E R N E R V E

E I R I F T E E L

M I S E R A B L E 14 P A

15 C E A N T E N

A S H C R E P T L A D

M A R I A E L

A R P I P E D R E A M

S A G I L E X N E

S U E D E T I P S T E R

30 N N 31 L P G

A T T I T U D E Y O K E


By SATYA REDDY

At the outset, I was a bit wary of

reviewing a film where I did not understand

the language. In this case, Tulu. But I was

curious to know how a Shakespearean

drama like Macbeth could fit into a Tuluva

fishing community setting. To say I was

blown away by what I saw is putting it

mildly. And I will go so far as to say, of all

the adaptations of Shakespeare’s Macbeth,

Mangalore boy Abhaya Simha’s ‘Paddayi’

is by far the best. Forget Akira Kurosawa’s

Throne of Blood. Forget Vishal

Bharadwaj’s Maqbool. Go see ‘Paddayi’ if

you want a masterclass in subtility and

nuance. There isn’t a gun in sight, there

isn’t a battle in sight.

But there is a visceral display of

emotions that does immense justice to the

Bard’s drama. And it just happens to be

the first Tulu adaptation of a Shakespearean

work! “ I studied Macbeth in school. I have

seen many adaptations of it but there was

nothing in Tulu so I decided to do it.” says

Simha modestly.

The story of ‘Paddayi’ is set in a village

on the Tulunadu coast and the main

characters are all from the local fishing

community-the Mogaveeras. Madhava and

Sugandhi are newlyweds-they are you

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. To begin with,

they are happy with their lot in life but the

seed of discontent and greed are sown when

Madhava chances upon a ‘bhoota’ or spirit

that prophesies his meteoric rise in the

community. While Madhava occasionally

doubts himself, Sugandhi’s raw desire for

status and material comforts goes

unchecked. To satiate her greed, Madhava

commits a murder that spirals out of control

and sucks everybody into its vortex.

Thus far, the film is your standard

Macbeth. But look beneath the palm fronds

and layer upon exquisite layer of meaning

emerges. There is no ‘war’ but every day, the

men in the community prepare their nets and

boats; and set sail to wage war against the sea.

Sugandhi’s obsessive greed for material wealth,

power and position centers not on property

per se but just a whiff of perfume.

Simha is a graduate of the FTII and his

technical expertise is evident in the framing

of shots, camera movements, angles and

lighting but where he has really taken the

movie to a stunning level is in the sound

department. For the first time in Tulu

cinema, he has used ‘sync sound

technology’ where all sound in a scene is

not dubbed. “Using this technology has

made the film aesthetically richer.” says

the director. Most Hollywood movies use

Paddayi : Macbeth’s Tulu avatarthis technology and about 30% of

bollywood movies use it too. Though it is

more expensive, in the long run, the

soundscape throughout the film feels more

lush. Every shot gives a real ‘feel’ of the

location-the wind in the palms is not just in

the background but is ‘in’ the shot; the

gentle clink of glass bangles, the howling

of village dogs, the crack of a crab claw

between teeth…

The film has been selected for numerous

international film festivals and I can assure

you it will net the cast, crew and director a

huge haul of awards. Do watch it, or as

they say in Tulu, Paddayi podu thule! n

RRRRREVIEWEVIEWEVIEWEVIEWEVIEW


Wise

Cracks

Wise

Cracks

HHHHHUMOURUMOURUMOURUMOURUMOUR

Betweenthe Lines

ONE DAY, MY NEIGHBOUR

brought her Beagle puppy home.

The adorable mutt sniffed around

the house and satisfied there was no other

dog around, he launched himself onto my

son’s leg and began dry humping his leg.

Standing from afar, I could see the reactions

this puppy’s actions provoked. The

neighbour was truly horrified and was so

embarrassed she tried to yank the puppy

away (he just clung on for dear life), Sonny

was laughing hysterically while trying to

hold up his trackpants that the puppy was

pulling down and my daughter was rolling

on the floor giggling at the fiasco. “Silly

dog! He thinks he can mate with my leg!”

said Sonny. My neighbour was taken aback

at the ease with which Sonny had used the

word ‘mate’. “You know what mating is

all about?” she asked. “Sure I do Aunty A!

I have seen it on Animal Planet! Besides,

all the monkeys that come into my

Ammamma’s garden are mating all the

time!”

Very often, adults cringe when it comes

to telling their children about certain

realities of life. Parents try to hold back,

thinking children will get traumatized. The

unfortunate result is that we have innocent

but ignorant children wandering around in

a world filled with super sexualized images

(notice how even biscuit and chocolate ads

are sexualized!) and predatory adults. If this

is not bad enough we also live in a digital

world that can do horrifying thing to a

child’s image and send it racing into

thousands of inboxes in a matter of

nanoseconds.

The past few weeks have been difficult

for me. Day after day, there have been news

reports of young children being raped and

killed. With each report, the age of the

victim seems to get younger and younger

and the method of killing gets more

gruesome. As a mother, each incident is

like a stake through my heart. The pain of

losing a child is very real, even if you are

reading about somebody else’s. And the

fear. The real, numbing fear it could happen

to your child too. The immediate reflex is

to shut out that nasty life by shutting

yourself in. But how long can you keep a

child in?

Very early on, in order to empower

them, I decided to tell my children

everything - the Birds & Bees, Bad Touch,

who pedophiles are, where you generally

find them (in most cases, within our own

family and friends circle) and also about

the insidious ways technology can aid

pedophiles. It was tough going not because

the children could not understand (they

asked so many intelligent questions) but

because some ‘adults’ in my life could not

understand why I would ‘intentionally’

traumatize my children with all this

information.

So to all the adults who have read the

column till here, I have only this to say.

We have unfortunately come to that crucial

juncture where we have to take a call- keep

our children safe by locking them up and

depriving them of a life or send them out

into this world armed with the knowledge

to keep themselves safe. And are my

children traumatized by all they know?

Absolutely not! n

SATYA REDDY

Carefree but Careful!Carefree but Careful!

BEST OF PAPPU

TEACHER: “George Washington not

only chopped down his father’s Cherry

tree, but also admitted doing it. Now do

you know why his father didn’t punish

him?”

PAPPU: “Because George still had the

axe in his hand?”

PAPPU: Daddy, have you ever been to

Egypt?

FATHER : No. Why do you ask that?

PAPPU: Well, where did you get this

mummy then?

TEACHER: What a pair of strange

socks you are wearing, one is green and

one is blue with red spots !

PAPPU: Yes it’s really strange. I’ve got

another pair just like that at home.

TEACHER: Now, Pappu, tell me

frankly do you say prayers before eating?

PAPPU: No sir, I don’t have to , my

mom is a good cook.

TEACHER : Pappu, your composition

on “My Dog” is exactly the same as

your brother’s. Did you copy his ?

PAPPU: No, teacher, it’s the same dog!

TEACHER : What do you call a person

who keeps on talking when people are

no longer interested?

PAPPU: A teacher

TEACHER: What is the chemical

formula for water?

PAPPU : “HIJKLMNO”

TEACHER: What are you talking

about?

PAPPU: Yesterday you said it’s H to

O!


LEO (July 24 - Aug 23)

You might decide to eliminate

habits in your routine that are

counter-productive in order to

focus on those that serve your

higher goals. Watch for power

struggles with others or succumbing to

frustration when being productive makes more

sense. The last few days of April pull your

attention to home and family life. It's an

excellent time for making plans to improve

your personal life.

VIRGO(Aug 24 - Sept. 23)

When the month begins,

you've just experienced a call

to action related to money,

resources, comfort, and

health, dear Virgo. You start

April very alert to the need to take care of

personal business. This is an important time

for sorting out your affairs. As well, if you've

been feeling unfairly treated, you'll want to

do something about it now.

LIBRA (Sept.24 - Oct. 23)

You may be challenged to

confront and manage

emerging issues that have

been buried, swept under the

carpet, or otherwise hidden.

The Full Moon on the 29th is good for

awareness and understanding of your means

and resources, as well as a possible plan for

making improvements.

SCORPIO (Oct.24 - Nov.22)

You begin April with a

heightened awareness of

your need to take extra

downtime or moments to

yourself, dear Scorpio.

While this is important, April's larger

themes are more about getting your work

and health routines into order and focusing

on your close relationships. This is a time

for appreciation and praise from others, as

well as fabulous rewards for your efforts.

ARIES (March 21 - April 20)

Relationships are in strong

focus as the month begins,

dear Aries, but the major

themes of the month are about

you, your resources,

confidence, work, and independence.In fact,

your business acumen is attractive and

appealing this month. Money is in good favor

as well.

TAURUS (April 21- May 21)

Some intense aspects are

happening in April, but these

are occurring in harmony with

your sign, making the month

in an overall sense quite useful

for making the most of things and helping

others, as well. The 25-26 is a time for

learning or advancing in your trade, or for

personal experiences that change your

perspective.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21)

Settling old disputes can figure

strongly now, and this process

can be empowering. From the

20th forward, you're pouring

more of your time, energy,

and attention into your private life. This is a

time not only for unwinding but also for

healing and regenerating. It helps that

friendships are more relaxed now.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23)

April holds terrific

opportunities for finding

satisfying ways to express

yourself uniquely or

creatively. Matters of the

heart can have an almost magical quality to

them, although also intense! Ups and downs

are par for the course right now.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 - Dec. 22)

In fact, it's an important

month for arriving at a better

understanding of your social

or romantic connections as

well as your special projects

and personal objectives. There's also a

growing theme of attention to work and

health matters this month. Relationships with

the people you spend time with in pursuit of

your daily goals are set to improve.

CAPRICORN (Dec.23 - Jan 20)

A generous, open approach

leads to rewards. Even so, a

bit of mystery is helpful in

your work. You're coming

on quite strongly these days,

with more energy at your disposal and more

directness in your requests, but at this point

of the month, you benefit from a little more

subtlety.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 - Feb. 19)

Your taste for experiences

outside of the ordinary is notable

at the beginning of April, and

while you'd do well to explore

them, April can find you rather

frequently dealing with your mundane affairs.

There is also a growing theme of extra attention

to your home or family life, and there can be

fantastic opportunities to bring more harmony,

comfort, enjoyment, and beauty to your personal

or domestic world in April.

PISCES (Feb. 20 - March 20)

The month ahead is an

important one for sorting out

your finances, paying particular

attention to your valuables and

resources, and building your

talents. While some predictability is an

objective now, you're also in a curious frame

of mind and might thoroughly enjoy a change

of scenery from time to time. As such, learning,

commuting, and connecting are in focus on

some level all month.

Belive it or not, we are definitely not responsible for your fate!

HHHHHUMOURUMOURUMOURUMOURUMOUR


YOUNG ACHIEVER

KKKKKIDSIDSIDSIDSIDS

PIC

: PR

AS

HA

NT

H N

AY

AK

Panchami Pai

Dolphins are affectionate and adorable

creatures. Everyone right from young to

old love to watch these playful creatures.

There are several amazing facts about

Dolphins. Do read some of them listed

out here.

lScientists believe that Dolphins don’t

ever fall into a deep sleep. Just one-half

of a Dolphin’s brain goes to sleep at a

time.

lDolphins can recognize themselves in the

mirror, and they love to admire

themselves.

lIn Rome, Dolphins were thought to carry

souls to the “Islands of the Blest,” and

images of Dolphins have been found in

the hands of Roman mummies.

l There are 40 existing species of

Dolphins. Most species live in shallow

waters of tropical and temperate oceans.

Five species live in rivers.

lDolphins have the longest memory in the

animal kingdom.

lJust a tablespoon of water in a Dolphin’s

lung could drown it. A human could drown

if two tablespoons of water were inhaled

into the lungs.

l A baby Dolphin is born tail-first to

prevent drowning. After the mother breaks

the umbilical cord by swiftly swimming

away, she must immediately return to her

baby and take it to the surface to breathe.

lA female Dolphin will assist in the birth

of another’s baby Dolphin. Other Dolphins

will swim around the mother during birth

to protect her.

lA Dolphin spends most of its life holding

its breath.

The bulging part of a Dolphin’s head

contains an organ called the melon, which

is filled with liquid fat. It acts as a lens,

Wonderful AchievementNishkal Rao, a ninth standard student of

Sharada Vidyalaya and his brother Nischith Rao,

a sixth standard student are rare talents. The

two bright lads have done a wonderful job by

bringing out the first book in Tulu script.

The book named "Sri Hari Stuthi" comprising

hymns in praise of Lord Vishnu were typed in

Tulu font developed for computerised tyography

by Nishkal with the help of his brother, under the guidance of font expert K P

Rao and vedic scholar Kadri Prabhaker Adiga. Conservation of Tulu script and

promotion of Tulu literature is the main aim behind the project, says Nishkal.

Kudos to the two talented boys for their rare chievement.

Dolphins - A FEW FACTS

which focuses the Dolphin’s clicks into a

narrow beam of sound.

l Dolphins can move each eye

independently. They can move each eye

up, down, forward, and backward, giving

them nearly 360 degrees of vision.

l Dolphins do not breathe automatically

as humans do and will die if given a general

anesthetic. They must sleep at the surface

of the water with their blowholes exposed.

l Dolphins don’t have a sense of smell,

but they do have a sense of taste.


HOCUS - FOCUSCheck out how sharp your eyes are. Find out at least 6 differences between the pictures below.

KKKKKIDSIDSIDSIDSIDS

Kids Story

CO

UR

TE

SY

: PIN

TE

RE

ST

We were just returning

from our vacation back to our

home place, Sharjah.

The flight was in the evening.

We found our seats and buckled

up nicely. I took out my comic

book and started to read it.

Sometime later, my dad told

me to get some sleep. I flipped the

comic book shut and kept it inside my

favourite blue backpack. I reclined my

seat’s backrest and fell asleep almost

immediately.

I didn’t know how long I would have

slept. But suddenly, I woke up, startled

by some loud noise. I heard screams

coming from the rear of the plane. I

blinked my eyes repeatedly and forced

myself awake. My dad was already awake.

We strained our necks to find out what

was causing all this mayhem.

“Rats! Rats!” screamed someone.

“AAAAH! A big furry rat ran over my

foot!” screamed a lady from the one of

the rear seats. Immediately, everyone tried

to get up from their seats in panic.

Hearing the commotion, the cabin

crew rushed to the spot and tried to calm

the passengers down. I gingerly put my

feet up on my seat. Boy! I was scared of

rats.

It took time but

somehow, some calmness was restored by

the cabin crew.

Luckily, our destination airport was

nearby. We soon landed there and all of

us were allowed to get off the aircraft

quickly.

We got back to our home just before

midnight, and slept soundly. When I woke

up the next morning, I had almost forgotten

about the crazy experience on our flight

back home.

In the morning, after breakfast, I

started to unpack my blue backpack in my

room.

My dad was reading the newspaper to

my mum in the living room. I could hear

him in my room. There was an article in

the newspaper about the rodent in the flight

the previous night.

The article went thus – “Yesterday

night, there was an incident aboard a

Sharjah-bound aircraft, which required

further investigation and reporting by

the Sharjah Airport Authorities.

There was a rodent scare on the

flight half an hour before landing

time, which caused a lot of

commotion inside the aircraft.”

I pulled out my cap from the

backpack and put it on my table.

Next came the comic book, earphones

and iPod.

My father continued reading - “All the

passengers were swiftly disembarked from

the aircraft upon landing. The maintenance

team checked the flight thoroughly, and

were unable to find any rats or rodents.”

Now, where was this tennis ball that I

carried on the trip? I remembered stuffing

it in the outside compartment of my bag.

My father read the last line of the

article – “However, the maintenance team

found an unclaimed tennis ball below one

of the seats of the aircraft and they suspect

that it had been rolling around the floor of

the plane while the aircraft was descending

for landing, thereby causing all the

trouble.”

Rodent Aboard!

“Rodent Aboard!” by Jayanth Ramganesh, is the

Highly Commended story in the sub-junior

category of the first biannual Short Story Contest

organised by Kids World Fun.


RAILWAY TIMINGSGeneral Information - Dial 139 or 2423137

CCCCCITYITYITYITYITY INFOINFOINFOINFOINFO

MANGALORE CENTRAL STATION

NO. TRAIN ARIVAL DEPARTURE

Towards Kasargod:16649 Nagercoil Jn Parasuram Exp. Daily 20.15 05.2556654 Kozhikode Passenger Daily 10.35 05.3516860 Chennai Egmore Express Daily 21.45 06.5516605 Nagercoil Ernad Express Daily 17.00 07.2056324 Coimbatore Fast Passenger Daily 18.50 07.3516517 Yashwantpur-Kannur Express Daily 08.15 08.3522609 Coimbatore Intercity Express Daily 13.50 11.4512602 Chennai Mail Daily 12.25 13.2516348 Thiruvananthapuram Express Daily 11.05 14.2012686 Chennai Express Daily 09.05 16.2056656 Kannur Passenger Daily 16.3016687 Matha VD Katra Navyug Express Mon 22.45 17.0516856 Puduchery Express(via salem) Fri 09.30 17.0516858 Puducherry Express (via tiru-palli) Sun 09.55 17.0516603 Thiruvananthapuram Maveli Exp. Daily 08.05 17.4516630 Thiruvananthapuram Malabar Exp. Daily 10.15 18.1516566 Yesvantpur Express Mon 17.40 20.1517605 Kacheguda Bi-Weekly Express Wed, Sat 11.30 20.1522638 Chennai West Coast Express Daily 04.30 22.2022852 Santragachi Vivek Weekly Express Sat 09.30 23.00Towards Mangalore Junction:12619 Lokmanya Tilak Matsyagandha Exp. Daily 07.30 14.3516517 Yeswantpuir-Kannur express Daily 08.15 20.5556642 Kabakaputtur- Passenger Daily 09.25 06.0570105 Madgaon-Mangaluru DEMU Ex. Sun 12.05 15.0056646 Subramanya Road- Passenger Daily 16.05 10.0516524 Karwar Express Daily 20.20 09.0056641 Madgaon Passenger Daily 20.55 05.4556644 Kabakaputtur Passenger Daily 21.40 18.20

22635 Madgaon Superfast Inter City Exp. Daily 22.00 08.15

MANGALORE JUNCTION STATIONTowards Kasargod side:12618 Nizamuddin-Ernakulam Mangala Exp. Daily 00.35 00.4522654 Nizamuddin- Trivendram Superfast Exp. Wed 01.20 01.3022656 Nizamuddin- Trivendram Superfast Exp. Sun 01.20 01.3012218 Chandigarh-Kochuveli Sam.Kranti Exp. Fri,Sun 02.15 02.2512484 Amritsar-Kochuveli Express Tue 03.00 03.1019262 Porbandar-Kochuveli Express Sat 03.00 03.1022660 Dehdradun-Kochuveli Express Wed 03.00 03.1010215 Madgaon-Ernakulam Express Mon 03.00 03.1016345 Lokmanya Tilak-Trivendram Netravathi Exp.Daily 04.25 04.3519332 Indore – Kochuveli Express Thu 05.55 06.0519578 Hapa-Tirunelveli Express Sun, Mon 05.55 06.0516517 Yashwantpur-Kannur Express Daily 07.53 07.5512201 Lokmanya Tilak-Kochuveli Garib Rath Tue,Sat 08.00 08.1012284 Nizamuddin-Ernakulam Duronto Weekly Exp.Mon 08.00 08.1022113 Lokmanya Tilak-Kochuveli Super Exp.Wed, Sun 08.00 08.1012223 Lokmanya Tilak-Ernakulam AC Exp. Wed,Sat 10.15 10.2516516 Karwar-Yashwantpur Exp. (Arsikere)Tue,Thu,Sat 11.00 11.3022150 Pune-Ernakulam Express Thu,Mon 11.10 11.2070105 Madgaon DEMU Except Sun 11.43 11.4522629 Dadar-Tirunelveli Express Sat 12.10 12.2012133 Mumbai CST-Mangaluru Jn.Express Daily 12.40

16311 Bikaner-Kochuveli Express Thu 13.40 13.5016333 Veraval-Thiruvananthapuram Express Fri 13.40 13.5016335 Gandhidham-Nagercoil Express Sat 13.40 13.5016337 Okha-Ernakulam Express Tue,Sun 13.40 13.5019260 Bhavnagar-Kochuveli Express Mon 13.40 13.5022634 Nizamuddin- Trivendram Superfast Exp. Sun 14.35 14.4512432 Nizamuddin-Trivendram Rajdhani Mon,Wed,Thu 17.50 18.0012978 Ajmer-Ernakulam Marusagar Express Sat 19.15 19.2522475 Bikaner-Coimbatore AC Super Fast Express Fri 19.15 19.25*16356 Mangaluru Jn- Kochuveli Antyodaya Exp.Fri,Sun 20.0056641 Madgaon-mangaluru Central passenger Daily 20.23 20.2511097 Pune-Ernakulam Poorna Express Sun 23.15 23.25towards Konkan Railway22633 Trivendram -Nizamuddin Superfast Exp. Thu 02.05 02.1512224 Ernakulam-LTT AC Duronto Exp. Mon, Thurs 04.00 04.1016312 Kochuveli-Bikaner Express Sun 04.25 04.3516334 Thiruvananthapuram-Veraval Express Tue 04.25 04.3516336 Nagercoil-Gandhidham Express Wed 04.25 04.3516338 Ernakulam-Okha Express Thu,Sat 04.25 04.3519259 Kochuveli-Bhavnagar Express Fri 04.25 04.3512977 Ernakulam –Ajmer MaruSagar Exp Mon 04.25 04.3512431 Trivendram-Nizamuddin Rajdhani Ex.Wed,Fri,Sat 05.10 05.2056640 Mangaluru Central-Madgaon Passenger Daily 06.08 06.1012283 Ernakulam-Nizamuddin Duronto Express Fri 06.15 06.2511098 Ernakulam-Pune Poorna Express Tue 06.40 06.50*16355 Kochuveli Antyodaya Bi-Weekly Exp. Fri, Sun 09.15 1635522114 Kochuveli-Lokmanya Tilak SF Exp Mon, Thu, 12.05 12.1522149 Ernakulam-Pune Express Tue ,Fri, 12.05 12.1522653 Trivendram -Nizamuddin Superfast Exp. Sat 12.05 12.1522655 Trivendram -Nizamuddin Superfast Exp. Wed 12.05 12.0512134 Mangaluru Jn-Mumbai CST Express Daily 13.5570106 Mangalore-Madgaon DEMU Except Sun 15.1516515 Yashwantpur-Karwar Exp.(Arsikere)Mon,Wed,Fri 16.55 17.3012202 Kochuveli-LokmanyaTilak Express Sun,Thu 20.05 20.1512217 Kochuveli-Chandigarh SamKranti Exp. Sat,Mon 20.05 20.1512483 Kochuveli-Amritsar Express Wed 20.05 20.1522659 Kochuveli-Dehradun Express Fri 20.05 20.1510216 Ernakulam-Madgaon Express Mon 20.55 21.0512617 Ernakulam-Nizamuddin Mangala Exp. Daily 21.25 21.3519261 Kochuveli-Porbander Express Sun 22.00 22.1019577 Tirunelveli-Jamnagar Express Mon,Tue 22.00 22.1022476 Coimbatore-Bikaner AC Super Fast Exp. Sat 22.00 22.1022630 Tirunelveli-Dadar Express Wed 22.00 22.1019331 Kochuveli – Indore Express Fri 22.15 22.2016346 Trivendram-LokmanyaTilak Netravathi Exp.Daily 23.00 23.10

Mangaluru Junction from Mysuru sideYeswantpur –Kannur(via Kabakaputtur) Express Daily 07.53 07.55Kabakaputtur-Mangaluru Central Passenger Daily 08.53 08.55Subramanya Road-Mangaluru Central Passenger Daily 15.38 15.40Yeswantpur (via Kabakaputtur) Exp. Sun, Tue, Thu 16.55Yeswantpur –Karwar Express Mon,Wed, Fri 16.55 17.30Kabakaputtur-Mangaluru Central Passenger Daily 21.08 21.10towards Mysore side:56643 Kabakaputtur Passenger Daily 06.15 06.1756647 Subramanya Road Passenger Daily 10.25 10.2716576 Yeswantpur City Express Mon, Wed, Fri 11.3016516 Yeswantpur Exp. (via Kabakaputtur)Tue, Thu, Sat 11.00 11.3056645 Subramanya Road Passenger Daily 18.33 18.3516518 Kannur-Yeswantpur Express (via Mysore) Daily 21.08 21.10


AJ Hospital, Kuntikana 2225533

Athena Hospital, Falnir Road 2442835

City Hospital, Mallikatta 2217901

Colaco Hospital, Lower Bendoor 2434444

Fr. Muller’s Hospital, Kankanady 2238000

Indiana Hospital, Pumpwell 2880880

K.M.C. Hospital, Attavar 2445858

K.S. Hegde Hospital, Deralakatte 2204471

Lady Goschen Hospital (Govt.) 2445611

Mangala Hospital, Kadri Road 2444441

Mangalore Nursing Home, Bendoor 2218617

Omega Hospital, Pumpwel 2430000

SCS Hospital, Upper Bendoor 2225201

Tejasvini Hospital, Kadri Temple Road2225995

Unity Health Complex, Falnir 4245555

Vinaya Clinic, Karangalpady 2494150

Wenlock Hospital, Hampankatta (Govt) 2442744

Yenepoya Hospital, Kodialbail 4238855

HOSPITALS

LUXURY BUS TIMINGS

Abhiman, Bunts Hostel Road 2446304

Ayodhya,Kodialbail 2493681

BMS Hotel, Kuntikana 2988777

Deepa Comforts, MG Road 2497101

Ganesh Mahal, KS Rao Road 2440632

Ganesh Prasad,KS Rao Road 2440418

Goldfinch, Bunts Hostel Road 4245678

Mangalore Intl.,KS Rao Road 2444860

Maya International, Bendoorwell 2435111

Nalapad Residency, LHH Road 2424757

Ocean Pearl, Kodialbail 2413800

Panchmahal, Kodialbail 2495574

Prestige, Bendoor, Collector’s Gate 2410601

Poonja Intl., KS Rao Road 2440171

Roopa Hotel, Balmatta Road 2421271

Safron, GHS Raod 4255542

Srinivas Hotel, GHS Road 2440061

Taj Mahal, Hampankatta 2421751

The Gateway Hotel, Old Port Road 2420420

Woodlands,BuntsHostel Road 2443751

BOARDING / LODGING

TEMPLES &TOURIST SPOTS Dist. in Km.

Dharmasthala Manjunatha Swami Temple 75

Kukke Subrahmanya Temple 104

1000 Pillars Basadi, Moodbidri 38

Gomateshwara, Karkala 52

Krishna Temple, Udupi 60

St. Lawrence Church, Karkala 56

Mookambika Temple, Kollur 128

Sharadamba Temple, Sringeri 165

Sayyed Madani Dargah, Ullal 12

Durgaparameshwari Temple 27

St. Aloysius Chapel, Mangalore 1

Gokarnatheshwara Temple, Mangalore 2

Sri Gopalkrishna Temple, Shaktinagar 6

AIR TIMINGS

CINEMA

BANGALOREJet Airways 0820/1650/1940 0850/1715/2020Jet Airways (Except Tue) 1330/1130 1355/1200Spice Jet 0855/1915/1515 0915/1935/1535Air Pegasus (Except Tue) 1230 1250

MUMBAI Arr. Dep.Jet Airways 1520/1900/2220 1550/1840Jet Airways (Mon/Wed/Thu/Sat/Sun)1020 1050Spicejet (Wed/Fri/Sut/Sun) 0950 1035Air India (679/680) 1140 1215

DELHIJet Airways 2220 0850

BAHRAINAir India Express (Mon,Wed,Fri) 1905 0720

DUBAIAir India Express 0445 0855Air India Express (Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun) 1725 2000Jet Airways 0800 2325Spice Jet 1805 0020

SHARJAHJet AIrways (Thu/Fri/Sat) 1730 0900

ABU DHABIAir India Express (Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun) 0555 2130Jet AIrways 0645 2015

DOHAAir India Express (Thu,Fri,Sun) 1550 1735

DAMMAMAir India Express (Mon/Wed/Fri) 0340 1810

LEISURE CLUBSCanara Club, Kadri 2211086Eden Aquatic & Sports Club, Nantoor 2211617Mangalore Club, Jeppu-Bolar 2414146Country Club, Yekkur 4252585

SERVICE CLUBSJCI Mangalore, Urva 9243300775Ladies Club, Light House Hill Road 2425051Lions Club, Kadri 2216854Rotary Club, Ladyhill 2459246Toastmasters Club 9845493400

Mangalore Holiday Village,Someshwar 2281061

Red Rock Residency, Mukka 2477190

Paradise Isle, Malpe 0820 - 2537791

Summer Sands, Ullal 2467690

BEACH RESORTS

Shreemanthibai Memorial Museum, Bejai 2211106

Aloyseum, St. Aloysius College, LHH Road 2426143

Manjusha Museum, Dharmasthala 08256 - 277121

MUSEUMS

CLUBS

CCCCCITYITYITYITYITY INFOINFOINFOINFOINFO

TO BANGALORE TEL TIMINGS

Anand Travels 2446737 22.20,23.30Durgamba Motors 2497225 21:55,22.45Ganesh Travels 2441277 21.20,22.15SRS Travels 4255680 14.45,22.15,23.00Sugama Tourist 4279555 21.45,22.10,2230VRL Travels 2493536 22.00,23.00

TO MUMBAIAnand Travels 2446737 11.00,13.45Canara Pinto 2422646 12.00,13.30,16.00Vishal Travels 2423917 12.15,13.00,14.00Mahabaleshwara 2424322 14.00VRL Travels 2493536 13.45,15.00,17.00Neetha Travels 2427099 15.30SRS Travels 4255680 13.45,15.00,17.15

TO BELGAUMGanesh Travels 2441277 20.00, 21.00, 22.00Sri Durgamba 2420303 20.00VRL Travels 2493536 16.10, 18.00, 22.00

TO HUBLIVRL Travels 2493536 15.30, 22.00Ganesh Travels 2441277 19.00,21.45,22.30

TO MYSOREDurgamba Motors 2497225 23.25

TO GOAGanesh Travels 2441277 21.15

TO KOCHI/ERNAKULAM/KOTTAYAMGanesh Travels 2441277 20.30Durgamba 2420303 20.00

TO HYDERABADSRS Travels 4255680 14.45VRL Travels 2493536 14.00

Big Cenema, Bharath Mall, Bejai 3989545

Cinepolis Cinema, City Centre Mall 4261315

Central, Maidan Road 2423108

Jyoti, Balmatta Road 2424660

New Chitra, Car Street 2496337

Platinum, Falnir 2427126

PVR Cinemas, Forum Mall 8800900009

Ramakanti, Market Road 2423494

Roopavani, Central Market 2423199

Suchitra / Prabhat, KS Rao Road 2440467

TOURIST INFORMATION

Department of Tourism, Lalbagh 2453926GUIDE: Mr. Anil Salian 94485 03170

RENT-A-CAR

Cell Cab, Balmatta Road 60609090Ola Cabs, Mangalore 3355335

VEHICLE BREAKDOWN SERVICES

Auto Matix (Tata) 9845377488 / 6539237Bharath Auto Cars (Maruthi) 99865 43030 / 2223030Cauvery Ford (Ford) 9845059961/ 2450083Frontline (Chevrolet) 9845119112 / 9845398691Karnataka Agencis(Mahindra) 9845338004Kanchana Automobiles(Hyundai) 984404407/2430618Peninsular Honda (Honda) 9845977000Mandovi Motors (Maruthi) 9845724365United Toyota (Toyota) 9845086811Volkswagen 97423 03030 / 2433530

Mangalore International Airport - 2220422, 2220400

Air india Express - 2450673, Air India (Domestic) - 2254253,

Jet Airways - 2440794, Spicejet - 2252452


NNNNNEWSEWSEWSEWSEWS BRIEFSBRIEFSBRIEFSBRIEFSBRIEFS

Awardedl R e n o w n e d

wildlife biologists

and researchers Dr

K Ullas Karanth

and his daughter

Dr Krithi Karanth have been jointly

awarded the Conservation Leadership

Award by the Woodland Park Zoo at the

Thrive Leadership Awards ceremony. The

Award has been conferred in recognition

of their dedication to the study and

conservation of tigers and other mammals.

l R e n o w n e d

photographer Keshav

Vitla was awarded the

Jagadish Ammunje

Memorial Award given

by the Jagadish

Ammunje Memorial Art

Gallery. The award carries a cash prize of

Rs 10,000 and a citation.

BaggedlAneesha Nayak of St

Aloysius PU College

bagged gold at I-Fest, an

International Fest of

Engineering, Science and

Technology, in Tunisia.

Her project titled,

’Unearthing the Chemical Components

Responsible for the Antibacterial Properties

of Plectranthus Amboinicus’ prepared

under the guidance of Nivedita Nityananda

of the Department of Biology at St Aloysius

Pre-university College, won her the Award.

She had bagged the same award even last

year. Aneesha is also a talented surfer.

l Maharashtra bagged the overall

championship in the 38th National Masters

Athletic Meet held at Mangala Stadium

recently. Hosts Karnataka bagged the

runner-up position in the event organised

by DK District Masters Athletic Association

and Karnata State Senior Athletic

Association. The winners in this event are

qualified for the Asian Masters Athletic

Event to be held at Srilanka in August.

CelebratedAmbedkar Jayanthi was celebrated on April

14 in the city. Dignitaries including Deputy

Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil, then city

Police Commissioner T R Suresh, MCC

Commissioner Mohammad Nazeer, ZP

CEO M R Ravi and others garlanded the

statue of the architect of Indian Constitution

Dr B R Ambedkar, in front of the Town

Hall, and paid their tributes to the towering

personality.

Foundation laidFoundation for the Manasa Autism Centre

at the Manasa Rehabilitation and Training

Centre at Pamboor village in Udupi district

was recently laid by Rev. Dr. Gerald Isaac

Lobo, Bishop of the Udupi Diocese.

InauguratedlThe annual training camp for newly

registered Home Guards was inaugurated

at Sri Bharathi College, Nantur by MCC

Commissioner Mohammad Nazeer. Murali

Mohan Choontaru, District Superintendent

of Home Guards, Dr Eshwar Prasad,

Principal of Bharathi Group of institutions

and others were present.

lMilagres Church Centenary renovated

Jubilee Hall was inaugurated recently. The

renovated building was blessed by

Mangalore Diocese Bishop Rev Dr

Aloysius Paul D'Souza. The renovation

work was taken up by the Parish Pastoral

Council under the leadership of Parish

Priest Rev Fr Valerian D'Souza.

lThe Hindu-Rostrum inter collegiate

State-level English debating competition

was inaugurated by Chikkamagaluru

Superintendent of Police K. Annamalai.

Vivek Alva, Managing Trustee of Alva's

Education Foundation and others were

present.

OrganisedA seminar on tribal culture and folklore

was organised by the Department of

Kannada and Culture, Karnataka Janapada

Academy, Regional Resources Centre for

Folk Performing Arts, Manipal Academy

of Higher Education and Mahatma Gandhi

Memorial College H.S. Ballal, Pro-

Chancellor of Manipal Academy of Higher

Education, inaugurated the seminar.

RankedNitte Deemed-to-be University has been

ranked 77th in the National Institution

Yakshagana artist Mukhyaprana Kinnigoli has been honoured with 'Kadri

Kambalaguthu Balakrishna Shetty Memorial Award” at Sri Manjunatha Temple

at Kadri in Mangaluru during Yakshagana Bayalata seve sponsored by Raviraj

Shetty and Roopa. The show was presented by Kateel Sri Durgaparameshwari

Prasaditha Dashavathara Yakshagana Mandali.


NNNNNEWSEWSEWSEWSEWS BRIEFSBRIEFSBRIEFSBRIEFSBRIEFS

O B I T U A R Y

M u l i y a

Keshavaiah, the

founder-president of

Karnataka Bank

Officers’ Association

passed away recently

at the age of 81. He

had served Karnataka Bank for 33

years. He was also an officebearer of

Federation of All India Bank

Employees. After retirement he was

practising law and was also an

agriculturist. Keshavaiah had authored

a book “Facilities and Service Rules

of Bank Employees'' and was the man

behind "Yesu Christa Mahatme" a

Yakshagana on the life of Jesus Christ.

Keshavaiah has left behind his wife and

four sons.

Veteran journalist T V R Shenoy

passed away at

Manipal recently. A

former editor of The

Week, Shenoy had

also served as

Manorama’s Delhi

bureau chief. He

began his career in journalism with the

Indian Express and later went on to

serve as the Editor of Sunday Mail. He

hailed from Cherayi in Ernakulam and

has left behind his wife, a son and

daughter.

Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2018,

rankings announced by the Ministry for

Human Resources Development, Govt. of

India. The institution has been ranked

among the top 100 from among the 800

universities in the nation for the second

year in a row. The institution has improved

its position by six places compared to last

year's ranking of 83.

RecognisedBalakrishna Kalluraya,

Professor and Chairman,

Postgraduate branch in

Chemistry of Mangalore

University and

Manjunatha Pattabi, Professor and

Chairman of department of material

sciences have been recognised as Fellows

of the Royal Society of Chemistry, London.

They have also been recognised with

Chartered Chemist Status (Cchem).

Releasedl"Aavsu ani Cherdu" a collection of

Konkani lullabies authored by Sunita

Shenoy and published by Baliga

Publications was released at a function held

recently. Author Sunitha Shenoy is a former

employee of Revenue Department.

l Konkani movie "Zanvoy No 1" brought

out under the banner of Sangathi Creations

was released by Mangaluru Diocese Bishop

Rev Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza at the Big

Cinemas at Bharath Mall in Mangaluru

recently. Directed by Harry Fernandes, the

film has Bollywood actress Varsha

Usgaonkar and Goa actor Prince Jacob in

lead roles.

WonlThe Team Accel from Manipal Institute

of Technology, Manipal are the National

Champions of Deloitte TechnoUtsav

Collegiate Cyber Threat Competition

Five deacons were ordained as Priests by Rev Dr Aloysius Paul D'Souza, Bishop

of Mangalore Diocese at a function held at Rosario Cathedral recently. The

solemn Eucharistic celebration was presided over by the bishop along with

130 concelebrant priests including Msgr Denis Moras Prabhu, Vicar General

of the diocese, Rev Fr Henry Sequeira, Chancellor of the Diocese and Fr Joseph

Martis, Rector of St Joseph Seminary Jeppu. Those ordained are Fr Rohan

Dias of Taccode Parish, Fr Ashwin Crasta of Kumbla Parish, Fr Roopesh Tauro

of Allipade Parish, Fr Flavian Lobo of Thodambila Parish and Fr Thrishan

D’Souza of Permannur Parish.

(CCTC) held at Hyderabad. The team has

bagged a cash prize of Rs 2.4 lakh. The

three-member team included Kushagra

Sharma (captain), Poorvi Hegde and

Aakash Bahl.

lTeam Mustangs of Vivekananda College

of Engineering and Technology, Puttur

(VCET) has won three awards in Asia’s

largest Electric Solar Vehicle Championship

held at Sri Vishnu College of Engineering

for Women, Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh.

The team won the ’People’s choice award’,

first prize for the best research paper and

second prize in the hill climb event.


PPPPPEOPLEEOPLEEOPLEEOPLEEOPLE

A Mangaluru based physician and epidemiologist

has won much acclaim for a mobile application that

he has developed for the benefit of tuberculosis

patients as well as the doctors treating them.

Dr Anurag Bhargava, a Professor of

Medicine at Yenepoya Deemed to be University has

developed this application named N-TB to facilitate

calculation of Body Mass Index of Tuberculosis

patients so that doctors can guide them on their diet

regime accordingly. The application has been

developed in association with McGill International

TB Centre, Canada and has been endorsed by the

Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme

(RNTCP) and World Health Organisation (WHO).

The medical profession is a

challenging one that demands a lot of

time, perseverance and dedication. Still

if one can find time to pursue one's

special interests that would be great.

Dr Ranjan R K, Associate Professor

of Department of Anaesthesiology is

one such doctor whose interests to

serve the society motivated him to

join the Rotary in 1996. Presently, he

is the First President of the newly

formed Rotary Club Mangalore City.

Hailing from Kavalakatte in

Bantwal, Dr Ranjan had his early

education at Milagres High School. He

pursued collegiate studies at St Aloysius

and later did his MBBS at KMC

Mangalore followed by MD in

Anaesthesiology at the same institution.

He has earlier served as Dean at

Srinivas Institute of Medical Sciences

and Research Centre and Professor and

HOD at SIMS.

Dr Ranjan was earlier the

President of Rotary Club of Mangalore

Sunrise and Chairman of District Pulse

Polio. Interestingly, he was a qualified

cricket umpire of KSCA for 2000-2015.

His hobbies also made him a radio

amateur with call sign VU2AXB. He

also has an interest in Philately and

Photography.

Happily married to Pratibha, a

lawyer by profession, the couple is

blessed with a daughter.

OUTSTANDING EPIDEMIOLOGISTDr Bhargav who hails from Dehradun in Uttarakhand has spent nearly a decade

with Jana Swasthya Sahyog, a voluntary body that runs a rural hospital as well as

undertakes community health initiatives in tribal areas of Bilaspur district in Chattisgarh.

He has a vast experience on medical and social issues faced by TB patients.

His research paper which concluded that new cases of TB can be prevented by

addressing undernutrition in adults was adjudged the research paper of the year and

won him the 2014 British Medical Journal India Award. He also serves as Adjunct

Professor at Department of Medicine, McGill University.

Excellent

endeavour

He is a rationalist, a social

worker, Dalit activist, human

rights activist and writer all

rolled into one. He is an upright

man who is uncompromising

on the principles that he has

adopted in life. For

Krishnappa Konchady,

serving the society is above

everything else.

He belongs to the Mugera

community considered one of the most

primitive scheduled castes of this area.

Krishnappa had his early education at the

Sri Ramashrama school at Konchady. After

graduating in Arts from St Aloysius College,

he did his LLB, MA in History and

Economics, MBA and MSc in Geography.

Now he has a doctorate in History from

Hampi University to his credit. He has also

succeeded in the Associateship Examination

conducted by the Insurance Institute of India,

considered difficult to crack.

Krishnappa who was more

interested in the student

movement in his early days

was also drawn towards

rationalist thinking and action

in life after he met eminent

rationalist Prof. Narendra

Nayak at a very young age.

He is a District Committee

member of CPI(M), Joint

Secretary of District

Rationalists' Association and Joint Secretary

of Progressive Thinkers Forum. In 2001,

Krishnappa was a part of the Indian

delegation which participated in the

International Student and Youth Festival held

at Algiers, the capital of Algeria.

He has tried his hands at writing by

authoring two books and translating four

books from English to Kannada. Having

spent all his life working for the trade union

movement he refused many jobs and

promotions and remains a clerk in the LIC.

UPRIGHT SOCIAL ACTIVIST



Reg. No.MNG/1022/2018-2020

RNI. No. KARENG/2009/40529

Licensed to post without prepayment license No.: SK/WPP/MNG/128/2018-20

Date of Posting: 10th of every Month at Balmatta PO

MANGALORE TODAY - FEBRUARY 2018 MANGALORE TODAY - FEBRUARY 2018 Publisher and Editor V. U. GEORGE Executive Editor MAHESH NAYAK Associate Editor JAYASHREE SUDHIR Senior Reporter SATYA

Documents