The body of 64-year old Karnataka Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson SL Dharmegowda was found beside a railway track at Gunasagara in Kadur taluk, in the state’s Chikkamagaluru district, early on the morning of December 29.
According to reports, Dharmegowda had left his farmhouse at Sakharayapattana after 10 PM on Monday night. After he failed to return home, family members went searching for him and found his body near a railway track between Gunasagara and Kabli. According to sources close to Dharmegowda, he had asked the driver of the car to park the vehicle near the railway track at Gunasagara and had reportedly told the driver that he was meeting someone there.
All necessary arrangements have been made at District McGann Hospital, Shivamogga for an autopsy. Police security has been beefed up around the hospital too. MLC R Prasanna Kumar, Urban Development Minister B A Basavaraju, district in-charge Minister K S Eshwarappa and other elected representatives are present at the hospital.
In a tweet, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa expressed his shock and sorrow at hearing the news of Dharmegowda’s tragic death.
ವಿಧಾನಪರಿಷತ್ ಉಪಸಭಾಪತಿ ಶ್ರೀ ಎಸ್.ಎಲ್.ಧರ್ಮೇಗೌಡರ ನಿಧನದ ಸುದ್ದಿ ದಿಗ್ಭ್ರಮೆ ಮೂಡಿಸಿದೆ. ಇದನ್ನು ನಂಬಲಿಕ್ಕೇ ಸಾಧ್ಯವಾಗುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ. ಶಾಸಕರಾಗಿ, ಉಪಸಭಾಪತಿಗಳಾಗಿ ಜನಮನ್ನಣೆ ಗಳಿಸಿದ್ದ ಅವರ ದುರಂತ ಅಂತ್ಯ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ದುಃಖವನ್ನುಂಟು ಮಾಡಿದೆ. ಹಿರಿಯ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳಿಂದ ಘಟನೆಯ ವಿವರ ಪಡೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ. (1/2)
Encroached temple land of over 3,000 sqft worth over ₹100 crore was recovered in Salem following relentless efforts by Hindu Munnani and Thiru Thondar Peravai (Saiva Devotees Forum).
The 3.60-acre land is located at Salem-Bengaluru National Highway in Thiruvakavandanur area which had been donated by a devotee by the name of Krishnan Chettiar in 1899. It had been given to the Venugopala Swamy Temple located at Chinnakkadai Street in Salem. Over the years, a plethora of establishments and stalls came up in this land, encroaching and illegally claiming right to temple property.
The temple administration later filed a case at the Madras High Court which passed an order to evict the illegal encroachments. On December 24, the temple administration, members from the Hindu Munnani and Saiva Devotees Forum came down to the land armed with the court’s order. The shops located on the property were sealed.
“As far as over 80 houses are concerned, encroachers have been served notice through court to evict within 15days” Hindu Munnani functionary Santhosh was quoted saying in a report by the Organiser. The Saiva Devotees Forum President Allikuttai Radhakrishnan said that the encroached temple lands in Salem district would be retrieved with the help of courts and would be handed over to the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department.
Police security had been posted in order to prevent any mishap or law and order issue from taking place as the case was ongoing in court. However, some of the encroachers quarreled with the government officials and temple authorities when they came to seal the shops near AVR Roundtana. A police team led by Suramangalam Assistant Commissioner Nagarajan came to the spot to bring the situation under control.
Seven shops were sealed in the first phase and the eviction drive is likely to continue in the coming days.
A similar incident took place in Chennai, wherein land belonging to the Kapaleeswarar temple had been recovered by the same organizations.
Hindu Munnani functionary Santhosh said that 3,000 square feet land worth ₹4.5 crore has been taken into custody now with the remaining portion of the ₹100 crore land yet to be retried.
On December 25, social media accounts created as part of MK Stalin’s image building exercise posted a picture that said that the DMK chief when he was Mayor of Chennai, was awarded a doctorate by the ‘Irish International University’.
The social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc named ‘Stalinudan TN’ (Tamil Nadu with Stalin) posted a picture stating that MK Stalin was the only Mayor from India to have participated in the ‘International Mayors Conference’ and was awarded a ‘doctorate’ by the ‘Irish International University’ for his contribution to ‘local governance’.
However, it turns out that the said university is an unaccredited bogus university that offered ‘sub-standard and worthless degrees’.
A BBC News report dated January 7, 2008 said “The bogus Irish International University (IIU), which offers sub-standard and worthless degrees, has been allowed to flourish in the UK – virtually unchecked by the government – for the last seven years.” The investigative report of the BBC went on to describe it as an educational scam that targeted foreign students.
A report by The Irish Times called the Irish International University as a “bogus university” that “targets overseas students with the promise of earning an Irish university qualification online that holds ‘international recognition’”
A video of DMK chief MK Stalin receiving the ‘doctorate degree’ from the university has been posted in his official YouTube account.
This has now become a fodder for netizens critical of the DMK with many reminiscing how Dravida Kazhagam leader E.V. Ramasamy Naicker (known as ‘Periyar’ by his followers) was awarded the ‘Socrates of South-East Asia’ award by UNESCO.
DMK President @MKStalin’s PR Team claims he was awarded Honorary Doctorate by Irish International University honouring his contributions to Local Bodies as Minister. It’s found out that no such Irish International University exists & it’s a scam. EVR’s bogus UNESCO Award repeat? pic.twitter.com/ZK1GguvIg3
It has been said, written and ingrained in the minds of people that Ramasamy Naicker was conferred with the title of “Socrates of South-East Asia” by the UNESCO. For more than 40 years, this lie has been peddled with several articles and research papers on EVR written based on this lie.
However, an email response from the UNESCO office in Delhi had confirmed that no such award/title was given to E.V. Ramasamy Naicker. Following this, the lie has now been removed from the new textbooks.
Just days ahead of his announcement regarding the launch of his party, Superstar Rajinikanth has announced that he will not be starting a party and take the plunge into electoral politics.
In a detailed statement, Rajinikanth stated that his health condition prevented him from entering politics and added that he saw the recent COVID scare during the film shoot of ‘Annathe’ in Hyderabad as a message from God.
He also stated that it was not possible to bring about the political change that he expects by just campaigning through media and social media adding that this reality will be acknowledged by any person well versed with politics.
“I know that people will say different things about me if I backtrack now as I had said earlier that I would take the political plunge even if my life was at stake. But I do not want to make my followers a scapegoat fearing that.” he said in his statement.
“Therefore, I regret deeply to inform you that I won’t be able to start a political party and come into politics”, he added.
He thanked the members of the Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) for believing in him and for acting in accordance with his command. He said that he will forever remain in gratitude to members of the RMM for keeping his health concerns supreme and being open to whatever decision that he takes.
Just within weeks after Rajinikanth announced his political entry, the Superstar in a statement announced his decision to quit politics citing health reasons
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Monday inaugurated the newly-formed Mayiladuthurai district. The 38th district in the state has been carved out of Nagapattinam district. The Chief Minister inaugurated the district through video conferencing from the Secretariat in Chennai. The new district comprises four taluks – Mayiladuthurai, Sirkazhi, Tarangambadi, and Kuthalam. It has a total population of 9.01 lakh.
It will have Mayiladuthurai as its headquarters and has been carved out of Nagapattinam district. It may be recalled that the people of Mayiladuthurai had been demanding for it to be a separate district for almost 25 years. The four districts carved out were Tirupattur Chengalpattu Tenkasi and Ranipet.
R Lalitha, who served as the special officer for district formation has taken charge as the district collector. IPS officer Srinatha has been appointed as the superintendent of police. The officials assumed charge at the Mayiladuthurai collectorate soon after the inaugural function. Handlooms Minister O S Manian, Poompuhar MLA Paunraj, Mayiladuthurai MLA Radhakrishnan, and others were present in Mayiladuthurai during the inaugural function.
Earlier, the CM had announced that few new districts will be formed in the state for administrative convenience and accelerating the public welfare schemes. According to which, Kallakurichu, Tirupattur, Chengalpattu, Tenkasi and Ranipet were announced as separate districts this year.
Victor Jesudasan (58), a pastor from Vellore has been arrested for cheating people and swindling money in the name of providing scholarships to children’s education.
Kumar, a resident of Kangeyanallur next to Katpadi in Vellore district, works as a laborer, has two children – a son and a daughter. Struggling to make ends meet, he was in need of money for his children’s education. Kumar was informed that a trust run by Victor Jesudasan of Anthonyar Koil Street in Salavanpet area of Vellore is helping children with scholarship.
He met Victor and asked for his help who said that it would cost ₹20,000. Kumar gave ₹20,000 to Victor, hoping that his children would get scholarship. However, no money came from the pastor even after several days. When Kumar met him to ask for the money, he gave a cheque to Kumar which bounced. Later, when Kumar confronted the pastor and asked for a refund, he insulted and threatened the poor labourer with inappropriate words.
Following this, Kumar has lodged a complaint with the Vellore DIG seeking action against Victor Jesudasan. It was only when the police began their investigation based on the complaint that pastor Victor was involved in many such fraudulent activities. It was learnt that he had similarly taken money from more than ten people in the area around Kangeyanallur claiming to provide assistance for buying house, old age allowance, scholarship, sewing machine and a vehicle for the disabled through a trust he runs.
Local media reports note that the pastor had collected up to ₹2,27,000. Police are investigating whether if he started the foundation to receive funds from Church organizations abroad.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued an order on December 28 extending the earlier guidelines issued on 25.11.2020 for surveillance to remain in force until 31.01.2021. States and Union Territories have been instructed to strictly enforce containment measures, SOPs on various activities and COVID-appropriate behaviour, and to exercise caution and strict surveillance.
“While there has been a continuous decline in the active and new COVID-19 cases, there is a need to maintain surveillance, containment and caution, keeping in view the surge in cases globally, and emergence of a new variant of the virus in the United Kingdom (UK)”, said the MHA in a press release.
Accordingly, Containment Zones will continue to be demarcated carefully; prescribed containment measures strictly followed within these zones; COVID-appropriate behaviour promoted and strictly enforced; and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed in respect of various permitted activities are to be followed scrupulously.
“The focused approach on surveillance, containment and strict observance of the guidelines/SOPs issued by MHA and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MOHFW), as envisaged in the guidelines issued on 25.11.2020, need to be enforced strictly by States and UTs,” the press release added.
Temples, in their diverse styles and forms, are undoubtedly integral to Hindu traditions. Hindus go to temples to experience darshana of the deity, to take part in rituals (such as puja or aarati) and festivals (such as rathotsava or brahmotsava), and so on. Temples are also tirthasthalas, sacred sites where Hindus come from far and near. Temple grounds are also venues for the singing of bhajans and kirtans and the oration of pravachans and satsangs. Some Hindus get married in temples or commemorate their marriage in temples. Parents often choose to commemorate the birth of their child in temples, or to observe the infant’s first tonsure or first solid meal in the temple premises. Some Hindus also perform rituals to mark the death of a loved one in temples. Why, people also go to temples to mark the purchase of new vehicles!
All in all, Hindu temples are spaces for the Hindu community – spaces that are very much intertwined with daily life.
Given this enormous significance of temples for Hindus even today, it is indeed sad that several temples in India are in a ruinous state, either due to the apathy of the Archaeological Survey of India or the borderline-abusive neglect of the various HRCE departments. Some temples, however, are just lost in the metaphorical (sometimes quite literal, as was in this case) wilderness – away from the “cares” of the concerned government authorities and forgotten by the populace.
One group of youth from Karnataka decided to do something about this.
The “Yuva Brigade”, a group of young enthusiasts with great zeal and a penchant for initiative, took matters into their own hands. They decided to restore dilapidated temples in their native districts of Mysuru and Mandya. They have a history of renovating many temples and ancient monuments.
In their latest endeavour, they have restored the Veerabhadraswamy Temple at Ganjam village, near the famed temple-town of Srirangapatna. The temple was in a state of utter disrepair, covered by weeds and brambles. Though located near a major thoroughfare, the temple structure was not even visible due to the thick undergrowth. The “Yuva Brigade” chanced upon this temple when someone posted a video about the temple’s state on social media.
Veerabhadraswamy Temple, Ganjam: Before restoration. Image credits: starofmysore.com
The group sought the permission of the nearby residents, and proceeded to form a team to renovate the temple. They kept the locals informed of their progress. They began clearing the plants and foliage that had sprouted from within the dilapidated structure.
As they regularly posted updates of their work on socia media, many people contributed materials such as cement, limestone and paint. After two months of working on weekends and holidays, the temple was completely transformed.
Veerabhadraswamy Temple, Ganjam: After restoration. Image credits: starofmysore.com
The team had realised that the historic idol had been stolen from the garbhagrha of the temple. After the renovation works were completed, the Yuva Brigade members arranged for a murti to be installed as per traditions and dedicated the temple to the deity. An iron door was also affixed and an electricity connection to the premises was also arranged for.
After the restoration, a deepotsava was held on the third Monday of the Kartika month. Locals took part in the utsava, and the keys of the temple were handed over to them.
“Deepotsava” held at Veerabhadraswamy Temple, Ganjam after restoration. Image credits: starofmysore.com
Among those who generously contributed towards the restoration work are Ashwin from Srirangapatna and Lokesh from Krishna Raja Sagar village. S. Sandesh, Kiran, Ravisutha, Sandesh, Manoj, Sharath, Lokesh, Sooraj, Ranjith, Gautham, Lokesh Ganjam, Abhishek, Shreyas, Ravi and Manu of the Yuva Brigade worked actively in the temple restoration.
Members of ‘Yuva Brigade”. Image credits: starofmysore.com
Recently, the group also earned kudos from Prime Minister Modi on his monthly radio program ‘Mann Ki Baat’.
‘Protesters’ from Punjab who are ‘protesting’ against the farm bill have cut off the power supply to around 1,300 mobile towers of telecom carrier Reliance Jio in Punjab.
This has led to a massive outage of mobile and internet services and has caused inconvenience to the users who depend on the company’s network and infrastructure during the time of Covid-19 reports Financial Express.
There almost 9000 Reliance Jio towers in Punjab, of which around 1,300 have been cut off. To add to the woes of the people, the protesters have gone as far as to cut down the fibre itself and it may take days to fix the problem not to mention the problem faced by businesses and lakhs school students who depend on the internet for there education.
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh who supports the farm agitation has appealed to the protesters to exercise restraint and to not cause inconvenience to the general public. However, no legal action has yet been taken against the protesters by Punjab Police or Punjab Government which has emboldened them.
Singh had said, “Forceful disruption of telecom services due to snapping of power supply to mobile towers by farmers in several parts of the state is not only adversely affecting the studies and future prospects of students, who are dependent entirely on online education, but also hampering the daily life of people working from home due to the pandemic.”
Singh had also added, “Further, the disruption of telecom services would also seriously affect the state’s already disturbed economy.”
The Tower and Infrastructure Providers Association (TAIPA) have asked the State Government of Punjab to persuade the protesters to not to resort to any unlawful activity.
It must also be noted that it was the same Congress and all the left secular parties who had protested when internet access in the state of Jammu and Kashmir was cut after the abrogation of article 370. However, in the case of the protests against the farm laws they have gone ahead and disrupted telecom services.
