Bishops’ conference rubbishes claims of rampant conversions

Rejecting the charges of large-scale conversion of Hindus into Christians, the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) has accused the Sangh Parivar of using the “bogey of conversion” to unleash an attack on the Christian community in the country.

Speaking to reporters after a two-day meeting of Catholic Bishops from across India, which concluded in Bangalore on Friday, the CBCI President Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil wondered how the number of Christians in the country would remain a mere 2.3 per cent of the total population if the churches were involved in rampant conversion.

Though speaking about one’s faith was a right guaranteed under the Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, conversion by allurement or force was against the basic principles of the Catholic Church, Vithayathil said.

The attacks on Christians and Christian institutions in several states across India were being carried out by “trained agents of radical Hindutva organizations” to build up a vote bank for the Lok Sabha elections, due to be held next year, he said.

“The Catholic Bishops Conference of India has resolved to seek a ban on the fundamentalist groups, which train terrorists under the banner of Hindutva or any other name”, Rev. Vithayathil said.

Archbishop Raphael Chinnath from Bhubaneshwar said the National Minorities Commission had clearly stated that there were no instances of forced conversion booked anywhere in India. “The Sangh Parivar was using the ploy of giving a dog a bad name before killing it”, he said.

The Federal as well as the State Governments had failed to take stringent action against the persons and organizations responsible for the attacks on churches. “As a result of reports of violence continued to pour in from states like Orissa”, he said.

The attacks on Christians in Orissa were closely linked to the rise of the Dalit communities in the state’s Khandamal district because of the educational and developmental initiative of the church.

Most of them were earlier “no more than slaves under the upper caste people” and the educational activities of the church had questioned this caste hierarchy.
Secretary General of Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) Stanislaus Fernandes said about 30,000 people, who had fled to the forests in Orissa after the attack, were not returning to their villages fearing attacks. “They are still in the forests fearing attacks and no compensation had reached them. They were not safe even in the refugee camps”, he said.

Central forces arrive in violence-hit Karnataka

Central forces have begun arriving in Karnataka after the team of senior Home Ministry officials toured the communal violence-hit parts of state and returned to the national capital.

Three companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF) have arrived in Karnataka and have been stationed at Bangalore and Mangalore.

One company of RAF comprising 150 presonnel including 12 women led by a Deputy Commandant has been stationed at Bajpe in Mangalore, where large-scale communal violence had broken out after suspected pro-Hindu activists had attacked churches in different parts of the state.

The RAF companies will be stationed in Bangalore and put under the command of the Director General of Police.

The arrival of RAF companies was preceded by an announcement to the effect by senior Home Ministry official Special Secretary (Internal Security) M L Kumawat, who toured Karnataka. “The Karnataka Government has asked for three companies of RAF, which was agreed to”, he said.

During its tour of Karnataka, the two-member Central team led by Kumawat went around Mangalore, Udupi and other affected areas of state before reaching Bangalore and holding a discussion with senior officials.

Kumawat said the team held meetings with deputy commissioners, superintendents of police of the violence-hit districts, besides the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police in Bangalore.

“The affected community is upset and unhappy. They complained against the police. More patrolling, more preventive action and peace meetings are required to keep such incidents under a check”, Kumawat said.

Meanwhile, the arrival of three companies of RAF also co-incides with the demand placed before the Federal Government by the National Commission for Minorities to immediately deploy paramilitary forces in the sensitive areas of the state.

A tam of the National Commission for Minorities led by Chairman Mohammed Shafi Qureshi visited the violence-hit areas of the state and sought stringent action against Bajrang Dal activists, who had let loose a reign of terror against Christians and targeted their places of worship.
The Federal Government should rush paramilitary forces to Karnataka to ensure the safety and security of life and property of the Christians, who are being attacked, the Commission said in its report that has been submitted to the Government.

Heroin worth Rs 150 million seized at Bangalore airport

A Vietnamese woman, who was carrying heroin worth Rs 150 million with her, was arrested minutes before was board a flight to Hanoi at the Bangalore international airport on Thursday.

The accused Nguyen Thi Trang, 24, who claimed to be student from Vietnam, had arrived at the airport from New Delhi a few hours ago. When Customs officials examined her baggage and two pairs of sandals before she was to board a flight to Hanoi via Bangkok, they recovered a large quantity of pure heroin packed in polythene bags.

“She had concealed a total of 4.28 kgs of heroin in specially made cavities in her sandals and false bottom of a suitcase”, Commissioner of Customs A K Koushal told reporters. While a search of the sandals yielded 900 grams of heroin, the rest was found hidden in the suitcase.

The Customs officials had received a tip off on the Vietnamese woman’s arrival in Bangalore airport. “After she flew in here from New Delhi, we took her into custody while she was getting ready to take the flight to Hanoi”, a Customs official said.

During interrogation, the suspect said she was a student and was in India on a short visit. She had apparently met a Nigerian national in New Delhi, who assigned her the job of transport the consignment to Hanoi. She also confessed to have received $ 1,500 and a free flight ticket for the job.

As the heroin appears to have a high-level of purity, the Customs department officials have sent its sample to laboratory for investigations.

Though the Vietnamese national was booked under Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 and sent to custody, the Customs officials have begun an investigation to find out the existence of an international drug route that passes through Bangalore.
For, this is the second time in the last two months that foreigners had been arrested at the Bangalore international airport while trying to sneak out of the country with heroin. “Apart from finding out whether Bangalore has emerged as a transit point, we will also inquire into the origin of the drug and the players involved”, Koushal said.

Karnataka seeks US consulate in Bangalore

The Karnataka Government has urged the United States to open a consulate in Bangalore to cater to the large number of US visa aspirants from the State, who are forced to travel to Chennai to submit their applications.

“There is a strong need to open a US consulate in Bangalore as the number of visa aspirants from Karnataka is now estimated to be more than 45,000 every year”, Karnataka’s Home Minister V S Acharya told the US Consul General Andrew T Simkin, who was in Bangalore on Tuesday.

Apart from the estimated 45,000 people from Karnataka, who travel to Chennai seeking different types of US visas every year, there are about 7,000 US nationals living in different parts of Karnataka, the Home Minister added.

Besides, Bangalore, being the hub of the Information Technology (IT) industry in the country, could well emerge at the top of the list of cities in the world seeking visa applications to the US.

Acharya promised the Government’s support to help set up the US consulate in Bangalore. “The State Government is ready to provide all necessary facilities for setting up a US consulate in Bangalore”, he said.

Karnataka’s Law Minister Suresh Kumar, who was also present on the occasion, requested Simkin to consider starting an application receiving centre till a full-fledged US consulate of opened in Bangalore.

The US, which already has its consulate in New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, will be opening its fourth one in Hyderabad by the end of this year.

Responding to the requests of Karnataka Government, Simkin said its consulate in Chennai, which caters to US visa aspirants from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, stands at the No. 3 position in the global list of consulates handling highest number of visa applications. “We received 289,000 visa applications from Chennai last year”, he said.
“The same kind of response can be expected from Bangalore with more young professionals and students flocking the US for higher education”, Simkin said. “American companies see South India as a pool of best talent. From hi-tech operations to fabulous R and D, it has got it all. So, we get the best manpower from here”, he added.

Central team in Karnataka to review security situation

A team of senior Home Ministry officials arrived in Mangalore in coastal Karnataka on Tuesday to review the security situation in the BJP-ruled State following the recent attacks on churches by suspected pro-Hindu activists.

The two-member team led by Special Secretary for Internal Security M L Kumawat and comprising Joint Secretary to the Department of Home Ministry A K Yadav held discussions with senior police officials and obtained details about the attacks on the churches.

The later went around Mangalore and other parts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, which had borne the brunt of the attack.

Kumawat said they would submit a report to the Federal Home Minister V Shivaraj Patil on their return to the capital in two days time after completing their tour of affected parts of the state.

The Central team’s visit to Karnataka comes close on the heels of the two advisories issued by the Home Ministry to the BJP Government in the State to initiate effective steps immediately to prevent the attacks on churches.

However, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has not taken the dispatch of the Central team to Karnataka by the Federal Government kindly. Just as he resented the issue of advisories, Yeddyurappa was offended with the visit of the Home Ministry officials and said there was no need for the Federal Government to send a team to study the security situation in Karnataka.

“The law and order situation in Karnataka is good. What is happening in Delhi? Terrorists are killing innocent people everyday, but the Centre is keeping quiet. On the other hand, it sends letters to Karnataka”, said Yeddyurappa while speaking to reporters in Hubli on Tuesday.

However, he said he had no objection to the Central team’s visit as long as it submits a “factual and objective” report on the security situation in the State.
He said the Karnataka Government has decided to invoke the provisions of the Anti Goonda Act against persons indulging in attacks on places of Christian worship. Apart from ordering a Corps of Detective (CoD) probe, the State Government has announced an judicial inquiry into the attacks on churches, he said.

Political cum spiritual retreat for Karnataka legislators begins

More than 65 legislators cutting across party lines descended on Suttur Srikshetra, a religious institution situated on the banks of river Kapila in Mysore district, about 170 kms from here for a rare political-cum spiritual retreat organized to inculcate in them moral values and social responsibilities.

The three day camp for the members of the Legislative Assembly as well as the Legislative Council, which began at Suttur on Tuesday, comes less than two months after a brain-storming session on management practices was held for the first-time Ministers of BJP Government at Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B).

Legislators from not only the ruling BJP, but also the Opposition Congress and JD (S) are participating in the camp that features lectures on subjects like “value-based politics” and “social responsibilities” by a battery of learned spiritual leaders and scholars from different backgrounds.

The camp, which essentially seeks to bring about a moral change among the legislators, will also have sessions on meditation and yoga.

A couple of Ministers of the B S Yeddyurappa-led Government in the State are also among the legislators participating in the camp. “Though more than 104 legislators had enrolled themselves for the camp, about 65 to 70 of them attended the first day’s session on Tuesday”, co-ordinator of camp Channabasappa told reporters.

Organized by the Suttur Math, a religious institution of Lingayats, a caste to which Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa belongs, the unique conclave was inaugurated by founder of Isha Foundation, Coimbatore, Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev.

“This is the first religious institution to have taken the lead in inculcating among the legislators the nuances of value-based politics”, said Channabasappa.

While Magsaysay award winners Anna Hazare and Prakash Amte will guide the legislators on the importance of nation-building, while D Veerendra Heggade of the Dharmasthala Math will deliver a lecture on Religious Institution and Rural Development.

Lectures on Legislature and Proceedings besides Legislators and Social Commitments will also be part of the three-day programme. Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa will be delivering the valedictory address on Thursday, the last day of the conclave.

Channabasappa said the proceedings of the three-day meeting will be recorded and a book will be brought out on the findings and results of the camp. “Based on the results and speeches at the camp, the Math plans to bring out a handbook for legislators which will contain the dos and don’ts for them and their duties and principles”, Channabasappa said.

Two trampled to death during stampede for Ramadan charity

Two women were trampled to death while twelve others suffered injuries during a stampede outside the residence of a rich mine owner in Bellary in Karnataka, who was distributing food grains and clothes as charity during the holy month of Ramadan.

Police identified the deceased as Shyamala, 25, and Noor Jahaan, 60, both of whom are residents of Bellary. The injured persons have been admitted to Vijaynagar Institute of Medical Sciences for treatment.

Superintendent of Bellary district Police Seemanth Kumar Singh said the stampede occurred on Sunday when hundreds of people from Bellary and nearby villages gathered in front of the residence of Iqbal Ahmed, a mine owner, who regularly doles out food grains, clothes and even cash to the poor people as part of Ramadan.

As soon as the gates of Iqbal Ahmed’s house were opened around noon, the restive crowd estimated to be more than 5,000 people began pushing and shoving each other to gain entry into the house. As people tried to rush inside, many women and older men were thrown down, leading to the stampede.

Though security had been provided for the event, the team of policemen led by a sub inspector of police proved to be inadequate to control the crowd and bring the situation under control.

“We will find out the exact reason for the tragedy. Prima facie it looks like there was a delay on the part of the organizers to open the gates early and the heavy rush of people resulted in the stampede”, Seemanth Kumar Singh said.

Iqbal Ahmed said his family used to distribute charity every year during Ramadan and never before had such an incident taken place. “This year also, we took all security measures properly. What happened is very unfortunate”, he said.
Meanwhile, Cowl Bazaar police station in Bellary has registered a case against Iqbal Ahmed’s family for “negligence”.

Federal Government may ban Bajrang Dal - Moily

The Federal Government may ban the BJP’s frontal organization Bajrang Dal for creating a fear psychosis among the minorities by attacking Christians and vandalizing their prayers halls, warned All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) media cell chairman M Veerappa Moily.

Speaking to reporters in Bangalore, Moily described the attacks on churches in Mangalore, Udupi, Chickmagalur, Udupi and Kolar districts as “pre-determined” acts of violence that had the “blessings” of the BJP Government in the State.

Though the Bajrang Dal activists had owned up to the attack, the Government had not arrested them, Moily said. The liberal approach of the BJP Government towards Bajrang Dal activists had emboldened them to attack Christians and their prayer halls with impunity, he said.

Moily, who is also a former Chief Minister of Karnataka, said the Federal Government would not hesitate to initiate stern action even against the State Government if continued to turn a blind eye to the violence unleashed by its party’s frontal organizations.

The National Minorities Commission and the National Women’s Commission have been reviewing the situation in the State. Based on the reports of these two organizations, the Federal Government will take a final decision.

“But, it is quite evident from the unending attacks on churches that law and order situation in the had collapsed. The Federal Government can take action citing the collapse of law and order”, he said.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha member S M Krishna paid a visit Kolar, where the St Mary’s Church was vandalized by suspected pro Hindutva activists, and urged the Federal Government to proscribe Bajrang Dal, which has unleashed a reign of terror in Karnataka ever since the BJP Government came to power.

Karnataka orders CoD probe attack on churches

The BJP Government in Karnataka has ordered a Corps of Detective (CoD) probe into the recent attacks on churches in different parts of the state, particularly in the coastal town of Mangalore.

A decision to order a probe by the elite sleuths of the CoD was taken after prolonged discussions over the attacks on churches during a Cabinet meeting held on Thursday.

Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said the State Government has decided to order a probe by the CoD as it wanted an “impartial inquiry” into the communal violence gripping the state.

Claiming that he was “shocked and pained”, Yeddyurappa said the Government wishes to hold an impartial inquiry into the incidents of communal violence that have rocked the state.

The CoD would be asked to probe all the instances of attacks on churches reported since September 14 and file a report within the next two months. “The probe would expose the persons, groups and organizations behind the attacks on churches”, he said.

He said the police has been directed to provide round-the-clock patrolling in sensitive towns and cities of the State in view of the communal unrest. All the places of worship, particularly the ones belonging to minorities will be given security, Yeddyurappa said.

The BJP Government’s decision to order a CoD probe comes after Opposition parties came down heavily on the Chief Minister for not initiating action against the Bajrang Dal leaders and activists though they had accepted responsibility for the attacks of Christian places of worship in protest against conversion.

The Opposition Congress and JD (S) leaders have accused Yeddyurappa of shielding Bajrang Dal leaders, which has emboldened the Sangh Parivar activists to unleash terror against minorities.
Meanwhile, the attacks on churches in different parts of Karnataka continued even on Thursday with Hindu activists attacking a church in Kudremukh in Chickmagalur district on Thursday.

Karnataka offers land to Tata Motors for Nano project

Karnataka Government has offered 1,000 acres of land if Tata Motors relocates its small car Nano project from Singur in West Bengal to its state.

After holding a crucial meeting with Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa in Bangalore on Thursday and discussing the feasibility of setting up the Nano car plant in Karnataka, Managing Director of Tata Motors’ Ravikant claimed that Karnataka Government had offered 1,000 acres of land and all the incentives needed to relocate the small car project.

Yeddyurappa expressed confidence that Tata Motors will take decision to shift to Karnataka shortly.

“If they (Tata Motors) wish to relocate, the Government of Karnataka will give them all the support and facilities. They were very receptive to our proposal. We are confident of a positive outcome in view of our excellent relationship”, the Chief Minister said apparently referring to the two plants of Tata Motors, which are already functioning in Dharwad district of Karnataka.

As the main Nano plant and the ancillary units have to be together, the representatives from Tata Motors have made it clear to the Government that they would require a total of 1,000 acres of land as their project was integrated in nature. “If we need to relocate, we need to have 1,000 acres”, Ravikant told reporters.

Though the company was actively looking for an alternative site to relocate its plant from Singur, where the Opposition Trinamool Congress party is protesting against the acquisition of land for Tata Motors, Ravikant said a final decision in the matter is yet to be taken.

Ravikanth said the other possible sites for the small car project include Pantagar in Uttarakhand, where Tata manufactures mini trucks, and Pune in Maharashtra, where the company has already carried out test production for Nano.

Churches attacked in Karnataka

Pro-Hindutva activists vandalized a total of nine churches in coastal and central parts of Karnataka on Sunday, causing anxiety among the Christian community in the State.

The co-ordinated attacks on Churches in Mangalore and Udupi in coastal Karnataka, besides Chickmagalur in central Karnataka took place between 9 am and 10 am before the prayer congregation held on Sundays.

Police suspect activists of Bajrang Dal were behind the attacks on churches to protest against the alleged conversion of Hindus to Christianity.

The activists had attacked churches in Mudigere, Jayapura, Balehonnur and Singatgere in Chickmagalur, besides vandalizing prayer halls in Sirur, Mudur and Udupi town in Udupi district and Kodikkal, Falnir, Milagres and Alfa Centre in Mangalore.

The attackers smashed the windowpanes and other equipment in the churches. Attempts were also made to assault the pastors and set fire to the prayer halls. A total of eight persons including two pastors have been injured in the attacks.

In Mangalore, suspected Bajrang Dal activists entered the Adoration Monastery Chapel at the Milagres and allegedly desecrated the cross and the statue of Jesus. The miscreants then began breaking everything they could lay their hands on in the church, said Ahinda leader Gracian Rodrigues.

Bajrang Dal, which has accepted the responsibility for the attacks, said they had attacked the churches as the members of the “New Life”, a Christian sect, had distributed pamphlets denigrating “Hindu Gods”.

Bajrang Dal chief Mahendra Kumar said their activists were targeting only prayer hall belonging to “New Life”. “We have not targeted any Catholic church”, he said. Kumar warned that more attacks will continue if the devotees of New Life sect did not stop ”spreading canards of Hindu religion”.
Meanwhile, the Christian community staged protests in Mangalore to condemn the attack on the churches in different parts of the State. Tension prevailed in Mangalore for some time when stone pelting took place in a residential locality. Police has imposed prohibitory orders in Mangalore and strengthened security.

Vajpayee bats for Advani as next PM

Former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has called upon the partymen to go an extra mile to install senior BJP leader L K Advani as the next Prime Minister of India.

Though Vajpayee could not make it to the three day BJP national executive, which began in Bangalore on Friday, due to ill-health, the former Prime Minister sent a message containing an appeal to his partymen to make Advani the next Prime Minister.

“My appeal to you is strive whole-heartedly and ensure that Advaniji becomes the Prime Minister after the next parliamentary elections”, Vajpayee said in the message.

The veteran BJP leader’s message was addressed to party President Rajnath Singh, who read it out during the meeting. The contents of the message were also revealed to the reporters later by BJP spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad.

“I am sure that the national executive meet will dwell on all issues confronting the country and take appropriate decisions”, Vajpayee said before adding that it was a matter of pride that the national executive was meeting in a state, where the BJP’s dream of having its own Government has become a reality.

“The choice of Bangalore as the venue after the party’s victory is significant. The Karnataka victory should repeat more decisively in all the other six states going to polls shortly”, the former Prime Minister added in his message.

Karnataka police chief moots “Anytime Police” concept

Inspired by the ubiquitous Automatic Teller Machines (ATM), which help people access cash anytime, Karnataka’s Director General of Police R Srikumar has mooted the idea of “Anytime Police”.

“We want to remove the jurisdictional barriers for reporting and investigation of crimes. We can work as one unit across the State by re-organizing the existing system and making good use of the communication system”, Srikumar told reporters.

“I imagine that the whole state of Karnataka can soon function as a single police station, where one call centre receives and arranges for appropriate responses that are centrally monitored”, he said.

The Karnataka police have already launched the toll-free helpline (Ph: 100 or 1-800-4250-100), which has been made operational with a control room in Bangalore for the whole of state. Global Positioning System (GPS)-fitted mobile police patrol parties that are near the callers’ house will be sent to verify the complaints.

The public can file a petition before the police either by making a telephone call, send an SMS, fax, e-mail or even a post card. While people in urban parts of the state are expected to contact the police either by making a telephone call or sending an SMS, Srikumar felt that people in rural area would prefer to walk in to the police station and lodge a complaint.

“It is therefore necessary for make available convenient police posts and kiosks, where people can easily come and report a crime. Just as the Election Commission promises a polling booth within walking distance of two kms anywhere in the country, computerized kiosks should start functioning as soon as possible in rural areas”, Srikumar wrote in his blog available on the new Karnataka police website.

“I have floated this concept to make police more accountable and people-friendly”, Srikumar said.

Bhattacharyas together not only in life and career, but also illness

B K Bhattacharya and his wife Teresa Bhattacharya, both distinguished IAS officers who rose to the rank of Chief Secretary of Karnataka, appear to be together not only in life and career, but also in illness.

B K Bhattacharya, a native of West Bengal, and Teresa Bhattacharya, who hails from Kerala, who tied the nuptial knot in 1972 shared a common interest for public service. Both of them rose to the rank of Chief Secretary of Karnataka and occupied the hot seat one after the other just at the turn of the century.

Now, in their retirement, both have been diagnosed with triple vessel coronary disease. Bhattacharya and his wife were diagnosed with similar heart ailment and both underwent a beating heart triple by-pass at a private hospital in Bangalore recently.

“After you are married for a long time, you tend to have everything alike, but this is a very big co-incidence. But, there is nothing scientific linking it”, said the chief cardio-thoracic and vascular surgeon of the private hospital Vivek Jawali. He performed the by pass on Teresa, who is 66 years, in the first week of May and Bhattacharya, who is 67 years, in August.

“While my wife had breathlessness, after which she was diagnosed with the condition, my symptoms were almost insignificant”, said Bhattacharya. “As we were heading to the US for the birth of our granddaughter, I underwent a complete medical check up when this triple vessel coronary disease was found”, he added.

Teresa, who underwent a surgery almost four months ago, said she was feeling much better now. But, Bhattacharya will take some more time to be completely fit for the trip to USA, she added.

Yeddyurappa describes new Bangalore airport as shoddy

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has expressed his disappointment with the new Bangalore international airport and described it as “shoddy” compared to other airports in the country.

“It is shoddy compared to all other airports in the country”, Yeddyurappa said while speaking at a function in Bangalore on Tuesday.

Without elaborating on his critical observations of the Rs 25 billion Greenfield airport constructed by private consortium, Yeddyurappa said “I will not allow such things. Bangalore needs an airport of international standards”.

Yeddyurappa said his Government was planning to have an airport or an airstrip in all the districts of the state in the next two years.

Yeddyurappa bitter comments against the Bangalore international airport come close on the heels of his Cabinet colleague and Minister for Information Technology and Bio Technology Katta Subramanya Naidu called the airport a “poor cousin” of other airports of international standards including New Delhi and Hyderabad”.

After legislators cutting across party lines and Ministers came down heavily on the airport during a discussion in the Legislative Assembly recently, the BJP Government Government has announced the setting up a Joint Legislature Committee. The Committee comprising members from the Legislative Assembly as well as the Council will probe the alleged lack of sufficient facilities for passengers as well as visitors.

Former Minister and Congress leader D K Shivakumar, who had raised the issue in the Assembly said “The new airport is no better than an ordinary bus stand. It is sub-standard. There are no proper seating arrangements for passengers or visitors”.
The private consortium comprising Unique Zurich Airport, Siemens Project Ventures and Larsen and Toubro, which built the airport was also accused of deviating from the architecture, style and design of the airport as approved by the Government.

Five members of a family end life in Mysore hotel

A Malayalam television serial actress and four of her family members were found dead in an apparent suicide pact at a hotel in Mysore near here.

Police said the dead include Bindu, 31, who acted in television serials in Kerala under the screen name Nayana, her father K B K Panicker, 65, her mother Rathnamma, 57, her elder brother Balakrishna Panicker, 33, and younger sister Indu, 29.

However, Bindu’s daughter Anupama, 7, and her neice Akhila, 5, who were with the family, have survived the tragedy and are undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

Mysore police told reporters yesterday that the tragedy came to light on Sunday when Anupama and Akhila and woke up in the afternoon and alerted the hotel staff that their elders were not waking up.

After making frantic efforts to wake up their elders, the children screaming and crying called the reception over the telecom, a police official said.

When the hotel staff rushed to the room, they realized that the five elders of the family were dead. Immediately informed the jurisdictional police, who rushed to the hotel room and began investigation.

The police have recovered a powdery substance and sleeping tablets from the hotel room. The deceased are believed to have consumed cola laced with the powdery substance, which is believed to be poison. Apparently, the elders had made the children also consume cola mixed with sleeping pills. But, the children have now been declared out of danger.

The police also they also found stains in the bathroom indicating that the deceased had vommitted blood.

Police said Bindu’s husband Irwin Peter works in London while Indu’s husband Vijayan Thambi works in Sharjah. Bindu’s father Panicker was an ex-serviceman and the family hailed from Alapuzzha in Kerala.

The family had checked into the hotel on September 4, a Thursday around 9 pm and went sight-seeing around Mysore on Friday and Saturday in a hired car. After visiting Brindavan Gardens and other tourist spots for the next two days, the family even consulted a gynaecologist in a private hospital.

On Saturday night, the family had ordered for dinner in their hotel room around 10.30 pm.

The family’s relatives from Kerala had arrived in Mysore and the police authorities are expected to hand over the dead bodies after the post-mortem.
Though no suicide note has been left behind, the police suspect financial problems to be among the likely causes for the family members to end their lives in a suicide pact.

Church set fire in Karnataka

An angry mob of people attacked a Church in Bada village in Karnataka’s Davangere district on Sunday.

Police said the mob comprising of more than 200 people broke the asbestos ceiling of the Church, besides shattering the windowpanes and setting fire to the material inside the premises.

Though no religious outfit has claimed responsibility for the incident, Hindu Jagarana Vedike has threatened to close down these “unauthorized places, which have become centers for conversion”.

Pastor Lukas of the Christian prayer hall, who was at the site of attack, described the attackers as “locals”, but refused to name them.

Police said the locals had accused the Protestant prayer congregation of “converting the locals” by luring them with gifts and by “demeaning Hindu gods and religious customs”. A total of ten people have been arrested in the connection with the attack.

The attack on the Church in Bada village came even as the authorities had imposed prohibitory orders within a radius of 200 metres of three other prayer halls in Davangere, which had been attacked by Hindu outfits over the last two weeks.

Insurance cover for elephants participating in Dasara festival

The twelve elephants participating in the annual Dasara festival at Mysore near here later this month have been given an insurance cover.

The Dasara Festival Committee decided to bring the elephants and their mahouts under a short-term insurance policy in view of the unpredictable nature of the elephants. Apart from the elephants and the mahouts, the Committee has even insured public and private property against any possible damage by the elephants.

The Dasara elephants, which are the cynosure of all eyes during the Dasara procession that passes through the main thoroughfares of Mysore, are subjected to daily rehearsals on the five-km procession route.

“This is a short term insurance policy that becomes valid from the date the elephants are brought out of their forest camp. It becomes void once they return to the forests after Dasara”, Deputy Conservator of Forests Yathish Kumar told reporters.

“Elephants are brought to the Mysore from the forests on trucks. They are susceptible to injuries during transportation. They may even cause damage to public or private property during their stay in Mysore. Hence, the insurance cover”, he said.

While the elephants have been insured for a sum ranging between Rs 100,000 to Rs 250,000, the mahouts and other helpers have been insured for a sum of Rs 100,000. The lead elephant Balarama, which carries the 750-kg heavy golden palanquin, has been insured for Rs 250,000.

The Dasara Festival Committee has already paid Rs 29,000 to United India Insurance Company as premium for the insurance of the elephants, mahouts, helpers and property, said Special Officer of Mysore City Corporation Ranganath, who co-ordinated with the insurance company on behalf of the Dasara Festival Committee.

The annual ten-day Dasara festival is scheduled to begin on September 30, but six of the twelve elephants that will be participating in the festivities have already arrived in Mysore for rehearsals.

Christians protest against issue of notices to schools

The Karnataka Christian Welfare Association held a demonstration in Bangalore yesterday demanding the withdrawal of notices issued by the BJP Government to educational institutions run by Christian organizations.

The protest comes after the State Government issued notices to an estimated 2,000 schools and colleges in Karnataka that had remained closed on August 29 to protest against the attacks on Christians in Karnataka.

Incidentally, BJP’s Lok Sabha MP H T Sangliana, who belongs to the Christian community, spearheaded the protest. Arguing that the educational institutions had a right to show their displeasure over the inhuman treatment of people in Orissa by remaining closed, Sangliana urged the State Government, led by his own party, to withdraw the notices.

Congress MLA K J George said everyone enjoyed a constitutional right to protest and criticized the Government’s decision to slap notices on the educational institutions for remaining closed on August 29.

President of Indian Catholic Press Association Sister Genevieve said the Christian schools across Karnataka have decided not to apologize for remaining closed on August 29.

“We are well within our rights. The principals of educational institutions have four discretionary holidays at their disposal, which they can call on days of local importance”, she said.
Meanwhile, the notices issued by the Education Department authorities had reprimanded the managements for closing the down the schools and colleges without obtaining prior permission from the Government. The notices claimed that the Department had learnt about the closure only through the media. The managements have been asked to show cause within a week of receiving the notices.

Bangalore hospital opens heart to Iraqi kids

The healing touch of hospitals in Bangalore is now beckoning an estimated 2,500 children with cardiac disorders from war-torn Iraq.

The children ranging from newly-borns to 12 years will be flown down to Bangalore in batches from next month for treatment at Narayana Hrudayala Institute of Cardiac Sciences.

Revealing this information to reporters, leading cardiac surgeon and Chairman of Narayana Hrudalaya Devi Shetty the Iraqi Government has selected their hospital for treating the children with cardiac disorder in view of the availability of advanced facilities and the state-of-the-art facilities technology to perform complicated heart surgeries.

“Providing high quality cardiac care at a subsidized cost has been our forte. That is the reason behind Iraqi Government choosing our hospital”, Shetty claimed.

The average of cost of each surgery will range between Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000, which will be borne by a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) from Iraq. Apart from this, the NGO will also sponsor traveling, accommodation and other miscellaneous expenses pertaining to the visit of the children and their parents.

Devi Shetty said their hospital could perform about 15 to 16 surgeries every day on the children. The hospital will be able to attend to all the estimated 2,500 children over a period of eight months.

The hospital with a 1,000-bed facility is gearing up to provide accommodation to the children and their parents. “The hospital has made adequate arrangements for the accommodation of the Iraqi visitors”, he said.
The proposed visit of 2,500 children with cardiac disorders from Iraq is reckoned to be the largest such contingent arriving in Bangalore from abroad for medical treatment. The earlier groups flown into Bangalore from Malaysian and African countries rarely exceeded 12 to 15 children.

Around 500 schools face closure in Karnataka

Karnataka Government is seriously planning to close down an estimated 500 schools in the State, where the strength of students is less than five.

Disclosing this to reporters in Bangalore, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri said the Education Department has already drawn a list of Government schools across the State, where the student strength is five or less.

Out of the 500 schools identified by the Department, as many as 120 of them are in Tumkur district alone, he said.

“Posting a teacher to a school with five students does not make sense. We are considering relocating these children to nearby schools before transferring the teacher”, Kageri added.

Appointing teachers and running a school with handful students is not worth the effort and cost. The students affected from such closures will be shifted to nearest schools. “If such schools are located far away, the Government will pay a transport allowance to such students”, he said.

Communal tension in Raichur, ban orders imposed

Communal trouble erupted in Raichur in Karnataka after five makeshift structures erected to place the idols of Ganesha were found burnt on Thursday.

Six persons were injured when groups armed with iron rods and canes began attacking people in parts of Raichur after the Ganesha pandals were found burnt down. Miscreants also went around attacking buses, trucks and other vehicles on the roads, damaging six buses, trucks and cars, besides setting fire to a motorcycle.

Police had to resort to caning the activists of pro-Hindu organizations, who went around pelting stones in the town.

Most business establishments and educational institutions remained closed in Raichur on Thursday and Friday as the pro-Hindu organizations had given a call for 48-hour shut down. Vehicles also did not ply on the roads in view of the tense situation.

Hundreds of pro-Hindu activists took out a procession in Raichur on Thursday evening seeking the immediate arrest of the miscreants, who had torched the Ganesha pandals.

The district administration has imposed prohibitory orders in the town for an indefinite period in view of the tense situation.
The communal trouble in Raichur comes a day after tension gripped Hubli, where stones were allegedly thrown at a Ganesha procession. However, Hubli Dharwad Police Commissioner N Shivakumar, who rushed to the spot with additional police force, brought the situation under control.

Two farmers commit suicide in Karnataka

Unable to bear the burden of loan, two farmers have committed suicide in Hassan district of Karnataka.

Police said Basave Gowda, 54, of Savanthanahalli in Hassan taluk ended his life by consuming poison on Thursday. Basave Gowda had cultivated the potato crop in his fields, but the rains ruined the plantation. He had recently obtained a loan of Rs 400,000 to purchase a tractor.

Similiarly, Manjappa, 40, a resident of Halebeedu in Hassan’s Belur taluk committed suicide by consuming poison. Manjgappa, who lost his crops to heavy rains, had taken a bank loan of Rs 25,000, besides borrowing money from people in his village.

CBI turns to SMS to tackle corruption

As part of its nationwide campaign against corruption, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has begun sending SMS messages to mobile phone users on a mass scale across Karnataka seeking complaints against Government officials demanding bribe.

The CBI, which is the country’s premier investigating agency, has tied up with state-owned Bharath Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and sent SMS messages to all its 1.85 million mobile phone subscribers in one stroke.

“Please inform CBI-Bangalore about officials of Government of India/PSUs (public sector undertakings) demanding bribe or being in possession of huge assets at 080-23332726 or 94480-44355”, read the SMS, which landed in the inbox of BSNL mobile phone subscribers.

In response, the CBI has been flooded with complaints about corrupt officials working in Government departments or public sector undertakings. “The response has been phenomenal. People have been calling us to give leads, clues, information and even incriminating documents”, CBI Superintendent (Anti Corruption Cell), Bangalore, Narasimha Komar told reporters in Bangalore.

“Many times, the common man, who becomes a victim of corruption, does not know whom to contact for relief. Also, many people don’t know how to contact us. We need to open channels of communication with the people”, Komar said claiming that the CBI had now begun involving the people in its fight against corruption.

The general public can send information about corrupt officials through letters, faxes, e-mails, SMS and phone calls. “If someone can’t come to Bangalore to give information, a team of CBI officials will visit them and collect the information. The complaints once received will be followed up and investigated”, Komar said.

Complaints can be registered against employees of federal Government, public sector undertakings, banks and other financial institutions. The identity of the informant will be kept secret, the CBI has assured.

Karnataka is the second state in India after Maharashtra, where CBI has begun involving people in its fight against corruption by sending SMS messages. “It will be extended to the entire country in phases”, Komar said.

Women to figure on Haj and Wakf panels in Karnataka

For the first time in the history of Karnataka, the State Board of Wakfs and State Haj Committee will women among its office-bearers.

Making an announcement to the effect at an event organized in Bangalore by Centre for Community Development, Karnataka’s Minister for Haj and Wakf Mumtaz Ali Khan said his Government was looking out for eminent women from the Muslim community, who will fit the bill.

“It is time, we gave women representation in the Wakf Board and Haj Committee, which are dominated by men. We are looking out for qualified women with the required profile for the posts. We will be creating history with this move”, Khan said.

While the 16-member Wakf Board in the State had duration of two years, the 11-member Haj Committee had 11 months time. “We will be nominating two members each to the Wakf Board and Haj Committee”, Khan said.

Mumtaz Ali Khan brushed aside the possible opposition to his move to nominate women to these panels. “I agree that some people will be against the idea. But, I don’t think there will be any problem”, he added.

Karnataka Minister favours ban on liquor too

Spurred by Federal Government’s decision to ban smoking in public places, Karnataka’s Medical Education Minister Ramachandra Gowda made out a case for banning all forms of liquor in the state.

“Along with the ban on smoking, there should be a ban on liquor too”, said Gowda while speaking at function organized at National Institute for Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore on Tuesday.

Though Karnataka has already banned arrack - a form of country toddy – the ban should be expanded to cover all other forms of liquor including beer, he said.

Gowda claimed that the Government was considering prohibition after NGOs and other groups dared the BJP Government to ban all forms of liquor and not just arrack.

“Some people may think it is impractical to ban all forms of liquor. But, someone has to make a beginning somewhere. We have started by banning arrack. We can take the next step by banning run, whisky, beer and other spirits”, Gowda said.

Gowda claimed that the recent ban on arrack has proved wrong the argument that a ban on any form of liquor will lead to a dip in the state’s revenues. “On the contrary, the revenues have increased. It will prove wrong the contention that state governments cannot exist without the revenues from liquor businesses”, Gowda claimed.

Gowda said he was also against betting on horse races. “I am of the opinion that gambling on horse races should be banned. As it appears difficult, we are shifting the race course out of the City’s limits”, he said.
Gowda welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to ban smoking in public places and sought a ban on cultivation of the tobacco crop. The employees of tobacco processing and cigarette manufacturing companies should be provided with alternative employment, he said.

Ramadoss favours legalizing homosexuality

Taking a liberal stand on homosexuality, Federal Minister for Health and Family Welfare Anbumani Ramadoss said he favoured lifting of the ban on homosexuality to tackle the spread of HIV and AIDS in the country.

Speaking at a function organized to inaugurate three new blocks at National Institute for Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore on Tuesday, Ramadoss said legalizing homosexuality has become a priority for his Ministry.

Though his Ministry had managed to bring down the rate of HIV-affliction, 86 per cent of which is spread through sexual contact, Ramadoss said the authorities were finding it difficult to bring homosexuals under the ambit of the programme as homosexuality is regarded as an offence.

The National AIDS Control Programme has succeeded in bringing down the incidence of HIV affliction from 0.91 per cent to 0.34 per cent, which has reduced the number of people affected with HIV/AIDS in the country from 5.2 million to 2.3 million. “But, it is the sex among transgenders that was posing a challenge in our efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS”, he said.

He claimed that the India had about 2.45 million MSM (men who have sex with men), who are at a considerable risk to contract and spread HIV/AIDS. As homosexuality is an offence under law, these people refuse to come forward, seek assistance and obtain treatment, Ramadoss regretted.

Hence, he said Section 377 of Indian Penal Code, which criminalizes MSM and other “unnatural sex acts” should go. “Structural discrimination against those who are vulnerable to HIV such as sex workers and MSMs must be removed if our HIV/AIDS programmes are to reach their logical end”, Ramadoss said.

Ramadoss also emphasized the need for sex education in schools. “It is time to talk out it. Our children should be empowered to know about HIV/AIDS”, he said.

Grammatical error sets off discord in Karnataka-Goa relations

A grammatical error in an affidavit filed by the Karnataka Government before Supreme Court has sparked off a row between Karnataka and Goa.

With Karnataka Government laying claim over Goa in the affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, angry Goan legislators had raised the matter in the Assembly and sought to draw their Chief Minister Digambar Kamath’s attention to the “grave threat to Goa’s territorial integrity”.

But, before the matter could snowball into a major inter-state dispute, Karnataka Government has sought to clarify that there was a grammatical error in its affidavit filed before the Supreme Court.

“It was a grammatical error and not an intentional claim”, Karnataka’s Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Kumar told reporters. “It must have happened due to oversight. It is a settled fact that Karnataka and Goa are two separate states”, the Minister said.

The Karnataka Government had filed the affidavit in response to a petition filed by a little-known Konkani organization seeking the merger of Konkani speaking areas of Karnataka into Goa. In its affidavit filed before Supreme Court on July 31, 2007, Karnataka had erroneously said that “Goa is a part of Karnataka” instead of stating that “historically Goa was a part of Karnataka”.

“We only wanted to say Goa was a part of Karnataka in the past. We inadvertently said Goa is a part of Karnataka. It is an advertent mistake”, Suresh Kumar said.
Referring to the ruckus kicked up in Goa Assembly by BJP MLAs over Karnataka’s claim in the affidavit, Suresh Kumar said such small issues should not be allowed to affect inter-state harmony. “We believe that in a federal system where all the states should live with mutual respect and harmony”, he said.

Karnataka offers cash and milk food to flood-hit Bihar

Karnataka will soon be sending a cheque for Rs 100 million besides 10 tonnes of milk powder to the displaced people of flood-hit Bihar.

Karnataka’s Home Minister V S Acharya told reporters that Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and Chief Secretary had sought financial assistance from Karnataka and in response the Government had decided to send the aid in the form of cash and milk food.

“To help them handle this disaster, we will be sending them the money and the milk food immediately. The Deputy Chief Minister has told us that they do not need medicine and food, but are in dire need of tents and blankets apart from manpower”, Acharya said.

The Government has also decided to urge the National Disaster Management Authority’s team to help the State Government in the distribution of milk powder to the needy.

The Karnataka Government’s offer of aid to Bihar comes at a time when the state itself is reeling under the impact of floods in many parts of the State.

Karnataka’s Revenue Minister K Karunakar Reddy told reporters that crops on an estimated 100,000 acres of land had been destroyed in the rains and the accompanying floods. A total of 24 people had died so far in the rains that lashed various parts of Karnataka. Besides, 314 heads of cattle had perished and more than 8,000 houses had collapsed in the rain.
He said Karnataka was preparing a memorandum to seek a compensation of Rs 6 billion from the Federal Government to take up relief measures in the flood-hit areas of the state.

Rains flood houses of senior officials in Bangalore

The heavy rains that have been lashing Bangalore for the last one week have poured misery on not only the poor people residing in low lying areas, but also top-ranking officials residing in posh and upmarket localities of the City.

Following Sunday evening’s heavy downpour, the houses of Special Commissioner for Greater Bangalore Municipal Corporation Ramprasad and Director General of Police (Corps of Detective) Ajai Kumar Singh in Dollar’s colony in Bangalore were flooded with rain- water.

However, civic officials managed to clear the clogged storm water drainage in Dollar’s colony that helped drain the water gathered inside the compounds and houses in the locality.

“The Municipal staff cleared the drain in one hour. The residents of the locality did not have to wait for long”, said Lakshman, an orderly posted at the residence of Singh.

But, residents of many other parts of Bangalore that have been swamped with rain water have not been so lucky. They have been forced to either remove the water entering their houses in buckets or simply wait for the rains to stop and the water to recede.

Meanwhile, the municipal authorities have sounded an alert to about 500 families residing in low-lying areas of north east Bangalore to move out of their houses and take shelter in nearby marriage halls or face the consequences.

Greater Bangalore Municipal Corporation Commisisoner Subramanya said the families residing in these low lying areas need to shift in view of the prediction of more rains in the coming days. “I have no control over the rains, but I can assure the residents of the City that the water will recede on its own after the rains end”, he said calling upon the people to take shelter in the marriage halls nearby.

Meanwhile, Bangalore has recorded the highest rainfall during the month of August since the last decade. The City had recorded about 310 mm of rainfall during the month of August this year.
The meterological department has predicted more rainfall in Bangalore for the next two days.

ISRO satellites to map mosquito-breeding areas

After successfully using space technology to provide healthcare in rural areas, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is now planning to embark upon a unique venture of mapping mosquito-breeding areas in the country with the help of remote sensing satellites.

According to ISRO’s Director of Telemedicine L S Satyamurthy, the country’s space research agency will now be assisting the health authorities to combat the raging mosquito menace in the country by using the geographical information system (GIS) to identify the mosquito-breeding areas.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the ninth annual conference of Indian Association of Endocrine Surgeons in Bangalore on Saturday, Satyamurthy said ISRO plans to initiate the concept during a United Nations-ISRO workshop on tele-epidemiology to be held during October this year.

Former Director of ISRO K Kasturirangan said a knowledge of aquatic habitats suitable for mosquito larvae growth was essential to fight the menace of mosquitoes, which spread diseases like dengue, chikungunya and malaria.

“But, identifying these locations through conventional ground surveys is difficult and time-consuming. It is appropriate to use satellite data for monitoring aquatic habitats, vegetation cover and human settlements and relate them with changing climatic conditions”, said Kasturirangan, who is now the Director of National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bangalore.

On the application of space technology for telemedicine, Kasturirangan said ISRO’s telemedicine network presently comprises about 320 hospitals including 267 district hospitals and health centers. Over 300,000 patients had been provided with tele-consultation and telemedicine so far, he said.

An impact study conducted on 1,000 of these patients showed that there was a cost saving of 81 per cent, Kasturirangan said. “This means that the patient spent only 19 per cent of the cost that they would have incurred on travel, stay and treatment”, he added.