Archives for 2022

BENGALURU/MANGALURU: Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Thursday said students should neither wear hijab (headscarf) nor saffron shawls to schools and colleges, and stressed that they should wear only the prescribed uniform. His remarks come amid a row over some students of a government PU college in Udupi wearing the hijab in classrooms. In another incident, girl students of a government PU college in Kundapur, who reached the institution wearing the hijab on Thursday, were stopped at the gate.

Addressing the media here, Jnanendra said educational institutions should overcome the barriers of religion and caste and promote the feeling that all are one. Religious practices should be followed in places of worship like temples, churches and mosques. In educational institutions, students should have the feeling of oneness and there should be an academic atmosphere for students to develop a culture of national unity and integrity, he stressed.

“No one should come to school for practicing their religion,” he said, while responding to a question on students wearing saffron shawls as a counter to a few students wearing the hijab. He said he has directed the police to keep an eye on fundamental organisations and to take stern action against those who disturb unity.

The issue has caught national attention with former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor slamming the authorities. Mehbooba, who also sports a hijab, said, “Beti bachao-beti padhao is yet another hollow slogan. Muslims are being denied the right to education simply because of their attire. Legitimising the marginalisation of Muslims is one more step towards converting Gandhi’s India into Godse’s India.”

Tharoor tweeted, “It’s been a strength of India that everyone is free to wear what they want. If the hijab is disallowed, what about the Sikh turban? The Hindu’s forehead mark? The Christian’s crucifix? This college is going down a slippery slope. Let the girls in. Let them study. Let them decide.”

Davanagere: Members of the Hindu Jagaran Vedike (HJV) on Thursday staged a protest in front of the DC’s office in Davanagere, urging the government to give directions on wearing of uniforms across all schools and colleges in the state. In a memorandum to the government submitted through DC Mahantesh Bilagi, the activists said the adamant attitude of some Muslim girls over wearing of hijab and attending classes cannot be tolerated, as it is a fundamentalist mindset. Educational institutions are centres where religion, caste and other factors are not given preference, and proper dress code and uniform will bring equality among students.

“A section of society is stating that wearing of hijab is a right provided by the Constitution, this is wrong. The same Constitution states that all residents of India are equal, hence there shouldn’t be dress difference between Hindus and Muslims,” they said. 

MANGALURU/UDUPI: The controversy over college students wearing headscarves in classrooms seems to be escalating rather than seeing a resolution, with another government PU college in Udupi district denying entry to a group of girl students on Thursday.

This comes even as some students of a government PU College in Udupi city are fighting for their ‘constitutional right’ after they were denied entry into classrooms with headscarves. One of them have also moved the High Court over the issue.

On Thursday, a video went viral, which showed Ramakrishna, principal of the Government PU College at Kundapur, closing the gates on 28 hijab-clad students as they tried to enter the campus. The girls have been attending classes with headscarves for long. 

Just a day earlier, more than 100 Hindu boys had turned up with saffron shawls to register their protest against Muslim girls wearing the hijab. Following this, local Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Halady Srinivas Shetty, who is also the college development committee president, convened a meeting and strictly told the college principal to stick to the college uniform.

While the girls strongly registered their protest, telling the principal that his ‘act to deny them education’ is wrong and will jeopadise their future as the exams are just two months away, the principal maintained that he was only implementing the MLA’s directives. Meanwhile, the issue has taken a political turn and with different political parties indulging in mud-slinging over the matter.

The hijab controversy is nothing new to the region where a majority of Muslim women prefer to cover their heads while stepping out of home. A few years ago, the century-old St Agnes College in Mangaluru, a women’s college, had faced protests over a hijab ban, but the issue was amicably resolved. But this time, the controversy got thicker as ruling party MLAs got actively involved in it.

Udupi district in-charge minister S Angara told reporters on Thursday that a high-powered committee, formed to look into the issue, is expected to submit its report soon. Different government colleges cannot have different rules, he stressed.

In the light of the developments, there is a fear that many poor Muslim families may not send their daughters to government colleges. Reacting to the issue, Congress leader and former minister UT Khader noted that since his daughter refused to give up the hijab, he had to send her to a Muslim-run private college, highlighting the predicament of the community.

Parmesh S Jain

Kindness is an act of bravery! – Kamal Pant, Commissioner of police:

A Traffic Police constable,Kasappa Kallur deployed at Cubbon Park Traffic Police Station in Bengaluru is receiving praise for saving the life of a person by changing the punctured tyre of the ambulance the patient was being transported in.

The constable was awarded a cash prize of Rs. 5,000 by Joint Commissioner of police (Traffic) Dr B.R Ravikanthe Gowda for his humanitarian act.

Kindness is an act of bravery! – Kamal Pant.

Proud of Constable Kasappa Kallur who turned savior when the ambulance carrying a brain tumor patient had a flat tyre.He helped the ambulance driver change the tire and the patient was able to reach the hospital in the nick of time.

His presence of mind and devotion to duty is praiseworthy. Well done!👏 ,Says Commissioner of police Kamal Pant.

While on one hand the traffic department is at the receiving end of brick bats from citizens in the last few days,they are also showing up as samaritan.

A traffic constable who was on his duty near CID junction helped a stranded ambulance to reach the hospital on time by changing deflated tyre.

Police Constable Kasappa Kallura was on duty at the CID junction when an ambulance heading from Maharani college junction towards Chalukya circle shifting a 45-year-old patient with neurological issue to hospital on an emergency situation on Tuesday.

When the ambulance reached the CID junction one of the tyre was deflated and lead to a panic situation.

The driver was called to get a replacement but he was not getting through after trying for 15 minutes the time was running short and the woman and her daughter accompanied the patient started crying in panic.

Kallura who was noticing this,reached near the ambulance,and immediately chaged the tyre by within minutes and asked the driver to carry on.

By then the other ambulance reached the spot to shift.But since shifting process may delay further,the ambulance driver drove off thanking the constable for timely help.

Few passers-by noticing this recorded the incident and put up on social media and appreciated Kallura for his help and he was praised by netizens on various social media platforms.

considering the good gesture,Joint commissioner of Police (Traffic ),Dr BR Ravikanthe Gowda on Wednesday rewarded Kallura with Rs.5000 and a appreciation letter.

We rise to the occasion and do our beat at any given situation and this is the best example, senior officer told.

Police Constable Kasappa Kallur’s timely help to change the punctured tyre of an ambulance transporting a critically ill patient is truly inspiring.

A big salute to all our policemen and women who go beyond their call of duty to serve citizens.@DgpKarnataka @CPBlr Dr K Sudhakar, Health and Medical Education Minister said in his tweet.

Chief Minister of Karnataka,Basavaraj Bommai, Home Minister of Karnataka,Araga Jnanendra,Health and Medical Education Minister,Dr K Sudhakar,DG-IGP, Praveen Sood, Commissioner of police,Kamal Pant,Joint CP Traffic, Dr BR Ravikanthe Gowda, DCP Traffic East,Shantharaju M,ACP,Ramalingegowda,PI, Gopinath,and other senior officers and staff of cubbon park traffic appreciated the super cop,Kasappa Kallur who went beyond the call on duty and did a life saving act and a suitable and special reward will be given to the gud Samartian cop he added.

Parmesh S Jain

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet in the NIA special court in Bengaluru against eight persons,including Deepthi Marla alias Maryam,in connection with the ISIS terrorist Kerala module case.

The others named in the chargesheet are Mohammed Waqar Lone alias Wilson Kashmiri,Mizha Siddeeque,Shifa Haris alias Ayesha,Obaid Hamid Matta,Madesh Shankar alias Abdullah,Ammar Abdul Rahiman and Muzamil Hassan Bhat.

The NIA had registered a case in March 2021 pertaining to the alleged terrorist activities of Mohammed Ameen alias Abu Yahya,a resident of Kerala, and his associates,who had allegedly been running various ISIS propaganda channels on different social media platforms,such as Telegram,Hoop and Instagram,and radicalising and recruiting new members for the ISIS module. 

Earlier,NIA had filed chargesheet against three accused persons in this case in September 2021. 

According to officials,investigation revealed that all the eight accused are affiliated with banned terrorist organisation ISIS.

They were involved in radicalising, recruiting,organising terror funds and grooming like-minded gullible Muslim youth through different social media platforms to join ISIS.

Parmesh S Jain

The third wave of the covid 19 pandemic has been met successfully,and now,our aim should be on regarding facing of probable upcoming waves of the pandemic,said BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta.

Addressing a virtual meeting,today with BBMP Covid 19 expert committee,he said that,with the help of the very active mobile triage units (MTUs), Tele triaging and the Doctors and staff,around 3000+ covid infected persons are being triaged at their home everyday.

The number of covid-19 cases is decreasing.The third wave is being met successfully with the help of all. We have to be ready to face another new wave of the pandemic arriving in the future if any.

During this third wave,efforts were put for the eradication of fear among the general public in the city and focused on managing the situations.

Vaccinatons is also being done.Precaution dose vaccination is also expected to reach the target soon. Other side, the number of hospitalization is also less, he said.

During the month of January, covid admissions contributed only about 1.8% active cases. Majority of admissions were in the age group of 60+. It has been instructed to closely monitor ICU admissions.

Critical bed admissions samples will be sent for genomic sequence. At present, all such samples are closely monitored, the Chief Commissioner said.

BBMP Special Commissioner Dr Trilok Chandra, Chief Health Officer Dr Balasundar, members of the BBMP Covid 19 expert committee and others were present in the meeting.