The Observer, Volume 22, Edition 30

Website: theweeklyobserver.in

Epaper: https://issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver

Deprived of free health care and medicines, residents of slums turn to private hospitals | P 3

Mobility

Licence renewal is a way of collecting bribes say, traders

Refusal to pay BBMP officials leads to harassment

By Yukta Mudgal

Traders in Bengaluru think renewal of licence every year is a BBMP ploy to collect bribes.

Siddaram H, president of the Indiranagar Trade Association, said: “BBMP charges extra for bars and restaurants. For instance, they charge Rs 50,000 for renewing a trade licence with one year validity. On top of that, they ask us to pay for the microbrewery in lakhs. My question is, if we are paying for our bar and restaurant, then why do we have to pay for the microbrewery just because they charge according to

horsepower?”

Manish Ramaswamy, a shop owner in Jayanagar, said: “Trade licence is important because we can avail MSME loans only if we have a trade licence, but the problem is that we can’t renew

our licence online. This gives them the power to collect cash in hand, leading to charging us extra in terms of bribes. If you don’t give bribes, they will harass you.”

Bharat Sairam, owner of Sri

News Briefs

Vasani Chats in Jayanagar, said:

“We have to renew our trade licence every year, but I feel it’s useless. They should be responsible to clean garbage and make our vicinity better but I never saw them doing this. They collect Rs 2,500 every year to renew my trade licence, but I don’t see any advantage in it.

“If we don’t renew our licence, they will fine us as much as Rs 5,000. Moreover, if we don’t pay them extra, they will refuse to renew our licence.”

The BBMP website has listed trade fees for shops falling under different categories. For instance, the owner of an air-conditioned hotel attached to a bar with more than a 2,000 sqft area has to pay Rs 50,000 to get his trade licence renewed. l Licence renewal rules leave traders divided, P3

March opposing Sankey Tank flyover project: Activists to move court against cops’ notices

By Vindhya Pabolu

Activists who protested against the Sankey Tank flyover project have expressed their displeasure at receiving a notice from the Sadashivanagar police for holding a solidarity march. They are planning to move court to get the notice quashed.

Vijay Nishanth from Project Vruksha informed The Observer that eight notices were issued to those who work for Jatka Foundation and others who participated in the march against flyover project. On Tuesday, a group of nine activists met an advocate and

discussed with him their plan to move the court to quash the FIR.

Nishanth, who participated in

the march, informed The Observer: “What we’ve done is not wrong. Firstly, this was not a protest; it

was a solidarity march. We don’t even advocate and discussed with him their plan to move the court to quash the FIR.

Nishanth, who participated in the march, said: “What we’ve done is not wrong. Firstly, this was not a protest; it was a solidarity march. We don’t even know why we received the notice all of a sudden even when government cancelled the project.”

They continued the march after the police denied permission to hold a protest. The next day, Congress held a protest demanding cancellation of the project at the same place.

Continued on page 3

China renames 11 places in Arunachal, India rejects India has rejected China’s renaming of 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh and asserted the state has been and will always be an integral part of India. China had released a set of new names for 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh as part of its efforts to re-emphasize its claim over the state. This is the third time that China has done so for places in Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls “Zangnan”, the southern part of Tibet”. NDTV Covid positivity rate stands at 6.12% cent India has 3,038 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours with active cases climbing to 21,179 across the country, according to the health ministry. The daily positivity rate has reached 6.12 per cent. The trajectory of cases has increased gradually across the country. Scientists say XBB.1.16 is the variant responsible for the present surge in cases. Mint

Pak SC declares delay in Punjab polls null & void

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday declared the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decision on delaying polls in Punjab null and void, The Express Tribune reported, adding that a three-member Bench hearing a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) petition challenging the delay in Punjab polls announced the decision. PTI

Banarasi Paan, Banarasi Langda get GI tag

The famous Banarasi Paan and Banarasi Langda mango are the two latest products from the city to have got the GI tag. This apart, the ‘Adamchini’ rice of neighbouring Chandauli district has also joined the GI club recently. As many as 33 products were granted GI certification on a single day on March 31 by the Geographical Indication Registry in Chennai. Among them, 10 products belong to Uttar Pradesh. TOI

card recharge takes time, commuters struggle to use it. App is not available on iOS | P 4

Traders cannot renew their trade licence online and say that in-hand collection of trade licence fee breeds corruption. | Credit: Arsha BS

Government has dropped the proposal of contructing flyover on Sankey Tank.

Malnutrition is a big problem among B’luru slum-dwellers

Lack of adequate medical facilities causes other problems

By Yashaswini Sri

Slum-dwellers in Bengaluru suffer malnutrition as they receive inadequate medical care and nutritious food compared to their counterparts in non-slum areas.

Dr Anju Sood, a nutritionist,explained to The Observer how diet plays an important role in humans. “The major difference we can see between slum and non-slum areas is how the residents choose their nutrients. Slum residents have to compromise on nutrition because they cannot afford it. This draws major parallel lines between slum and non-slum residents. The second is immunity levels. Slum residents have recorded low immunity levels which gives space for high disease transmission.”

She continued: “Sure, doctors can prescribe supplements for them but it doesn’t cater to the overall deficiencies of a human body. It doesn’t solve the problem. Malnutrition can be defined and acknowledged from a person’s height. It is a major index to measure malnutrition. With a growing population, India has two extreme problems to attend to: Obesity among urban population and malnutrition among rural and slum population.”

The Observer visited slums of Ambedkar Nagar, Vinayaka Nagar, PG Halli, Laxminarayanapura, and Thubarahalli. While slums like Ambedkar Nagar have got houses under the PM Awas Yojana, many slums are awaiting concrete houses. Many private slums in Thubarahalli are yet to be recognised by the government of Karnataka. They have got no support from the government.

Government slums like Ambedkar Nagar and Laxminarayanapura might look well from outside, but as one goes inside, stench from unclean drains assails one’s nose.

BMC Public Health, an open access, peer-reviewed journal that considers articles on the epidemiology of disease, mentioned that out of 3,693 people at a slum in Bengaluru, 70.4 per cent were below the poverty line. Only-one third had a regular job. The average daily income was Rs 436 among men and Rs 213 among women. Cases of hypertension (35.5% of the screened population), diabetes (16.6%) and anemia (70.9%) were seen. Most of the people were screened for the first time. Almost half of the children under the age of five years were found stunted.

D. Basavaraju, a junior health inspector, Urban Prima-

ry Health Care, PG Halli, said: “Slum residents are prone to many diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart and other body ailments. The food they consume does not do justice with the amount of work they do to earn their livelihood. Also, we face a problem while prescribing medicines to slum residents. The slum dwellers want only one tablet that can cure them from every bodily discomfort. However, that is not possible.”

Ravi Chandra, a health inspector at Pantrapalya, said: “At this PHC, we record patients from slums more than from the urban areas. Residents of Ambedkar Nagar and Vinayaka Nagar slums are often here for diagnosis. However, if we run out of stocks, or if there is any unavailability of medicines, we redirect them to private hospitals like Rajarajeshwari Multispecialty hospital.”

Mangalamma, a nurse working in Urban Primary Health Care Centre, Pantrapalya, said the tuberculosis (TB) transmission is higher in slum areas than in non- slum areas. “We have more TB patients from slums. While the situation is better after we created awareness among the residents of these slums, the

India has two extreme problems to attend to: Obesity among the urban population and malnutrition among the rural and slum population.

-Dr Anju Sood, a nutritionist

Everyone in my family works, yet we do not earn enough to make a livelihood. All we can afford is to go to a hospital if we fall seriously ill.

-Hanumanthappa, a resident of Laxminarayanapura

We are short of funds for providing just the basic amenities. With a population of 5.82 lakh in government-recognised slums, it is difficult to address this.

-Shankar Poojary, assistant director, Karnataka Slum Development Board

We have more TB patients from slums. While the situation is better after we created awareness among the residents of slums, the numbers are still high

-Mangalamma, a nurse in Pantarapalya

Put up emergency Nos on expressway

While Hoardings on the newly opened expressway between Mysuru and Bengaluru do not have any emergency numbers or the emergency contact numbers of police stations. People can call the NHAI helpline, which is never reachable. Authorities should display the numbers of hospitals and nearest police stations instead of the NHAI number.

J Navya Sruthi

EC, do not seize things indiscriminately Election checkposts that have been set up in various areas of Bengaluru are harassing people carrying bills and seizing materials with documentation. It is a tedious process later for citizens to retrieve their items. This needs to be ended. A list of items that have been seized with bills and without bills needs to be put on the Election Commission website.

D. Deepali

Government should ban Siberian Huskies in India

Siberian Huskies are not at all suited for the tropical climate in India, yet many puppy mills in India continue to breed and sell these dogs. The government should ban the breeding and sale of Siberian Huskies as well as take stringent actions against these puppy mills for the same Ahona Roy

Quiz

1. What is the name of the biggest technology company in South Korea?

2. What is Barbie doll’s full name?

numbers are still high.”

Karthik (40), a resident of Ambedkar Nagar slum, said: “I have been a diabetic for so long that I don’t remember when I was not. I do not rely on the government’s medication. They create little awareness and do not have supply many times. I have started ayurvedic medication and it is doing its job.”

Siddhappa (45), a daily wages worker living in Ambedkar Nagar, said: “The houses built by the government have no ventilation provided and there is no space between the houses. I was so claustrophobic back then. Getting treatment for any kind of disease is difficult. If one catches a cold, everybody wakes up sneezing.”

Hanumanthappa (57), a resident of Laxminarayanapura, shared: “Being able to eat three times a day is a miracle for my family. Everyone in my family works, yet we do not earn enough to make a livelihood. All we can afford is to go to a hospital if we fall seriously ill.”

Kalaivani, a slum dweller in Thubarahalli said: “My daughter and I take iron pills prescribed by our doctor everyday because we are anemic. My daughter experiences irregular periods and

we are always at the nearest health centre for treatment.”

Annapurna, an ASHA worker at Ambedkar Nagar slum, shared: “Residents here are reluctant to share their health issues with each other. The proximity of the houses in the slum is so close and clustered that it’s easier for communicable diseases to spread. Currently, we have 12 active TB cases in the slum.”

Residents of Thubarahalli and PG Halli were reluctant to speak to The Observer.

Shankar Poojary, assistant director, Karnataka Slum Development Board, said only 1 per cent of the state budget is allotted for welfare measures in slums. Bengaluru has 435 recognised slums.

“We are short of funds for providing just the basic amenities. Creating awareness among the residents is a tedious task. With a population of 5.82 lakh in government-recognised slums of Bengaluru....We implement only one programme occasionally: Information, Education and Communication, where we throw light on the importance of having better hygiene conditions and addressing any health disease at its root level.”

yashaswini.s@iijnm.org

3. Which Indian cartoonist was the creator of characters like Chacha Chaudhary and Pinki?

4. How many hearts does an Octopus Have?

5. What is the furthest you can see with the naked eye?

6. The Madhubani style of painting is practiced in which state in India?

7. Which language was the Indian Constitution written in?

Around the City

Music Concert, April 5: The event will showcase the musical legacy of Jewish women who composed music during the Holocaust and in the aftermath of World War II. Ariela ,6 pm, at Aruna Sunderlal Auditorium, R T Nagar. Entry will be on a first come first serve basis.

Top 50 Women Icon April 8: Aloft Bengaluru Whitefield, Bangalore

Open mic with Writinge, April 9: ( 2–5 pm) Doddakalansandra Gubbalala gate, next to Lakshmi Vilas Bank, Navaratan Gardens, Konanakunte

In a survey conducted by BMC Public Health, around 70 per cent people were below poverty line. Cases of hypertension (35.5%of the screened population), diabetes (16.6%) and anemia (70.9%) were seen among them. | Yashaswini Sri

Wonders of world

Deprived of drugs, residents of slums turn to pvt hospitals

Health dept says its ties with dwellers are good

By Vindhya Pabolu

Havelock Island, Andamans

Havelock Island can easily qualify as one of the natural wonders of the modern world with its pristine settings in the Indian Ocean. Of course, the other Andaman & Nicobarese islands are also befitting. A total of 572 islands, these are India’s treasure trove that deserve all the attention as well as caution as it catches the eye of modern traveller. Other than the natural importance of these islands, some are also home to ancient tribes, a very rich marine life and rare flora and fauna.

It is now known as the Swaraj Dweep and is also known as the heart and soul of the Andamans. You get the best of both worlds, luxury and an offbeat feel at its best. When here, indulge in a plethora of water activities that include snorkelling, scuba diving, surfing, sea walking, and glass boat rides to get the best of your vacations

Source: Times of India

Inadequate health data from Bengaluru’s slums has led to inadequate facilities for residents, who say the government does not provide them medicines they want.

Despite monthly surveys being conducted by health inspectors, the slum-dwellers in Pantharapalya, Nayandahalli, and KG Halli turn to private hospitals.

A health survey is conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and BBMP where a health inspector, along with nurses and ASHA workers, go to every house in slums and records their medical needs and provide them medicines.

Muniyamma, 50, Pantharapalya slum resident said she didn’t receive medicines from PHCs.

“I take medications for blood pressure and diabetes. ASHA workers come and collect data, but never give us medicines. So I travel to private hospitals for medicines. Every 10 days it costs me around Rs 1,500. It’s difficult for a worker like me.”

Kanan, 55, a resident of Nayandahalli, shared: “I go to Nimhans every two weeks for medicines as the PHC doesn’t have medicines for my disease. For a fruit seller like me, spend-

Many traders consider the rules to be helpful

By Yukta Mudgal

licences once in five years.”

Only few medicines are available at the

For the rest

ple are advised to go to private hospitals | Courtesy: Vignesh P

ing Rs 300 every week is hard.”

Sagayama Mary, an ASHA worker at the Nayandahalli slum, said: “We go to every house every month to know about their diseases and to check their condition. We also make lists of tablets the residents want.”

Mani Shankar, a health inspector at KG Halli PHC, informed The Observer: “We go every 15 days or once a month and ask them about their needs. If we cannot provide enough medicines, we write to higher officials and make sure they get them in a week. We recommend a hospital if the situation is serious.”

Divya S, a doctor at the PHC, said: “The slum people are happy and ask us frequently to conduct camps in their slums. Moreover, they are receiving medicines…. We have built a positive relationship with the slum people.”

When The Observer asked PHC personnel and ASHA work-

ers about the problems faced by slum-dwellers, they denied of any, and ended the conversation. About health surveys conducted in slums, Bala Raju, Technical Director at the Karnataka Slum Development Board, said: “We were given a total of Rs 100 crore last year for roads, houses, infrastructure, water facilities and sanitization. This year, we have been given only Rs 75 crore and don’t know how we should manage. As slums and its residents increase every year, we requested more allocation but haven’t received any reply yet.”

Queries mailed to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare by The Observer went unanswered.

According to research paper on ‘Health Issues in Bangalore Slums’ by BMC public health, slums, home to nearly one billion people worldwide, are expanding at an exponential rate. Poor living conditions not only affect the

health of slum-dwellers but also challenges health surveys.

Explaining the need for regular health check-ups, Srinivas R, resident medical officer at Victoria Hospital, said: “Not only slum people, but all of us should go for a medical checkup once in a month. Earlier, once in three months would suffice, but post-pandemic people have become less immune.”

As slum-dwellers reside in poor sanitary conditions, they should go for check-ups every mocnth. But considering their social-economic conditions, they should go a check-up every six months.

Rajendran Prabhakar, executive director of Maargha, an NGO working for welfare of slum-dwellers and deprived communities, said: “The government treats slum residents as second-grade citizens…, as burden. It’s the government’s duty to inform people about their schemes, but they don’t do that. How can the government complain that the residents are not visiting PHCs to avail of benefits? Due to this, the slum residents have lost their trust in the government prefer private hospitals.”

According to the above mentioned research paper, a slum is defined as “a group of individuals that live under the same roof that lack one or more of the following conditions: access to improved water, access to improved sanitation, sufficient living space, the durability of housing and secure tenure”. vindhya.p@iijnm.org

The activists are doing this because of elections:Police

Continued from Page 1

Licence

renewal rules leave traders divided, while some believe it to be a sensible decision many call it a way of earning money for officials.

Sajjan Raj Mehta, trade activist, in Deccan Herald, claimed the practice of trade licence will increase corruption.

“It is a draconian law and does not serve a purpose. Only officials will be able to make money, troubling the traders to renew licenses. It is hard to obtain a new licence. While manufacturing establishments are allowed to operate with one trade licence, we retailers are burdened with a number of licences.”

Dr K.V. Thrilok Chandra, Special Commissioner (Health), BBMP, said: “Trade licence renewal is important because the government uses that money to keep the shops hygienic. We as a local body are responsible for maintaining public health. Earlier BBMP used to renew licences once a year, but now to make traders’ lives easier, it renews

Not everyone feels that trade licence renewal is problematic.

Pavan Mishra, manager of Big Mishra Pedha in Jayanagar, said: “We live in a democracy and that’s how it works. If government does not collect money from us, how will it develop the areas we live in?”

Renewal of trade licences is helpful as it updates the government about the number of people who continue their businesses.

As per a report in Deccan Herald, BBMP data show a gradual drop in trade licence renewals for three years.

As per licenseinindia.com, a trade licence is regulated by different state governments and is issued to certify that the business is being conducted in accordance with rules, standards and safety guidelines; thereby, ensuring that the residents are not affected by health hazards, and the nuisance brought forth by the improper and illegal conduct of trade.

yukta.m@iijnm.org

Sandeep

Anirudhan, founder, Citizens’ Agenda, an organization that reports on urban issues including water and environment, shared: “I didn’t participate in the march but supported it on social media…. The notice given was completely wrong and from this one can understand that the police men were given orders from the higher officials above. This is nothing but a political game played by the politicians.”

The Observer tried to contact activists who received the notice but its calls were unanswered.

According to an Indian Express report, the Karnataka government’s decision to drop the plan to build a flyover on Sankey Road following widespread opposition. Some of the protesters learnt that they were booked for protesting against the plan in February. Only when they started getting notices from the Sadashivanagar police did they learn they were among 70 people booked under Sections 143 (un-

lawful assembly), 341 (wrongful restraint), 283 (obstruction to any person in a public way) and 149 (unlawful assembly with common object) of the Indian Penal Code.

Chandan Kumar N, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Seshadripuram sub-division, informed The Observer: “We have not received any information about activists having permission for holding a solidarity march near

Sankey Tank. Even if they want to carry on with their march they have to go to Freedom Park. They were not supposed to hold a march in a public place. They were blocking the road as well, so we filed an FIR”

He continued: “If there’s a protest, they should contact us (police) for permission. After we receive the request, we inspect the reason and then let them protest. This might have been a peaceful protest, but others might see it as a platform and join it for different purposes. This causes clashes among people…. As the elections are approaching, they brought this up days after the FIR was filed.”

The proposed plan to widen the Sankey Tank Bund Road and construct a flyover in Bengaluru has drawn the ire of urban experts and citizens in the past few weeks, with nearly 200 residents, all dressed in black, walking together at Sankey Tank in protest against the project on Sunday morning.

vindhya.p@iijnm.org

PHC’s.

slum peo-

The lake occupies an area of about 15 ha (37.1 acres) and has a width of 800m.

NCMC recharge takes time, commuters struggle to use it

The app is not available on iOS as of now

By Yashaswini Sri

Morethan a week after the launch of the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), commuters in Bengaluru are still facing problems in getting and using the card.

According to a Deccan Herald report, BMRCL said in its January 2023 newsletter that the mobility card could be used across different modes of transport and throughout the country.

An officer in BMRCL’s public relations department informed The Observer: “NCMC can be used for different purposes. If you tie up with RBL Bank, you can use it as a debit card as well as a travel card in Namma Metro. If you get the card issued by Namma Metro, you can use it only for commuting on Namma Metro trains. But you have to visit an RBL Bank branch to enable it as a debit card.

“One of the major drawbacks of NCMC is that it takes time to avail of a recharge. When someone adds or recharges this card, it first reaches the bank’s server, then Namma Metro’s servers. So the recharge is not immediately reflected. Our management is

trying to work on this.”

The Observer could not contact RBL Bank as its branches were closed on Tuesday on account of Mahavir Jayanti.

Rajesh R, a software engineer working in HSR Layout, said: “When I heard about NCMC, I immediately tried to apply for it. After filling the form in the app, I approached the Indiranagar Metro station to avail of the card. However, they were clueless about what I was talking about.

So I ended up not getting a card.”

He then called the toll-free number to register a complaint.

While Metro staff at Majestic said they were not aware about the card, their counterparts at the Lalbagh station provided information about NCMC.

The Observer noticed that there was only one staff member at the Lalbagh station to issue cards. This caused a delay for many commuters.

Krishika (22), a student, said iPhone users face problems while applying for NCMC. “The app is not available in iOS as of now. It takes time for us to apply as we have to physically fill the form, submit an Aadhaar copy for KYC

Quote of the day

and wait in lines.”

Ravi Gadepalli, an independent consultant working on public transport projects, said: “Seventy percent of BMRCL users already use a travel card, so it’s not new for them. The advantage of using NCMC is that we can use the same card across several systems and modes. If we talk about encryption, it’s supposed to be safer than any existing travel cards. Upon the launch, it might be a tad bit difficult to access or avail it, but in the near future, I think people would prefer NCMC.”

A Times of India report said: “While no other utility in Bengaluru has onboarded NCMC as of now, BMTC is said to be planning to do so. This system is in place in Mumbai, Delhi and Kochi so far for the people.”

As per News Minute,NCMC was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, March 25. The NCMC, a prepaid card linked to the RuPay system, can be used to pay for travel and other purposes. It was first launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in 2019. The NCMC was first launched in March 2019 with the aim of facilitating seamless travel and payment across all modes of transport, parking, and toll charges through a single card. The card can be recharged at ticket office near metro stations. yashaswini.s@iijnm.org

On Mahavir Jayanti, Jain community spreads message of ‘live and let live’ to citizens

Celebrates it on full scale after over four years

By Arsha B.S.

The Jain community in Bengaluru showcased different themes during Mahavir Jayanti celebrations on Tuesday. It was the first fullfledged Mahavir Jayanti after about four years.

Processions that started from Town Hall concluded in Freedom Park after covering Chickpet. More than 15,000 people joined the celebrations. The entire park was occupied by members of the community.

People were dressed in costumes showcasing different ideas. The participants represented different themes, but each team served the same purpose: to educate people.

The Observer interviewed organisers representing various teams to know the message that they wanted to convey. There were themes focusing on women

empowerment and substance abuse, among the others.

Inderchand Gadiya, one of the organisers, said: “We need to make people aware of the aspects of life that our community stands for. We are living in a time where intolerance is increasing. We need to tackle it by remembering that peaceful discourse and ahimsa are the way to go. We need people to understand that we need to live and let others live.”

Anamika Lunkar, another organiser, informed The Observer: “We’re here after four long years to celebrate. We’ve missed this so much. This time we are here with different themes to raise awareness among the community as well as the general public.”

Lunkar was a part of a group that presented the theme of cyber security and crimes.

Ritesh Jain, an attendee, said:

“I think as a youngster living in the country at times like these, it

“The real success of our personal lives and careers can best be measured by the relationships we have with the people most dear to us — our family, friends, and coworkers. If we fail in this aspect of our lives, no matter how vast our worldly possessions or how high on the corporate ladder we climb, we will have achieved very little.”

– Mary Kay Ash

Weather

Wind Speed: 13 km/h

Wind Gusts :30 km/h

Humidity :43%

Dew Point :15° C

Air Quality :Poor

Cloud Cover :27%

Visibility :16 km

Cloud Ceiling :9100 m

Precipitation :0.0 mm

Indoor Humidity : 41%

Max UV Index: 13 Extreme Forecast: 31° C/20°C

Did you Know

The current skin you’re in will be gone in a month—our skin sheds 30,000 to 40,000 skin cells each day. In fact, over 100 of those cells probably flaked off while you were reading this sentence. However, it rejuvenates just as quickly as it deteriorates. Regular exfoliation twice a week helps get rid of lingering skin cells to make room for a fresh layer, only human beings has this.

Tweetcasm

Ambani is making celebs dance to his tunes. But Virat-Fan are making Ambani’s team dance to their tunes.

- @sagarcasm

Quiz answers

becomes all the more important to remember that peace is what we need to coexist. We are not only celebrating Mahavir Jayanti, but also creating awareness among the general public about things that are very important but forgotten. This is not merely limited to the Jain community.”

The invitation mentioned that chief minister Basavaraj Bommai would attend the event as a chief guest. But he didn’t come.

Asked about the same, Jain Yuva Sangathan president Dinesh Khaivesara informed The Observer that they approached him a month ago. He promised he would be present at the event, but refused after the model code of conduct came into effect.

The celebration concluded with a speech by various figures about the importance of keeping the culture and traditions of the Jain community alive.

The last time Mahavir Jayanti was celebrated on such a huge scale was in 2018, before the pandemic. Mahavir Jayanti commemorates the birth of Lord Mahavir. arsha.b@iijnm.org

Produced by the Print students of the Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media at Nityananda Nagar, Kumbalgodu, Kengeri hobli, Bengaluru 560074.

Editor: Hamsaveni N

News Editor: Yukta Mudgal

Reporters: Arsha BS, Vindhya

Pabolu, Yashaswini Sri

Copy Editors: Yukta Mudgal, Siddhi Chauhan

Photo editor: Siddhi Chauhan

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Not all the metro stations’ staff knows about the NCMC and only one staff member was there to issue cards | Credit: Yashaswini Sri

The celebration concluded with a speech by various figures about the importance of keeping the culture and traditions | Credit: Arsha B S