The Weekly Observer, Vol 13, Issue 13

Observer The weekly

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

VOL 13 ISSUE 13

Fast track court for children facing lengthy delays

Minors rescued from well known city restaurant

Lack of schools for disabled children as city faces crisis

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Children illegally recycle waste from the west Suresh added: “Western countries

Exclusive

should recycle their E-waste in their own country and not in India. EParisaraa Private Ltd. recycles the Ewaste generated in Bangalore but

Ishan Bhattacharya

they do not handle waste that comes to India from abroad.”

Eletronic waste from the west is

Afsal, a 32-year-old man who

brought to Bangalore in the name

works with these scraps, said: “We

of charity and recycled illegally.

extract metals like lead, chromium

Huge chunks of electronic-waste from USA consisting mainly of

and gold from these computer scraps in here (Goripalya).

computer chips and other such ac-

“It is very easy. All that is needed

cessories are dumped in Goripalya

to be done is burn these scraps and

and recycled by children.

extract lead and other metals. Nor-

Suresh Hebilekar, a senior environ-

mally we sell small amounts of these

mentalist working at Eco Watch,

metals, especially lead, at a price of

said: “Computer chips are burnt to

Rs 90 and in the market they sell it a

extract valuable metals like gold,

price of about Rs 400.”

lead and chromium.

Afsal added: “e government at

Illustration: Mayuri J. Ravi and it could cause serious health

tor of the same police station ini-

waste black market and added that

problems.

tially said that the E-waste is burnt

he had no idea that lead could be smelted from computer materials.

“ese metals are then taken to

times creates problem because it is

Shivajinagar where they are secretly

illegal to burn these scraps, but we

e rule draed by Ministry of En-

inside houses in Goripalya, but later

sold. e buyers of these products

are not afraid of the police even

vironment and Forests on E-waste

denied this, adding, “I am new in

He said: “I don’t know about Gori-

are not from Bangalore but only

though they know what happens

management and handling clearly

this place, I do not know anything

palya. I don’t think one can extract

from Delhi. Aer these metals are

here. Aer extracting the metals we

states that agencies handling such

about it.”

lead from waste.” Mr Acharya then

bought, they are sold to China at

send it for selling.”

waste must comply with pollution

Ullash Kumar, an environmental

standards and labor laws of the

activist in Bangalore, said: “e gov-

country.

ernment is absolutely aware of these

throw-away prices.

According to the state pollution-

“e European media knows

control board, air pollution recorded

about this but our media remains

in the area is two and a half times

e area where the extraction

silent on this issue.”

greater than the permissible limit

takes place is also a residential area.

A six-foot high pile of E-waste ready for processing in city

illegal activities as things like this cannot be done just like that.”

Mahindra, constable, Jagjeevan-

Ullash said: “e amount of dam-

ram Nagar Police Station which lies

age such an activity does to our en-

less than half a kilometer from the

vironment

area said: “I am not aware whether

enormous. e worst part is that the

they burn it here or not but it is ab-

harmful process of extracting gold

solutely illegal to burn scraps here

and lead from the scraps are done by

because it is a residential area.

children whose parents are rag pick-

“Burning electronic waste will

hung up, refusing futher questions.

and

economy

is

ers.”

have adverse effect on the people liv-

Vaman Acharya, chairman of the

ing here.”

Govindaraju, assistant sub-inspec-

Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, said he was unaware of the E-

A boy working in Goripalya

e Weekly Observer

ursday, October 15, 2013

2

Ex-panchyat member’s Long delays at fast track illegal soil grab ‘favour’ court harming minors Aurosmita Acharya

e JCB soil excavating machines loading illegally excavated soil on to tractors to carry them for filling up privately owned land.

Gaurav Kumar back. ere is a proposal to build a Soil was excavated illegally from government land and was used in

graveyard there for the people of surrounding villages.”

filling a private plot in Gollahalli.

However, aer talking with the

of experience I have not witnessed

ports conducted by Dr. Sekhar Se-

Minors rescued by the Child Line

a logical end to any case. It por-

shadri at National Institute of Men-

continue to be in trauma despite

trays the sorry state of affairs of our

tal Health and Neurosciences

counseling and rehabilitation ef-

justice delivery system. ere are

(NIMHANS) revealed 34 fresh

forts because of prolonged court

cases which saw their first hearing

burn marks and 44 injuries at the

proceedings.

aer eight years of the incident.”

time of rescue.

e records of Karnataka State

He added, “e filing of First In-

Tanuja said, “I do not want to go

Commission for Protection of

formation Report and the charge

to the court, nor do I wish to go

Child Rights (KSCPCR) reveal that,

sheet takes a long time, anything

through any sort of cross-examina-

230 cases have been registered from

from six months to 11 years. e

tion. I want to forget everything. I

April 1, 2013 till October 8, 2013.

process is very time consuming and

want to concentrate on my studies.”

She is presently at Nava Jivan and is

“

In my 35 years of experience I have not witnessed a logical end to any case.

growing up under the supervision of the Child Welfare Commission (CWC).

She was rescued from the

- Lakshapathy, a Child Rights Activist

Saipurna Heights at Somasundrapalya in HSR Layout. e employer

On September 30, a JCB soil exca-

Shyam he refused to take any ac-

vating machine and two tractors

tion. He said, “Next time if he re-

Parineeta, from the KSCPCR said,

were found excavating and trans-

peats the same mistake we will seize

“e Child Rights Commission

ferring soil from government land,

the JCB machine and the tractors,

came into existence in April 2009

He said, “ere is only one chil-

means and criminal intimidation

survey number 28, near Venkatesh-

and then will book him criminally

and the cases which have been reg-

dren court in Bangalore, that too

under the Indian Penal Code (IPC)

wara Farm House in Gollahalli.

for illegal excavation.”

istered with us have mostly been

within the premises of an adult

and Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act, 2000.

cleared.”

court. e atmosphere there in be-

Shakti (name changed), 11, was

e excavated soil was used for filling

a

private

plot

Shyam denied any illegality in the

has been accused for wrongful conchildren have to visit courts and

finement, voluntarily causing hurt

police stations several times.”

by use of dangerous weapons or

in

excavation. He said, “If this is illegal

Sheela Devraj, Director of Associ-

comes very intimidating and dis-

rescued in 2009 but his case came

Nalakhambha owned by Shyam, a

then tell me where to buy soil from.

ation of Promoting Social Action

comforting for the children to

up in the court in 2012.

former elected member of the Pan-

I am ready to pay the amount, and

(APSA) and the Child Line, how-

witness the adults in hand cuffs, the

chayat.

in any case I have taken just three

ever said, “We have been sending

high security provided by the police

tractors loaded with soil.”

our members for a number of court

and the court proceedings.”

At the time of excavation, villagers objected but could not prevent them from excavating.

He added, “e site from where excavation was carried out is a

hearings for the child abuse cases registered during 2009 to 2012.”

Vanithaye, a local sheep herder,

pond used by the cattle and people.

said, “when we objected and lodged

By excavating the soil we are letting

protest with the supervisor of the

the water accumulate on the surface

Sheela Devraj said, “e trauma

excavation operation, he turned us

and also raising the ground water-

of going through the cross-exami-

away saying that they had permis-

table.”

nations is having a toll on child’s

sion of the relevant authority.”

She added, “What can we do? ey are influential people.”

Patwari from the Tehsildar’s of-

According to him government is

KSCPCR there were not available for any comment on this.

health and mental condition. “

the children at a loss of mental health.

any case I have taken just three

story was reported. Shyam deleted

Lakshapathy, a child rights ac-

tractors loaded with soil.

the recordings of the conversation

tivist, finds the legal proceedings

on our reporter’s phone on the pre-

confronting children with every bit

text of seeing the phone..

of the torture they have gone

the gram panchayat a few years

hemorrhage and burn marks.

Sexual

Offences

Act

(POSCO) Act, 2012 and Criminal Procedure Code, 1973.

He could not provide the name or address of the contractor.

Loknath, Panchayat Development Officer, Gollahalli was unavailable for comment.

Lakshapathy said, “Several cases that we have been dealing with in

Aer almost 30 court hearings,

close association with the Child

Tanuja (name changed), 14, a vic-

Line put forth the sorry condition of the court proceedings.”

counseling sessions.e repeated

next to Shyam’s house, kept threat-

He said, “e land was allotted to

from

ment by not asking for money.

ening with consequences if the

indeed illegal.

lash marks, swollen right eye with

delivered justice. Her medical re-

ready to pay the amount, and in

that the excavation carried out was

gross undernourishment, multiple

under the Protection of Children

tim of child abuse, hasn’t yet been

where to buy soil from. I am

fice, aer visiting the site confirmed

court to fast track cases of children

According to her to rehabilitate

and the lingered court cases has put

- Shyam, a former elected member of the Panchayat

the Manipal Hospital reported

the children they organize regular cross examination of the children

“

ere is a provision of special

he was doing a favor to the governShyam and his friend Naveen

the court.” e medical tests conducted by

suppose to pay for excavation and

Hegade, who owns a small shop

If this is illegal then tell me

Shakti said, “I don’t want to go to

through very inhumane.

Rupa, a Child Line member, terms the repeated court hearings a ‘psychological torture.’

Lakshapathy said, “In my 35 years

Tanuja, 14, a child abuse victim rescued by Child Line in 2009

e Weekly Observer

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

17 minors rescued in hotel raid Bhaskar Dutta Seventeen minor children being used as bonded labourers were recently rescued from a prominent restaurant in the city.

Two months ago, a rescue operation was carried out by a city based NGO called BachpanBachaoAndolan (BBA) in collaboration with the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of Bangalore police. e operation was carried out in a restaurant called Hallimane in Malleswaram. Hallimane, a ruralcuisine speciality restaurant, is well known in the area.

According to a FIR dated August 20, seventeen children were rescued from the restaurant. ey were employed as waiters and cleaning staff in the restaurant.

In accordance to the recently added section 370 of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act of 2013, a case was lodged against the restaurant for Child Trafficking and Exploitation. e Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986 clearly states that persons under the age of eighteen cannot be employed in restaurants or eateries.

Aer being rescued Mohammed (name changed), 16, said, “People like me have no other option. My hometown was destroyed by a flood. We have nothing le. I came to a big city like Bangalore because I heard that I could earn a living here.”

Out of the seventeen children, nine came from Tejpur district of Assam. According to their state-

Air India in a flap over Dreamliner flight scare Apurva Venkat & Anannya Sarkar

A member of Bachpan Bachao Andolan speaks to the rescued children at the well-known city hotel ments they were brought to the city by acquaintances from their villages who promised them a good salary and a decent standard of living. e hotel records show that they were made to work for more than eight hours a day for a salary of Rs. 4500 a month. e owner of the restaurant said that the children were paid well and given comfortable accommodation. He added that most of the children were sent by their relatives and hence there was nothing wrong in employing them and giving them the chance for a better life.

Aer the children were counseled by the Child Welfare Committee and the BachpanBachaoAndolan, it was

found that most of them had not received basic education.

Subsequently, a representative of the Hotel Association of Bangalore said to Vani Kantli, a member of the BBA, that it would be difficult for them to continue operating normally if NGO’s like the BBA kept on carrying out such raids.

Kantli,who was present at the time of the raid, said: “In accordance to our official policy the members of our organization never have meals in restaurants which employ child labourers. Illiterate children from poor families present the easiest targets for traffickers. Nowadays, restaurants pay traffickers to provide them with children as they are an easy source of cheap labour. is is how the system works.”

3

India’s national carrier has dismissed reports of a serious technical glitch in a Dreamliner that landed in Bangalore.

An Air India Boeing Dreamliner 787 reportedly landed in Bangalore at 8.25am on Saturday with a missing panel.

An 8x4  panel, part of the fuselage, fell from the underside of the aircra at some point during its flight from Delhi. It was spotted only aer flight AI803 landed at Bengaluru International Airport.

Chandrashekar, Public Relations Officer, Air India, said, “is entire issue was wrongly reported. e panel had become loose, possibly due to the impact of landing, and was reported by the pilot on touching down at Bangalore. e aircra was immediately taken for a complete inspection.”

He maintained that it was a ‘mere outer covering’ and posed no threat to safety. ere were 147 passengers on board travelling from Delhi to Bangalore.

Air India maintained there was no delay but admitted passengers were put on another plane while the Dreamliner underwent a nine-hour inspection.

A picture showing a gaping hole in the aircra from where the panel was missing was dismissed as ‘a file picture’. e Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)has announced a probe.

Vipul Saxena , aviation expert and retired pilot said, “ e fuselage is a

major part of the main body of an aircra. It creates a resistance which hinders the speed of the aircra and also causes a lot of stress on the aircra structure, the consequences of which could be catastrophic. A missing fuselage also exposes the inner structure of the aircra to wind pressure.”

Dreamliners have been in the news for faulty batteries and Saxena pointed out that the panel in question is located right next to the battery panel.

He added: “It is really surprising that the pilot was not aware of the missing panel as it is quite easy to notice due to the stability of the aircra getting affected.”

He added: “ Why did it take nine hours if the only problem was a loose panel and why did it go un-noticed during take-off by the ground staff and the engineers?”

Dreamliners have been plagued by issues since their maiden flights. Air India invested thousands of crores to buy them even when the company was deeply in debt.

Dreamliners were grounded in the USA by the Federal Aviation Administration for three months in January 2013. Japan finally allowed Air India to operate Dreamliners in its country earlier this month aer the International Civil Aviation Organization raised significant safety concerns about the DGCA’s safety norms.

Previous accidents involving Dreamliners include Norwegian Air Shuttle grounding their aircra for two weeks aer a hydraulic pump failure. Nobody from Dreamliner or the DGCA was available to comment on the latest safety scare involving a Dreamliner

Metro sneak thieves steal anything from a TV to transformers Anand Jain

He added: “I see the same

have been filed at the Jayanagar 4th block

Construction equipment from a Metro

faces again and again. If I

Police Station but he declined to provide de-

site opposite Banshankri bus stand is

get hold of them, I beat

tails on the FIRs.

being stolen continuously, according to

them and let them go. But

Srinivas, head of administration at the

they come again. What can

prime suspects, according to Metro work-

site.

I do? We complained to the

ers.

ieves target anything from televisions to

police, who have arrested

heavy steel rods, he claimed.

“Steel, plates, pipes and clamps are being stolen very oen. It has become a big

some people.”

Metro construction site in Banashankari

e contract for construction of metro lines in this

People living in slums nearby are the

“Nobody but the slum people can do this.

I’m 100 percent sure,” said Srinivas. “ey steal stuff from here and sell it to the scrap dealers of this area. Satya, who lives in a

headache for us. Two months back, we lost

transformers are also on the list. Srinivas

area has been issued to JMC-ATEPL JV.

one part worth Rs. 30,000. e thieves cut

said that as a precautionary measure, im-

Palash Chandra Das, construction in-

barricades and make small doors into them

portant and costly equipment is being

charge for JMC Projects Limited, said: “We

but you have to blame their watchmen. e

to enter. We have to re-patch them 2-3

moved to more secure areas.

cannot calculate the exact loss. But we face

security guards at these sites arrange the

major problems with deadlines due to this.

thes for gutka, cigarettes, wine, or some

times a month,” he said.

According to the authorities, these thes

Deepak Sutradhar, a security guard at the

slum close to the construction site said, “ey are right. Slum boys do the stealing,

site said: “Small thes keep happening two-

If certain parts go missing, the entire

hundred rupees. I have seen this myself. So

vary in scale. While small metal rods are

to-three times a week. We incur a minimum

process halts.”

I think they should be blamed more than

stolen oen, huge equipment like welding

loss of Rs.1000 each time.”

According to Srinivas, at least six FIRs

the slum boys.”

e Weekly Observer

Tuesday, 15 October, 2013

Most special needs children denied education Neha Singh

Shanta, Project Coordinator of

abled children in Bangalore are

AMC said that the school has 51

missing out on education due to

students in the age group of 5-16

lack of schools.

years and there are five teachers

According to a survey of 2012-13,

with a Diploma in Special Educa-

done by the District Disabled Wel-

tion. She said that the state govern-

fare Society, Bangalore has 32,756

ment funds are only for teachers’

disabled children between the age

salary while the programmes and

of five and 14 and 28,806 disabled

services offered to the children in

children between the age of15 and

school is sponsored through the

29. e data provided shows that

donations received.

there are 22 special schools in Bangalore.

Trio Mike Del Ferro Live Mike del Ferro is a highly successful pianist and composer who writes and performs in an impressive array of musical genres.

She added that the training centre in AMC, where the students above

With the present ratio, there

16 are trained, used to get funds

Student (le) trying to read a braille-embrossed book in KBWI

should be 1,488 students to each

from the government but this had

tion for Blind (KWAB) run special

are not enough, as their monthly

school but there are around 60 chil-

stopped 3 years ago and so the

school, KBWI takes both visually

expense is Rs. 3 lakh.

dren per school. e number of

training centre has no option than

impaired children and children

S.P. Murthy, General Secretary of

students in Karnataka Blind Wel-

to run on donations.

with sight belonging to Below

KWAB said that they are not get-

Poverty Level (BPL) families.

ting enough government funds due

fare Institute (KBWI) is 68, in Bal

Padmanabha, Junior Program

Manovikas Kendra is 60 and in the

Officer of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan,

Savitha V. S. Head Mistress of

to which they are dependent on the

special school at e Association of

said that due to the shortage of

KBWI said that there are 85 stu-

donations. He said they are “trying

the Mentally Challenged (AMC) is

funds from the Ministry of Human

dents in their residential school out

to tie up with Multinational Com-

51, which is 20 times lower than the

Resource Development the number

of which 68 are blind and 17 come

panies for different activities like,

estimated number of students per

of special teachers has come down

from BPL families. ere are 17

computer training, brail embossing

to 404 from 407 in the past year. He

teachers and 2 volunteers. Accord-

and communication skill enhance-

added that these teachers also go to

ing to Savitha, students go through

ment.”

individual houses and give training

monthly medical checkups and the

Savitha said that awareness for ed-

to children suffering from disabili-

“donors help with operations and

ucation of the physically impaired

ties.

medical needs.”

children is extremely low, especially

Students of KWB Institution

Padmanabha said that the reason

He said, “last year government

those belonging to economically

private schools do not give admis-

sanctioned Rs. 9 lakh but they

weaker sections. Shanta also agrees

sion to disabled students is that

cleared only Rs. 1,68,000,” they say

to the point that there is lack of

they require more funds.

that there are no funds to give. He

awareness among the people.

e Karnataka Welfare Associa-

added that the donations they get

Farmers and students unite against GM crops deeds across the globe,” said P.

genetically modified crops for their

Srinivas, Co-Convener of GM Free

own profits.”

Karnataka Coalition.

Social activist H. H. Doraiswamy

High Court has upheld the criminal proceedings against Monsanto-

use of genetically modified organ-

Mahyco on the bio-piracy case of Bt

isms in food and farming.

Brinjal, the first genetically modi-

National Convener, Alliance for

fied food crop that was sent for

Sustainable and Holistic Agricul-

According to Leo Saldanha, Envi-

Sneha Bengani

A large group of farmers and stu-

ture, “We should steer away from

ronment Support Group, “Mon-

e people of Bangalore do not

dents gathered on Tuesday at Town

the agricultural paradigm pro-

santo has a history of taking away

want Monsanto, a multinational

Hall to denounce the world’s largest

moted by international giants like

the control of seeds from farmers.”

giant based in the US, in their

seed producing company.

Monsanto which fill our farms and food with toxic chemicals and risky

EXHIBITION

Shimmering Silhouettes- Art Exhibition Nivriti presents a month-long solo show by artist Jayant Hubli.

Venue: 72, Vishweshvaraya Layout, Bangalore International Airport Road.

Date: Oct 05 - Nov 05, 2013 Time: 11:00 AM-7:00 PM

POETRY

Tuesdays with the Bard

commercialization in India.

Bangaloreans protesting against Monsanto in front of Town Hall.

“It indulges in a variety of mis-

Venue: Windmills Cra Works, Whitefield Date: Oct. 19, 2013 Time: 8:30 PM onwards

On October 11, the Karnataka

urged the gathering to boycott the

According to Kavitha Kurunganti,

country, according to activists.

Events MUSIC

school.

More than thirty thousand dis-

4

Monsanto was not available to comment

“Tuesdays with the Bard at Urban Solace” now in its “153rd Evening of Poetry from the Heart” Venue: Urban Solace - Cafe For the Soul, Ulsoor Date: Oct. 29, 2013 Time: 7:00 PM- 8:30 PM

Observer Team: Reporters– Bhaskar Dutta & Pranay Lakshminarasimhan Emergency Call Services- Anand Jain News Editors– Aurosmita Acharya, Gaurav Kumar & Neha Singh Picture Editor– Karishma Ravindran & Nikita Narvekar Design Desk- Chitharth Mathivanan & Mayuri J. Ravi Sub Editors– Anagha Sawant, Apurva Venkat, Bhavika Bhuwalka & Ishan Bhattacharya Chief Sub Editor– Anannya Sarkar Editor- Nibedita Mohanta Email- editor@iijnm.org An IIJNM Publication (For Private Circulation)