Issue 24 by IIJNM Bangalore

Volume 15 | Issue 24

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Driving sober? Traffic cops may still fine you Oindrila Sarkar Traffic cops have been threatening and harassing motorists and in some cases illegally confiscating vehicles as part of the force’s helmet crackdown. Bangalore’s traffic police department claims 3,500 offenders have been caught every day at various checkpoints in the city and booked for various offences, including drink-driving and pillion passengers not wearing a helmet. But at several checkpoints set up in the city, especially at night, motorists are complaining that officers demand bribes, confiscate their vehicles illegally and even book them for offences they did not commit. One city worker was booked for being over the drink drive limit when he had not been drinking that

evening. When he challenged the officers, they seized his motorbike. Any motorist caught driving under the influence of liquor beyond the permissible 30mg limit is liable to be charged with the offence of drunken driving. The legal and permissible limit is 30mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The Bangalore Traffic Police claims to be using state of the art alcometers(breath analyzers) accepted worldwide to measure the level of alcohol in the blood. The traffic police claim that their instruments are calibrated every three months with a margin for error of +(-)5per cent. This margin means they only prosecute those whose reading is above 40mg. But that, says Robin Christopher J, a lawyer at the Alternative Law Forum

in Bangalore, is only on paper. He claims it has become a trend here for sober people to be prosecuted because the breathalysers are reading much more than 40mg and even crossing 50mg. He said, “We are often contacted by people who are being harassed on the streets by the cops who are on night patrol who demand unreasonable bribes threatening an alcometer test on everyone because they know it will test positive in any case.” Kunal Bhatia,who was riding home on his bike on the January 23, was stopped on 100ft Rd around the golf links. The policemen snatched away the keys of his Yamaha bike even before he could produce his driving licence. Afraid that his DL would also be snatched away he asked them not harass him. The

police used a breathalyzerto test him which read 54per cent.

Many government officials invited to attend the state’s first ever public hearing on slum evictions failed to attend the event. The Karnataka Slum Janara SanghatanegalaOkkoota (KSJSO), a federation of slum resident organizations, organized the hearing in light of the increasing number of slum evictions in the state by government and private companies. The federation invited officials from the departments of Housing Urban Development, Revenue, Women and Child welfare, SC/ST commission, Backward Classes Commission, Minorities Commission, Child Rights Commission and the Karnataka Slum Board. However, only NP Balraj, Technical Director at the Karnataka Slum Board, and one other official from the education department attended the hearing. Vinay Kumar Sorakke, Minister for Urban Development, was also absent. Issac Arul Selva, editor of ‘Slum Jagathu’ and one of the organizers, said, “The members of these departments are

liberal upper class people and they are a problem. When we go into their offices, their response is lax and the same. We go to around 300 people, they say they will respond in a week or so but they never do. It is difficult for us to visit them again and again." The public hearing was held to examine citizenship, urban deprivation and future policy direction.A jury of eight was present to preside over the event as case studies were discussed. Residents and representatives of various slums like Kalsipalya, Pillaganahalli, Gulbarga, and Vinobha Nagar were present. Residents of slums of other districts like, Siddharthanagar(Kalburgi), Alvi Masjid (Vijayapura), Gandhivala( Hubbali), were also present. Babu Mathew, a member of the jury and professor at National Law School of India University, Bangalore: “Slum evictions must be seen in the background of what is happening to urbanization in the context of globalization. The whole effort is to try and build an urban economy and simultaneously there is complete ruination of agriculture. So, this kind

of migration is inevitable and when the numbers are so huge there is pressure on everything like land and resources. "But given that the government is inducing these evictions it is their responsibility to tackle it which they are not doing. They are only worried about using all this land for speculative purposes.To tackle the question of land and housing we need to have a stronger legislative framework.” Shivani Chaudhry, another member of the jury and Executive Director, Housing and Land Rights Network, added: “It is very clear that there are political and monetary forces after the land, but, people are actually living on these lands for 30-40 years, they have all the documents. So, when the government wants people to be recognized citizens it given them voter ID cards, ration cards, because they want their votes. But then when it comes to land and money, the people are considered as if they don’t exist. The constitution and the laws exist only for the rich, for the poor there is no justice or law. “And this not just in Karnataka, it is prevalent all over

Homes plan for slum sparks Lokayutka complaint People living in Srinagar slum for over two decades claim they are being harassed into leaving.

Page 2

City doctors support banned drug

A traffic policemen in Indira Nagar stopping a sober biker Contd. on page 4

Govt officials fail to turn up for public hearing Aparajita Khandelwal Reema Mukherjee

BRIEFS

the country. People are evicted without any notice and are not even allowed to collect their things. They build their houses with so much money, sweat and labour and they are just demolished. “ All their possessions are lost. If the government focused on rural development people would not migrate in such large numbers. Land is taken from people in rural areas and the same is not given to them when they migrate to the cities. “Most migrants living in the cities have been displaced several times in their lives. People in power should know about the laws, so, human rights education is very important. The government needs to do what it says. All the schemes like the ‘PradhanMantriAwasYojna’ need to be implemented with will and conviction.” A comprehensive verdict of the hearing will be submitted to the government in the first week of February. Slum dwellers share their stories - Page 3 (as stated in case study by KSJSO) Homes plan for slum sparks Lokayutka complaint - Page 2

Patients face paying more for costlier eye treatment drugs after the ban on cancer drug Avastin. Page 3 Silk wars: China behind India's fall? Silk producers and traders in the state fear that cheaper Chinese silk is bringing India's silk production down. Page 4 Bangalore’s first Candy Man didn’t need a govt sweetener Mahmoud Adeeb Abu Sher came over from Syria to establish the first confectionary factory in Bangalore. Page 6

2 THE OBSERVER

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Homes plan for slum sparks Lokayutka complaint Maqsood Maniyar People who have been living in the Srinagar slum for over two decades claim they are being harassed into leaving so that local residents can build a swimming pool. Children in the slum are being kept home from school so they can guard their family homes while parents go out to work, according to slum dwellers. One community leader has complained to the lokayutka in an effort to have the slum cleared and a swimming pool built for residents, despite a government pledge to build homes for the slum community. Residents of the slum are mainly from the scheduled castes and Alemari communities. In 2011, they weregranted free housing on the same land under ‘Rajiv AwasYojana’, a union government sponsored scheme with the stated objective of making India slum free by 2022. It has been just over three months since construction of houses under the scheme began. The land was owned by the Belgaum city corporation. Ithad been set aside for a swimming pool. Some peoplehavecited this as a case of legal impropriety. Mallikarjun, 45, a porter by profession who lives in the Sri Nagar slum, said: “People living in nearby areas have been creating problems. We asked them several times to deal with us justly. They claim that presence of lower

“You see the land isn’t a slum area, it is a premium piece of land. - M.B.Patil, retired engineer from HDMC

caste people in the vicinity will lower the value of their houses and the land that they live on. We have no padlocks on our makeshift doors. In the past when we left our houses unattended, people broke in and stole our property.” Mallikarjun and his wife, Nimbawwa complain that they can’t send their children to school as they need someone to guard their house while they are away at work. This should be higher up – as should the threats and hassle details. This is a story about wealthy people hassling poor people because they don’t want them bringing down property values or pissing in their swimming pool. HanumanthTikol is a social worker associated with the Sri Nagar Slum. He belongs to the organization,AlemariMahasangha. He said: “We have taken permission from City Commissioner and are proceeding legally but the agitators have gotten the Lokayukta involved. Initially there was over 2.7 acres of land but we have given up our claim on an acre of it so that the remaining space may be used to construct a swimming pool. “Construction is underway and seven blocks -- that is 112 houses -- are almost ready. Laying of the slab is expected to start next week. Still, people here live in fear of repercussions.” According to Tikol, M.B. Patil, a retired engineer who worked for the HDMC (Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation) has been the main opposing figure to the housing of the slum dwellers. He said that if the construction was found to be illegal, then the houses can be demolished. Laxman, who makes copper trinkets for a living,isa resident of the slum. He lost his mother to a snake bite about four months ago. “She was sleeping inside the tent and before we could un-

Laxman, who lives in the slum in Srinagar lost his mother to snake bite derstand what had happened she was lathering at the mouth and then she died. Our struggle still continues, our tents get soaked when it rains, they offer no protection” he said. MLA of Belgaum (North), FairozSaitcame out in support of the residents of the slum. He said : “The construction is proceeding because the process is legally sound. The land belonged to the city corporation; it was then handed over to Karnataka Slum Board under Rajiv AwasYojana. This is for the benefit of economically weaker sections of society. Perhaps, the rich aren’t able to tolerate the poor settling in right next to their houses.” Patil said: “You see the land isn’t a slum area, it is a premium piece of land. If a swimming pool comes up right next to it then it will prove to be problematic. The slum dwellers can be accommodated in some other area as well. These are public funds that are being

Despite a global drop in sales, Apple still bets on India Raina Paul Tanay Sukumar iPhone sales grew by just 0.4 per cent worldwide, whereas the device grew by 76 per cent in India during October to December quarter. On Wednesday, Apple reported its highest-ever quarterly profit of $18.4 billion on revenue of $ 75.9 billion. Though there is a rise in the sales of iPhones in India, not many are satisfied with the brand. While the shipments crossed 800,000, many consumers stillremain hesitant about buying the product. “Even if I had money, I would

not buy Apple products as it is not worth the money. Apple likes to keep things tightly controlled, while Android lets the system innovate and grow,” said Surendra SinghSucharia, a start-up employee from Koramangala, Bangalore. “Having an iPhonealone is not enough. I will have to buy a Mac or iPad to sync and access all my data,” said RudraIyerwho is a programme manager Jogupalya, Bangalore. A number of youngsters are unhappy with the high price of Apple products which combines with the unfeasibility. “I can get almost all the features or in fact even more features ina phone of half its

price. Why spend 45,000 when you can get all that in 20, 000,” said, Ishmanpreet Singh, a college student. “It is the worst investment. The screens are expensive that each time it breaks, replacing is difficult,”Maitreye, homemaker. According to International Data Corporation, 2015, Samsung remained the leader in the Indian smartphone market despite experiencing a QoQ (Quarter on Quarter) shipment decline while growing shipments on a YoY (Year on Year) basis. Micromax made a comeback in 2015 with 60% QoQgrowth. Intex captured the third position launching a slew of new models.

used and it is land worth 40 crores or so. With my background, I know how to protect the rights of all people not just one group.” On being questioned about why he decided to involve the Lokayukta as he has no jurisdiction in this regard, he said: “I agree but I would say that that the Lokayukta has a limited jurisdiction over the matter. Corruption can mean misuse of public property. “My demand is that the construction be stopped and the land earmarked for the swimming pool be fenced off. Thereafter the construction may resume. What if they are encroaching on the land meant for the swimming pool? If their houses were found to be constructed illegally then the people there may be asked to move. I don’t want that to happen. They should be able to enjoy their dwellings for generations to come.”

Thursday, January 28, 2016 3

THE OBSERVER

Banning drug for eye ops will mean higher fees for patients, docs warn Laxmi Narayani Patients face paying more for costlier eye treatment drugs after doctors were banned from using the drug Avastin. An alert notice was issued from the Directorate of General Health Services on January 21 stating that the Avastin drug, produced by Swiss pharma giant Roche, was not approved for ophthalmology purposes after 15 patients lost their vision partially in Gujarat. Avastin is a cancer treatment drug that has been used around the globe to treat eye conditions. The practice is referred to as “off-label” and means a drug being used for a purpose other than that for which it is intended. Roche has promised to withdraw certain batches of its drug at the request of the Indian government and has also ordered an internal inquiry. The company has repeatedly stated that using Avastin for eye treatments has led to in-

fections around the globe. Noumaan, a spokesperson from Roche Mumbai said, “Roche promised to withdraw certain batches of its drug at the request of Indian Government.” A spokesperson for the Drugs Control Department, Bangalore said, “We received the circular recently about this drug and we are yet to streamline the drug usage.” Dr.NitinShetty, from Retina eye clinic said, “It was used for treating diabetic retinopathy and it served in a better way than other medicines for the patients.” The approved medicine for the treatment is Lucentis by the Food and Drug Administration Department which was much costlier than Avastin. The cost of Avastin ranges from Rs20000 to Rs30000 whereas Lucentis costs around Rs.50000. “Though it was offlabel, many patients could afford the treatment and also no adverse complaints were reported”, said Dr.Nitin.

We are advised not to use the drug and the patients are at a loss to afford costlier treatment. - Dr Sirish Nelivigi,Eye specialist from Nelivigi Eye Hospital The drug was first introduced for cancer treatment in 2005. “I had prescribed this drug for my patients from the time it was introduced and it was one of the common drugs for diabetic retinopathy”, he added. DrSirishNelivigi, an eye specialist from Nelivigi Eye Hospital and Surgical Centre, said, “Affordability is one of the major issues for medical treatment and one incident cannot stand as scientific proof for a

ban.Proper research needs to be done to find the truth behind the loss.” He also said that the drug was issued freely for the patients who could not afford it in his own hospital. “Now we are advised not to use the drug and the patients are at a loss to afford costlier treatment.” Other leading eye hospitals like Bangalore Nethralaya and Narayana Nethralaya had also prescribed this drug for their patients.

Government officials fail to turn up for public hearing (contd. from page 1) Gulbarga slum eviction The people who had come from Gulbarga in search of work 22 years ago had been living near Vasanthnagar, Bangalore on a land belonging to BBMP. In all, 180 families including 80 children belonging to the Vadda scheduled caste have been living here. The people are engaged in stone breaking and construction work. Most of the families have Voter ID, Ration card and Construction Workers ID card. These validates that they have been living here for 22 years. 3 years ago, BBMP had sold this land to BESCOM without taking a status update of the land. BESCOM on its part declared these people as unauthorized encroachers. On 9th Sep 2015, BESCOM got these huts ruthlessly demolished with the help of BMTF without giving any intimation or any alternative arrangements . The women stood against the demolition work in order to save their huts. But the company resorted to violent means against the protesting women. Ramesh, 12, lost all his books and belongings when the bulldozer ran over their hut. He said: “ A policeman held my left hand and dragged me away. I felt like crying aloud. I had no clothes to wear. “I am studying in 7th standard in a nearby school. I wish to study well, pass IAS and build a small house where my family will live happily.I stand first in my class.”

Veerabadranagar slum

Authorities detaining a girl during slum eviction Pillaganahalli eviction People of Pillaganahalli have been struggling against the might and assault of the NICE company. Pillaganahalli, which is also called AdiDravida village, now belongs to Gottigere Ward 194 of Bengaluru City Corporation. About ten thousand families belonging to ST and minorities have settled down here. Each family is living in a hut which is less than 600 sq feet. They have been regularly paying land and house taxes. However, the government has failed to provide basic amenities such as Anganawadi center, school, hospital and transportation. This area which is about 199.7 acres was originally a government grazing land. In 1952, the government allotted two acres each of this land to families belonging to 30 SC

families. After conducting a survey the government declared 60 acres of land as slum under Sec 3P of Slum Act. This land which belongs to all is being used for the benefit of a company. “NANDI Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises” is one such beneficiary. Vijaya,45, lives with her parents in Koliform. They put up a tent that cost them Rs5000 and have been staying there for the last 11 years. She said: “Ever since NICE Company came here we have not been allowed to do any repairs to our houses. They grab everything-- the cement, roofing sheets, etc. which we have bought and kept here for repairing our house. We have been beaten up by company sponsored goondas. e. We have rights over this land. The government must save our houses.”

The people in Veerabadranagar belong to the scheduled caste community and hail from parts of Raichur and Gulbarga, Karnataka. They had come to Bangalore almost 40 years ago. 256 families built small huts in Veerabadranagar and through collective efforts and initiatives they made arrangements for the basic amenities The government had approved a 111 km long ring road and controversially leased out thousands of acres of land to the private contractor of the road, “NICE” in 1997 for the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project. The people of Veerabadranagar slum were living in the area adjoining the inner ring road which is almost a kilometer away from the entrance of the NICE built road but notices were passed by company sponsored goondas to the residents “to vacate the place” to make way for an approach ramp to the NICE road. The houses of those who did not care for such orders were set on fire many times. The company without any written notice/intimation and with the help of goons and under the protection of the police went on demolishing the huts belonging to the people of Veerabadranagar which have been their only living space for the last 4 decades. After this the people affected by eviction built huts on the NICE road itself and continued their struggle.

PMO India @PMOIndia All of you are here from every part of India. What is it that binds us? It is the Tricolour, Constitution & dreams of 125 crore Indians: PM The Associated Press @AP Latest on Europe migrants: Greece's coast guard says at least 11 killed, most of them children, in boat sinking @ETTelecom.com Idea launches 4G in Bangalore; Maharashtra, Goa next AAP Karnataka @AAPKarnataka Buzz Campaign in East Bangalore to create awareness and inviting people for Rally on 31st. BJP Karnataka @bjpkarnataka Belagavi & Davanagere in Karnataka r selected for #SmartCities in the 1st lot of 20 cities Foreign Affairs @ForeignAffairs Why mixing religion and politics in the U.S. often yields unforeseen, and sometimes disastrous, consequences BJP Karnataka @bjpkarnataka BJP demands the resignation of Sh.Parameshwar Nayak,Labour minister continues @DGP_FIRE Fire & Rescue personnel rescued 33 passengers from the KSRTC bus that fell into Shimsha river near Maddur. @hashBengaluru "Water enough for summer: BWSSB - Bangalore Mirror AAP Karnataka @AAPKarnataka Buzz Campaign in East Bangalore to create awareness and inviting people for Rally on 31st. @bjpkarnataka Everyday Congress Govt sets its own record in arrogance,The police officer who was transferred for not picking call now sent on long leave.

4 THE OBSERVER

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Silk wars: China behind India's fall? Sanskriti Talwar Silk producers and traders in the state fear that cheaper Chinese silk is bringing India's silk production down. According to the data reports available on the Central Silk Board website, the state’s overall production fell by 56 per cent, that is, 3,576 metric tonnes(Mt) last year compared to 8,219 Mt in 2012-2013. The silk contribution from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu has also fallen by 76.2 per cent, and 34.5 per cent respectively in the last three years Together, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu produce 32 per cent of India’s silk. As of August, 2015, the country’s silk production stood at 9,590 Mt -- that is 60 per cent less from 23,679 Mt in 2012. Anil Kumar of Karnataka Silk Marketing Board (KSMBL), a non-government said: “Trade has come down because of China’s silk. “The quality of Chinese silk is better than Indian, where 100 per cent Chinese silk is usable, only 75 per cent of the Indian silk is of good quality, the rest 25 per cent of production goes wasted. “Now silk trade is an open market. No government interference is required to carry out the process. The farmers can sell their produce to anyone in markets.” In June last year, Karnataka’s CM, Siddaramaiah sent a letter to centre state’s concern on the reduction in import duty on cheap Chinese raw silk as it would affect the indigenous silk market. Despite that, the centre continued to reduce imposed duty from 15 per cent to 10 per cent announced in the 2015-2016 budget speech. VekantaRaju, a sericulture farmer and Panchayat member of Golahalli village in Kengeri, said, “Earlier there was 35 per cent tax on Chinese silk, afterwards when the tax was reduced, the production went down.Due to which the mulberry farmers started looking for alternatives.” Srinivas Murthy, Joint secretary of KSMBL said: “If the silk rate is below farmers cost of production, they will shift, but 90 per cent of them can’t as it takes one year for mulberry plantation to grow. “The production is going on but on unofficial channels”. Deputy Director of KSBML said: “Market is based

A woman working in D.R. Krishnamurthy Silk Industry, Golahalli Village, Kengeri

on lean and glut. “The cost of production is less in China than India. They use standardised techniques for production which results in quality product. “China is a communist country so everything is under government control. Here, in India the government has facilitated farm-

ers after imposing free trade policy. “We cannot do anything here, the government cannot interfere, and we cannot force them to produce as per required demand.” A spokesperson from Central Silk Board has said that the low productivity is due to change in climatic conditions.

Driving sober? Traffic cops may still fine you contd. from page 1 He said, “The policemen, a bunch of young people, surrounded me from all sides demanding a bribe initially. When I refused to pay saying that I had not consumed alcohol and there was some trouble with their alcometer which they needed to calibrate and was giving a wrong reading they gave me a receipt and asked me to collect my bike from the court by paying a fine there.” He added, “When I started video recording the police they came and grabbed my cell phone away, I was pushed and shoved and asked to clear away from the scene immediately. I had to plead with them to not beat me up. Telling them that I was waiting for my cab since I had no other means of transport was of no avail.” Gopinath, another resident of Indiranagar, did not have a helmet on him. He was stopped and his bike taken away. When we contacted the UlsoorGate Police station, under whose jurisdiction the incident occurred, Constable Ravi Kumar said, “Penalty for not wearing a helmet is Rs100 and the same applies for pillion riders. According to the law, if the offender does not have the money to pay the fine then the vehicle can be seized.” But

Gopinath, despite having the money on him, had to part with his bike. Keshav, Manager at Prajwal Surgical and Scientifics Bangalore, who deal in Alcohol Digital Breath Analyzers, said, “Calibration and its frequency depends on usage of the alcometer. In case of the traffic police who use it everyday it needs calibration every month. But then again it depends on what model they are using since most of the good models are imported and we have to send them to the US for calibration. There is one Printer and another Normal model.” He added, If the police has ordered a huge amount of alcometers then they must also have received a calibrator from the company.” But Ravi Kumar from the Ulsoorgate police station said, “Technicians come from outside every three months and calibrate the breathalyzers.” The Bangalore Traffic Police website states that there can be no on-the-spot fine for drunk driving. Finesare paid in court when the person goes to collect his vehicle. But Kunal Bhatia was asked for a spot fine of Rs2000 . Prashant complains in the Bangalore Traffic Police Complaint Board that he was harassed when travelling down 80ft road, Indiranagar on Sept.1, 2015 at 03:17:39. On producing photocopies

of his documents he was asked to get the original ones, which were in his office. But the police would not wait for 10mins . They demanded a fine and said they did not want to see the original documents as they would have to wait. He agreed to pay the fine as there was no way out of it. After taking the receipt he found that he was fined for not wearing a helmet, when he had been waering one. He was told to leave since the fine had been collected. He writes, “The people who are appointed to help us and bring law and order, are spreading anarchy and openly mocking the system.” The police complaints board is overflowing with hundreds of complaints from Bangaloreans who had their driving licences taken away on various pretexts. The bottom line was to extract a fine. Geetesh, who was dropping his sister in Frazer own, was talking to her in person but was stopped by traffic cop HN Mayanna who confiscated his license. When he showed the phone in his pocket along with the call records where the last call was made 10 mins before the cop dismissed it. His DL was seized which he was asked to collect from the RTO.

Rohit Sharma, who was driving a car with a Maharashtra plate in Indiranagar was stopped and asked to pay a bribe. When he refused to pay the money his driving license was taken away and he was asked to pay a lifetime tax in the RTO. He said, “It is my wish whether I want to pay a lifetime tax or not. Who is he to decide whether I want to pay a two year tax or a lifetime tax.” At least ten people have complained that their bikes had been towed away from the parking lot and they had to pay a fine. Pravin Ravindran writes, “I want to raise my voice against this ridiculous and unacceptable thing the Bangalore Traffic Police has done today. I had parked my bike, a pulsar, in front of 3 stories restaurant on Lavelle Road and my bike was towed from there and fined 300 rupees.” Robin Christopher said, “There is an abnormal increase in the rate of traffic police harassment in the city. The cause can be anything. Helmet, parking, drunken or non-drunken driving, it takes the police no time to demand bribes and snatch away DLs. It is a huge botheration to go to court again and retrieve vehicles and DLs which are mostly being seized on false pretexts.”

Thursday, January 28, 2016 5

THE OBSERVER

OUTLOOK

Is Europe committing cultural suicide? Claim of Europe’s cultural suicide is right wing racism The hysteria surrounding the supposed cultural lim conquest of Spain is yet another example where Jews, Christians and Musdeath of Europe is a black farce. The claim is lims thrived. For example, even up to the 16th century, Spanish was written in racist and illegal. EU (European Union) member Arabic script. There are plenty of ‘foreign cultures’ already present in Europe. The Algerian states are obliged to do their part in accepting some refugees and share the responsibility. The French, French citizens of African origin, Turkish Germans and Brits of south states which refused to do that are quick to ac- Asian origin have lived and thrived in Europe for generations. None of the above cept EU privileges. instances has been a cause of cultural suicide in Europe. What has changed Xenophobic narratives are being exploited by now? The answer is nothing. If anything, it is a struggle for refugees and migrants intolerant parties of a far right dispensation in Eu- to hold on to their culture in a new land. rope - National Front in The fact is that there have always been France, UKIP (United The fact is that there refugees, who flee their lands fear of persecution Kingdom Independand violence. Many in Europe would rather see have always been refugees drown or murdered rather than be given ence Party) in England and Golden Dawn party refugees, who flee their a place in their lands. Maqsood Maniyar have already died trying to cross over in Greece among othlands fear of persecu- toSome Europe as per UNHRC data. According to a ers. It has also given a fillip to overtly islamophobic organizations such as the tion and violence. Many in Europe UN report, over 250,000 people have died in the German Pegida, who have since expanded their oper- would rather see refugees drown or ongoing civil war. The ugly truth is that Western nations like US, ations to include Britain. Besides, history belies the claim. All manner of peo- murdered rather than be given a Britain, France and Germany have supported instigated the wars that have resulted in this ple have migrated to Europe, settled there and natu- place in their lands. tragedy. In other cases there have been full ralized in the land. There are many such examples. Huns were a nomadic people who migrated from cenblown invasions. tral Asia to Europe in search of new pastures for their The west must be held directly responsible for horses. For this, they had to undertake several violent conquests in the fourth the situation in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria. NATO moves in and civilians century. However, all of that is forgotten and modern Hungary proudly calls itself move out. Now, these very nation states should deal with the fall out. ‘the land of the Huns’. The largest ethnic group in Hungary are the Magyars, who Exceptions will always prove the rule when it comes to people of colour and boast a tribal lineage. Ironically, today those very same people refuse to accept sexual attacks on New Year’s Eve in Cologne will be cited, in which refugees even a single refugee. were reportedly involved. The bottom line is this - if you don’t want your land to Jews migrated to Europe from the Middle East as a consequence of the Roman be inundated with refugees, quit supporting wars that create refugees in the first invasion. Today, they are very much a part of the melting pot that is Europe. Mus- place.

Europe is collectively committing cultural suicide Why is Europe so determined to lose its own According to the Hamburg Institute of International Economics and BDO AG, cultural identity? The European identity is not Sweden with a population of less than 10 million has taken in 180,000 refugees about nationalism, language or culture. It is this year. If the one million plus refugee population become three million by the about ideology. end of this year, you can do the rest of the maths yourselves. Whites might beThe influx of people from West Asia and come an endangered species in Europe. North Africa (WANA) will kill the very ‘idea’ of Instance like how America became a melting pot despite constant immigration Europe and bring about the rule of Sharia and is not synonymous to the current phenomenon in Europe. The WANA area is in values that are perpetual war between races and creeds. No wonder European No wonder European cities are being filled with unembest practiced in the Islamic cities are being filled with ployed angry young men, most of them uneducated and world. engaging in acts of violence. The Nov 13 Paris shootunemployed angry young ings, the violence in Brussels and then in the German The people crossing over men, most of them uned- state of Cologne should make Europe pause and think. to Europe values are in conflict with survival. ucated and engaging in European have no willIf Europe is expecting the refugees to bail out its ingness to be acts of violence. shrinking working population the latter are expecting EuOindrila Sarkar assimilated but The Nov 13 Paris shootings, the vi- rope to subsidize its large families and act as a Welfare require a spestate to them. cial treatment. This makes the case unique in olence in Brussels and then in the Hungary, who has put a border fence much to the conhistory. demnation of the other countries, has termed the influx German state of Cologne should This can be traced to many reasons- from a as “enemy invasion”. make Europe pause and think. shrinking demography to a humanitarian conThey seemed to have understood that not all of the cern. But what is being touted the most is guilt. people coming in are destitute. Some among them are Europe should let go of guilt.Guilt about the Jihadis who will wage havoc and destruction.If Europe wars of the 20th century cannot be tagging in their hearts now. Maybe the Ger- refuses to invest money on border security, then it will have to spend on counter mans and the Austrians want a restitution of that guilt. Maybe they want to expiate terrorism. that guilt by taking in more migrants. Only Angela Merkel knows why she is pushMany of you will soon discover the gory truth of this. Comparing contemporary ing Europe to the brink. European civilisation to the marauding raiders of pre-history is going to be cataThe Middle East and Africa can keep sending streams of migrants ten times strophic. bigger than the current population. It would not make any difference to Africa and Parallels cannot be drawn between the Saxon invasion of the English mainland West Asia if over the next decade they keep sending their people to Europe. This or the Norman invasion of France, or even for that matter the marauding Huns would end neither their economic problems nor civil wars. and Slavs in Central and Eastern Europe and the Sword of Islam that slashed its Europe has a far greater problem than the debt and austerity curbs. The Euro- way into the subcontinent and blew the lights off the Eastern Roman empire in pean workforce is threatened because the Europeans do not have enough chil- Constantinople. dren to replace themselves. Many countries there have a Total Fertility Rate The world has seen one Crusade; European governments would do well to not (TFR) below replacement. Among the 27 EU countries, not one has a TFR of 2.1. encourage battle lines from being drawn in the heart of Europe. Too much blood At least a dozen of them are below 1.5. has been wasted, more will be shed.

6 THE OBSERVER

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Bangalore’s first Candy Man didn’t need a govt sweetener Maqsood Ahmed Maniyar How business friendly is India today? Much has been made of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Start up India, stand up India’ scheme which plans to offer Rs10,000 crore by way of loans to start up businesses over a period of three years. The scheme also exempts start-ups from Labour department checks. Some have welcomed the move, while others have warned the provisions of the scheme could be exploitative. But Bangalore has always drawn entrepreneurs. And from the very beginning, they had little need of a helping hand and had to fight their way to success. Here we look at some of the more colourful examples of start-ups in the city and the legacy–and learning–for businesses today. Like a bard, he sings lofty praises of the man. To him, his grandfather’s is the greatest story that was never told. Nabil Ghani sits upright in his chair, grey-bearded and skullcapped, in his private residence, a building named “Egyptian block” in Frazer town. He takes a deep breath and narrates his sweet story. The year was 1928, the place was French occupied Syria. His name was Mahmoud Adeeb Abu Sher, a young man who had to live through the death of three of his sons. He, along with his wife and only surviving son, boarded a ship to Bombay with all of their valuables, a total of 40 ‘Arbayn Usmanli’ or gold coins. He landed at Bombay’s port.

He found that he wasn’t the only Arab there. Marouf Farah and the Yaqout family were among the new arrivals from the Middle East. Adeeb also befriended Sephardic Jews living in the Nagpada neighbourhood and near Sassoon dock. Given that they were mostly from Iraq, these Jews were fluent in Arabic and helped Adeeb find a means of livelihood. He began to make toffees and the Jewish folks supplied him with the raw materials for the purpose. “I was the eldest of his grandchildren and his favourite.” Nabil said, beaming. *** Illness and Migration Just when he thought things were settling down, Adeeb took ill, so much so that his family feared for his life. An English doctor was kind enough to treat him free of cost. “I think and I think but I can’t remember the doctor’s name. He was the first one to call my grandfather ‘the Egyptian’ as he didn’t know where Damas (greater Syria which included present day Syria, Jordan and Lebanon) was. He was forced to leave his wife and child behind.” Nabil said. The doctor was transferred to Lahore and Adeeb had no choice but to follow him there. From there, the two moved to Karachi. “Eventually, he overcame his illness. It was in 1929 when he first came to Bangalore. There had been no news of him for three months; his family thought that he was dead.

Adeeb’s great grandsons (from left, Abdullah and Abid) at their Egyptian block house

After spending nine months in Bangalore, he went back to fetch his family.” Once again, it was a Jew who helped Adeeb. Rubin Moses, a shoe salesman based in Commercial Street, helped him with his livelihood and lodging. With great difficulty, he gathered enough capital to set up a business making mint candies, toffees, Turkish delight, jujubes and the like. In 1934, he moved to Hyderabad and started the same business under the patronage of the then Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Usman Ali Khan. In 1935, the then King of Mysore, Krishna Raja WodeyarIIII gave Adeeb an incentive to return, roughly all of present day Vasanth Nagar in Bangalore. He accepted the offer but at that time the fief that was granted to him was a wooded area. He sold it to traders from a bamboo bazaar for all of Rs80,000. Nabil said: “It was then that he bought this land and had this building and the factory in it constructed and people called it Egyptian block. He became the first person in India to manufacture chewing gum and bubble gum among other sweets. He called the company EP (Egyptian Products). At that point, he also had a catering business.”

pickles, sambar powder, rasam powder out of Egyptian block. Nabil’s followed in his father and grandfather’s footsteps and set up a business of his own, a catering company called ‘Rose Caterers’ which is still operational today. *** Other unlikely heros Rubin Moses is yet another example of an ordinary man coming from a faraway land and making it big in India. The Jewish family were one among the hundreds of Jews who came over from San Francisco following the earthquake in the early 1900s. Researcher and writer, Nemichandra, claims Moses’ shoe store on Commercial Street was the largest of its kind in Asia. He also says that Moses owned roughly half of the property on Commercial Street. Nahoum Isreali migrated to India from Iraq and set up the iconic Nahom and Sons bakery in 1902, which is still a huge hit in Kolkata. *** Contemprory Indian Eentreprunership Former Infoysys board member, Mohandas Pai, said: “A little bit of history is required to understand this. When the British ruled India, people from Egypt, Armenia and other

Mahmoud Adeeb Abu Sher places in Europe came to India to do business as it was a very business friendly environment. After Independence, India shut its doors to foreign investments. All those regulations made it a very difficult place to do business. Thanks to technological progress, these barriers are being broken. “For example, Greg Moran and David Beck have come to India to set up Zoom cars, a rental car company. Now, Greg’s a New Yorker, he has done really well. He’s a millionaire now. Similarly, there are 15 to 20 start ups in India. Under Modi’s initiative, things look better for businessses.”

*** Freedom and death After India attained Independence, communal violence gripped Bangalore. Adeeb, along with community leaders such as Tamboochatti Chattiyar doused the fire of communal violence. He told the rioters, “We have 780 employees exactly, all of whom are either Hindus or Christians.” Nabil said. Adeeb made two trips to Syria, one in 1954, the other in 1956. By then his family had expanded to six children. Adeeb passed away in 1967. When his wife died in 1977, the factory was closed down. It had a lot of liabilities. Adeeb’s youngest son, Amin, saved the house. Each of his sons got approximately 5,000 square feet. Adeeb got 10,000. *** Family matters Nabil’s father Abdul Ghani did his M.A. in food technology from CFTRI. (Central Food Technology and Research Institute) For a brief period he ran a company called ‘Crown Brand’ which manufactured

Adeeb’s grandson, Nabil Ghani and great grandson Aziz