Volume 16 Issue 9
An IIJNM Publication
THE WEEK THAT WAS Regional
Citizens form a Human Chain against steel flyover Around 500 Bengalureans from six-year-olds to senior citizens gathered together at 9 a.m. on Sunday to protest against the steel flyover. Citizens formed a human chain on one sidewalk of the stretch between Mekhri Circle and Bsaveshwar Circle. Source: The Hindu
National
India-Russia Sign Energy Deal India and Russia signed military and energy deals on Saturday at a summit meeting. The billion dollars deal is expected to comb these nations’ relations which has been tried by shifting global alliances and conflict in the Middle East Source: The New York Times
International
Bob Dylan wins Nobel Prize for Literature Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature , becoming the first singer-songwriter to win the honour. The 75-year-old Dylan won for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition,” joins a long line of artists. Source: The Hindu
TEASERS Convictions crashing amidst high crime rates Srirampura, near Majestic railway station has surprisingly convicted merely19 people for 160 crimes reported so far in 2016. The ill will of witnesses and complainants while investigations are the main reasons, says Srirampura police inspector.
BBMP to direct eateries to install CCTVs in kitchens People in Bangalore will now be able to see what goes on behind closed doors in restaurants as BBMP is likely to issue orders to them for installing CCTV cameras in their kitchens.
Music seems to heal PD patients A fresh discovery by NIMHANS researchers finds that there exists a close connection between the cognitive processes of Parkinson’s disease patients and the perceiving elements of rhythm in music.
Men are more educated than women: Census Literacy rate among men continues to be higher than women in Karnataka. Various factors like mental pressure for getting married and no schooling are responsible.
Bengaluru FC enters AFC final Bengaluru Football Club gave an outstanding performance and won the semi-finals defeating Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta’zim by 3-1 in Sri Kanteerava Stadium on Wednesday. The game changed when the team scored two back to back goals.
THURSDAY 20 OCTOBER, 2016
Despite citizen’s protest, steel f lyover Women’s still on government’s top agenda doctors
ation, Vasant Nagar. “The least possible time for reaching was 17-minutes during non-peak hours and the maximum time taken was 31-minutes with maximum traffic.” After taking these calculations Bengaluru: Citizens Against Steel and speed limits into account, Flyover are conducting a door-toDugar said, “The maximum time door public opinion poll after the one could save was 8 to 10 minState Governutes.” ment decision “Even if on Monday to saving 10 go ahead with minutes the construcseemed feation of a consible, one troversial steel would have flyover, deto exceed spite mass the manprotests. dated speed “The Chief – 80 kilomeMinister is ters per hour [only] taking - to save that into consideramuch time, tion the opinincluding ions of 200 the time people who rewasted at sponded to the toll.” Bangalore DeC o n velopment Au- Naresh V Narasimhan, urban activist and TEDx speaker, Prakash cerned citithority’s call for Belawadi, media personality and other protesters at Mekhri Circle. zens this suggestions CASFo said it has conducted week launched a Facebook and Inrather than entire city’s opposition,” stagram campaign featuring supsaid Srinivas Alavilli, an anti-cor- “real-time” tests to calculate the porters taking multilingual videos of ruption activist and a member of the travel-time from the flyovers begin- themselves announcing their name newly-formed Citizens against Steel ning at Chalukya Circle to its desti- and noting, “I do not want the steel nation of Hebbal junction. The Flyover (CASFo). government-backed steel flyover of flyover.” The group campaign follows “Social media is an efficient protests last weekend that saw thou- Rs.1, 719 crores is expected to ease mode of communication today and sands of Bangaloreans form a 4- traffic and reduce travel time, offi- to include large numbers of youngkilometer human chain to protest cials have argued. sters,” said Ajay Alur, a resident of “We took around four trips durthe project. Sadashivnagar who is working on Dinesh Amin Mottu, media ad- ing peak hours and four during non- the campaign. viser to the chief minister of Kar- peak hours to calculate travel-time,” nataka, declined to comment on the said Rajkumar Dugar, general secCONTINUED ON PAGE 2 protest. “We are not against the gov- retary of Residents’ Welfare Associ-
Cherry Agarwal Aishwarya Iyer cherry.a@iijnm.org aishwarya.i@iijnm.org
ernment, we are against this solution,” said Subbaih TS of the Indian Institute of Architects, one of the Sunday morning protester. CASFo says it plans to continue its polling through Sunday and will organise a Rotary Club meeting with urban planners and experts Sunday, October 23.
No delivery in five years in BBMP maternity home: Medical Superintendent By Aarohi Pathak aarohi.p@iijnm.org
BENGALURU: Pobbathi maternity home, located near SajanRao circle,V.V.Puram, hasn’t conducted a single delivery in the past five years, the nurse at Pobbathi said. Jayanagar maternity home does not conduct more than ten ‘normal’ deliveries per month, Ms. Rashmi S., the Junior Health Assistant Female at the maternity home, stated. These BBMP maternity homes do not conduct a lot of deliveries due to lack of equipment and the fact that many people don’t know about them. According to the BBMP website, Jayanagar maternity home can conduct “normal deliveries and medical termination of pregnancy.” “We are not equipped to perform a ‘caesarian’ delivery”, said Ms. Rashmi. Dr. Chitra, Assistant Surgeon at Jayanagar maternity home, said “The mothers usually come here only for follow-ups and immunizations. We refer those cases to General hospital, Jayanagar which we are not able to handle.” Sayma, who visits Jayanagar maternity home thrice every month for her and her seven-month-old daughter’s check-up, said, “One of my relatives advised me to have my delivery at General Hospital, Jayanagar as those doctors can handle complications better.” This year, in September, Jayana-
gar maternity home conducted eight normal deliveries while General Hospital; Jayanagar conducted 307 deliveries which included both normal and caesarian cases, as told by Ms. Rashmi and Medical Records Officer at the hospital, respectively. As stated on BBMP’s website, Pobbathi is equipped to perform caesarian sections, gynecological surgery, tubectomy but still, Pobbathi doesn’t get many patients.
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For a long time Pobbathi had a MBBS doctor instead of gynaecologist and he/she wasn’t qualified to perform deliveries
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“It’s true that Pobbathi hasn’t conducted a single delivery since five years,” said, Dr. Shobha who is the medical superintendent at Banashankari Referral hospital. “I can’t comment on the reasons behind this issue because I have joined the office quite recently.” Government maternity homes are beneficial for women belonging to lower economic strata. “One of the reasons we don’t have a lot of
women here is because they don’t even know about these maternity homes,” said Ms. Rashmi. The National Urban and Rural Health Management scheme was launched by the Central government in April 2005 of which Accredited Social Health Activist workers (ASHA) form an important part. They spread awareness among the people in their community and bring them to government hospitals and maternity homes. “We have three ASHAs for a population of 4,500. They receive incentives for bringing in patients and other work, like Rs.100 or 200. They don’t wish to work just for incentives. They say that they ought to be given a proper salary,” said Ms. Rashmi. Dr. Shivakumar, ex-medical superintendent at Banashankari Referral Hospital, said, “For a long time Pobbathi had a MBBS doctor instead of a gynecologist and he/she wasn’t qualified to perform deliveries. Now, it has a gynecologist who visits on alternate days.” While explaining the reasons for no deliveries being conducted at Pobbathi, Dr. Shivakumar said, “Pobbathi is surrounded by big hospitals like Dassapa Referral Hospital and H. Siddaiah Road Referral Hospital. So, people prefer to go there. Besides, not a lot of people know about these maternity homes.”
in shortage Supriya Dedgaonkar supriya.d@iijnm.org BENGALURU: Nearly 62 per cent of government hospitals do not have a gynaecologist on duty and some 22 per cent of sub-centres are short of Auxiliary Nurse Midwives, reports a District Level Household Survey of September 2016. The lack of gynaecologists has put a strain on the already few doctors available at government hospitals. The district-level medical sub-centres serve as much as double the number of patients they can handle. Sixty-five per cent of hospitals serve more patients than the government standards require them to. Almost 80 per cent of all public hospitals serve twice the number of patients than the government standards specify, states the survey. India is the country with highest infant mortality rate among the BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, according to government data. According to statistical data provided by The World Factbook – Central Intelligence Agency, infant mortality rate in India for the year 2016 is 40.5 deaths per 1,000 live births. Some 27.5 male deaths occur per 1,000 live births compared to 34.2 female deaths per 1,000 live births. “India needs to do a better job of training its doctors, persuading them to serve in small towns and villages, and even convincing them to stay on in the profession,” stated a 2013 report commissioned by UNICEF India for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
DOODLE WOODLE
Courtesy: Asvino Signi
BENGALURU
THE OBSERVER THURSDAY,OCTOBER 20, 2016
METRO
Crime rate rockets while convictions plummet in city Cherry Agarwal cherry.a@iijnm.org SRIRAMPURA: With employee vacancies in the thousands, bungled investigations and uncooperative witnesses, conviction rates in one of Bengaluru’s oldest neighbourhoods are dismal in the midst of increasing crime, say authorities. So far this year, 160 crimes have been reported in Srirampura, a neighbourhood located in central Bengaluru, near Majestic Railway Station. The number of convictions for the perpetrators of those crimes? A mere 19. “Conviction numbers are low because while presenting evidence, witnesses turn hostile. Even the complainants turn hostile, as they collude with witness[es],” says Srirampura police inspector R.P. Anil, whose precinct office is dominated
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Police [also] have to do bandobast...etc. Due to this, investigations get neglected.
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by a blackboard displaying the number of crimes reported each year since 2014 in Srirampura and the neighbouring areas of Dayanandnagar and Oakhlipuram. 17 crimes have been reported in the area in just 46 days - an average of two every three days. The number of violent crimes – murder, robbery, dacoity, kidnapping, theft, hurt and rioting – has increased over the past three years. “We fear going outside [our homes],” says 46-year-old Rajamma as she washes clothes on a stone slab outside her Dayanandnagar home. “The police come often, but they come after they [criminals] run off.” One of the cases being investigated is the attack in March on an engineering student who died when she was set on fire allegedly by her boyfriend. Deepak Shivakumar is accused of pouring 20 litres of petrol through the window of Meghna’s house, where she lived with her parents and sister – just a block away from the police precinct. Shivakumar sits in jail while awaiting his hearing on attempted murder charges. The hearing is expected to begin in two to three months, says Anil, who is the investigating officer on the case.
Curative effectiveness of music on Parkinson’s shows research Rhythym perception and cognitive functions in Parkinson’s linked, finds NIMHANS study Phalguni Vittal Rao phalguni.r@iijnm.org BENGALURU: Researchers at National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences in Bengaluru have discovered a close inter-relation between how elements of a musical rhythm are perceived by Parkinson’s Disease patients and how it affects the part of the brain responsible for absorbing and understanding information. The study titled, “Two sides of the same coin: Impairment in perception of temporal components of rhythm and cognitive functions in Parkinson’s disease” was published by Basal Ganglia, the official journal of the German Parkinson Society (DPG, Deustche Parkinson Gesellschaft). The study was conducted over a period of one year in early 2015. Parkinson’s is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system and affects a person’s motor system and cognitive functions. It usually starts with a tremor in one hand and can lead to stiffening of muscles, difficulty in moving around, dementia, difficulty in thinking and understanding among other effects. “My 51-year-old mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s a year ago. She has a tremor in her left hand. She gets a lot of headache, high blood pressure and her muscles cramp and become stiff if she doesn’t take her medicines,” said Konica Kamra, a 21-year- old student. “When we walk, there is a certain rhythm in it. In Parkinson’s, the basal ganglia, a part of the brain which controls all our voluntary movements, gets impaired due to which Parkinson’s patients find it difficult to move on their own,” said Dr. Shanthala Hegde, corresponding author of the study. In this scenario, looking at rhythm from a musical context meant analyzing if Parkin-
son’s patients could identify it as a two-beat or three-beat rhythm, she added. The study profiles how impaired cognitive functions, like memory and movement, predict the way in which rhythm is perceived by the brain in Parkinson’s. Earlier studies looked at how Parkinson’s patients understood rhythm as a whole, and not how they differentiated between beat, meter and contour of a rhythm from a musical standpoint. To this effect, previous studies only recorded how Parkinson’s patients responded to metronome sounds. Additionally, the way in which they understood an idea or sensation (known as cognition) was studied separately from how they interpreted rhythm and time until now. “Studying them simultaneously widens the scope of rhythm or music-based intervention in Parkinson’s,” said Dr. Shanthala Hegde. The NIMHANS study compared rhythm and cognitive deficits between Parkinson’s patients and nonParkinson’s patients over two groups of 21 persons each. The participants were matched according to age, gender and education. A variety of such tests were conducted to determine their level of cognitive function in rhythm perception. For example, candidates were made to listen to two tracks of music, and then a third and asked to identify which two sounded most similar. The results showed that Parkinson’s patients have impaired memory, attention, and lessened verbal and visual working memory. A study published in January 2015 by Neurology India catalogues that approximately 30 million people in India suffer from neurological diseases. The survey also showed that the incidence of Parkinson’s was three times higher in rural Bengaluru compared to the urban region.
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Source: Srirampura police station. This table indicates the number of convictions versus total cases reported. IPC cases include murder, dacoity, robbery, hurt, thefts, kidnapping, rioting etc. Anil says conviction rates in his jurisdiction are low because of delayed investigations and a dearth of police officers. “Police [also] have to do bandobast, VVIP security, traffic [management], etc.,” he says. “Due to this, investigations get neglected.” Anil added that 40 per cent of the law enforcement positions in the state are vacant. “Government has to take steps for appointment of more staff,” said Anil. The Karnataka State Police Recruitment 2016 announced 13,025
vacancies this year across 20 profiles, including Special Reserve Police Constable, sub-inspectors and armed police constables. Srirampura is not alone in registering low conviction rates. The problem, according to a report by the state police department, is spread across the city. Bengaluru registered 31,892 incidences of crime in 2013-2014, the highest across all districts in Karnataka; yet, Bengaluru recorded the third lowest conviction rate in the state – 27.62 per cent – says the
“Crimes in Karnataka Report,” the latest report released by the Government of Karnataka Police Department. Even though filing of charge sheets is mandatory to ascertain conviction or acquittal, the report said Bengaluru city recorded the lowest percentage – 63.82 per cent – of charge sheet submissions in 2014. Bengaluru district trails behind closely with 76.35 per cent charge sheet submission, and is the fourth lowest among 35 units across Karnataka.
Customers get bird’s eye view of master chefs at work in kitchen Ahana Chatterjee ahana.c@iijnm.org BENGALURU: The BBMP is expected to issue notification this month to all city restaurants to install CCTV cameras in their kitchen. According to the notification, which is expected to be approved in the coming weeks, around 2,000 eateries will not only have to install the cameras, but will be required to fix a monitor in the restaurant where customers can see what is happening inside the kitchen. The installation of the cameras is supposed to be completed by the end of this month. “We are doing this keeping in mind hygiene issues,” said Sarfaraz Khan, joint commissioner of solid waste management at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Chefs should have proper clothes and uniform while cooking and
restaurants should segregate their waste before dumping it, said Khan. “We already have two CCTV cameras inside our kitchen, so it is not a big issue for us. We will just keep a TV in the lounge area so that customers can see what is going inside the kitchen,” said Bala, manager of Chugg restaurant on Church Street. The regulation is expected to help quell customers’ concerns about the quality of food and hygiene at restaurants. But the invasion of customers in the kitchen via closed caption could have significant impact on a restaurant’s online ratings. “My friend went to a restaurant last month which had good ratings on websites. But he was extremely disappointed with the quality of food,” said Shambo Mondal, a resident of Yeshwantpur. “BBMP has taken a very positive step and this will help me in the future to choose the food joints. Also I will get to know how the chefs prepare food-
whether they wear proper uniform and gloves.” On the other hand, some restaurant authorities are not happy with BBMP’s decision. Bhabeshwar, of Funjabi, a Church Street restaurant, said “Installing TV and CCTV inside the kitchen will lead to too much transparency. Customers might interfere in our work.” The restaurant already has six CCTV cameras and will install one more inside the kitchen after they receive the notice. “Whenever we enter any restaurant or pub, we are under electronic surveillance. So I suppose that even we have the right to know what is going on in the kitchen and how the food we are paying for is made. So I support what BBMP has done,” said Sounak Sarkar, a student and a resident of HSR layout. Some restaurants take measures to keep their kitchen clean and emphasize adhering to good standards of hygiene.
'Real-time' tests debunk time-saving theory Flyover Cont’d, Page 1 Opponents of the project, which has garnered international attention following last weekend’s protests, have cited several reasons for not building the elevated-steel road. Among the biggest concerns are the hefty pricetag, the destruction of hundreds of trees and a predicted temperature increase in the area. Government officials, who declined to comment for this story, have said 812 trees will be axed in the wake of the project. “With trees cut and massive amounts of metal in use for the flyover, the temperatures will shoot up,” Dugar said. This resonates with protesters early morning call of ‘don’t uproot, build green route’. “I came to save trees,” said Dhruv,9, disapproving of the ‘steel-
giant’. Several tots, students, youths and senior citizens came out of the streets to express their disapproval of the project. The Bangalore Development Au-
thority released a Detailed Project Report on the eve of the October 14 protest highlighting the scope of the project, costs involved, traffic
analysis and design and implementation plans. Complicating matters is that the required Environment Impact Assessment, mandated by the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority of Karnataka, has not been completed. Officials have declined to comment on whether an assessment has even been conducted. “What is the purpose of a constitutional body if it has to be bypassed?”said Naresh V Narasimhan, an urban designer who is spearheading the campaign. All development authorities in Karnataka, including the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), who is overseeing the construction of the steel flyover, have to procure an Environment Clearance for any project larger than 20,000 sq.metres.
BENGALURU
THE OBSERVER THURSDAY,OCTOBER 20, 2016
3
METRO
Literacy gap between men, women continues to widen
Indian health sector remains untrained and understaffed
how will they get her married?'' she says. Marriage, she adds, is a priority and not education. The Legatum Prosperity Index, which is a comprehensive assessment of national success. It is an annual ranking of 142 countries based on factors such as education, wealth, health, etc. India ranks 92 in
be a part of the progress and development of India. In rural Karnataka, only 29 per BENGALURU: According to data cent of the female population has gathered from the 2011 India Cenpursued graduation or any other desus, 59 per cent of females and 41 gree, compared to 71 per cent of per cent of males age 7 and above their male counterparts. in Karnataka cannot read and Rural Karnataka has only 43 per write. cent literate females compared to 57 Statistics show per cent literate that this gendermales. based differentiaIlliteracy rates tion is widening are not much betlargely due to ter in the urban poverty and culareas of Kartural norms. nataka. "The key reason Almost 43 per for female illitercent of males and acy is the lack of 57 per cent of fewashrooms. The males living in lack of proper urban areas are ilwashrooms make literate, accordparents a bit hesiing to the 2011 tant to send their Census. In addigirl-child to tion, only 48 per Graph showing the data comparison between male and school," says cent of females Piyush from Teach female literacy rate in Karnataka. Source: Census 2011 have pursued for India. He said another issue is higher education. education, the Index indicates. the mindset of people who believe As per the 2011 Census report, Only 38 per cent of females gradthat money should be spent on the uate from college in comparison to the effective literacy rate – the porgirl child’s marriage, not education. tion of the population seven years 62 per cent of men, in Karnataka. Kumbalgodu resident, Ratna Women make 50 per cent of and older who can read and write is amma agrees. country’s population but a lack of 82.14 per cent for men and 65.64 "If they educate the girl child, education snatches their chance to per cent for women.
Yogita Chainani yogita.c@iijnm.org
Infant mortality rates across the world Women’s doctors Cont’d, page 1
Dr Harshad Rajge, a MD Medicine specialist at MGM hospital, Mumbai said, ‘’ One of the challenges in public hospitals is the patient-doctor ratio. There are fewer doctors in these hospitals to treat a large number of patients. The government spends only 4.05 per cent of its GDP on health care which is very less to provide quality service to the patients.The consultancy fees charged by the private hospitals is quite high and hence no matter what, patients prefer government hospitals, meanwhile compromising on the quality of services that are
provided.’’ In 2013, the National Rural Health Mission and the National Urban Health Mission were brought together under one umbrella to form the National Health Mission with a 2015-2016 budget of 11,193 crore. But even after this effort, a report by Rural Health Statics 2015 says that lack of well-trained personnel on staff is still a problem and the quality and impact of health services has not improved. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCED), India has only 0.7 per cent doctors per 1,000 people, lower its neighbouring country China which has 1.1 per cent
Failed marriages on a rise in Bengaluru, say experts Karishma Jaypaul karishma.j@iijnm.org Bengaluru: Nearly 4,600 divorce cases have been filed since January 2016 in Family Court on H. Siddhaiah Road, adding strong support to Bengaluru’s designation as the “divorce capital” of India. In 2011, there were 6,700 divorcees in Bengaluru, according to the Census. “It increases every year, every month and every day,” said R. Raju, an advocate who handles eight to nine divorce cases every month. “Every day there is a minimum of 10 to 15 cases that are being filed,” he added. Divorces have steadily risen in
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Divorce is very common and is only going to increase as we are growing economically and are catching up with the west.
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city, increasing to 17.25 per cent between 1991 and 2000, according to “Causes and Consequences of Divorce in Bangalore City,” a report published in 2012 by Bangalore University research scholar, Ramachandrappa S. Since the study, he added, the rate has “further increased to 31.9.” While the rate of divorce in India is still significantly lower than most other countries, until now they were
relatively rare. “Bangalore is becoming the divorce capital of India with about 300 in every 1,000 married couples seeking separation from their partners,” said the report. “I look into at least 25 to 30 matters [of divorce] everyday. I attend to about 200 such cases every year,” said P.M. Ramachandra, an advocate who handles divorce cases. “There is a 10 to 15 percent increase in cases every year,” he added. The H. Siddhaiah Road Family Court, near Lalbagh, is home to a worried crowd of lawyers pacing up and down, making sure their clients understand where their case stands. The court is bustling with people, up until it closes at 5 p.m. In 2010, the government sanctioned three new family courts for Bangalore, but they still haven’t come into function. “We need 15 family courts in Bangalore but we have only seven,” said Ramachandra. The current system, he said, is stretched to the limit with judges covering around 1,500 cases each and pending cases piling up because of the shortage of judges, staff and court halls. When Kumar Jahgirdar got divorced from his first wife and faced a battle for custody of his daughter, he recalls that there weren’t enough family courts. About 25,000 divorce cases are still pending in the seven family courts in Bangalore, he added. Jahgirdar heads an NGO that deals with custody issues. “It is not a stigma anymore,” he said. “Divorce is very common and is only going to increase as we are growing economically and are catching up with the west. We should not think that a bad marriage is something to sit and cry upon.” There is no one reason for di-
vorce, said Ramachandra. “Apart from day to day fights, adultery is one of the most common reasons.” “People go into marriage having a set of expectation and when there is a mismatch then it creates a problem,” said relationship counsellor Kala Balasubramanian. Shweta Gowda has seen not one, but two of her cousins file for a divorce. “Another cousin of mine is planning to get divorced. She got married last year and hasn’t even stayed with him for more than a month and they are planning to get a divorce now, although they have been living separately since last May,” she said. A number of relationship problems involve communication and conflict, said Balasubramanian, who works at Inner Dawn Counselling and Training Services. “When the conflicts are not being resolved in an effective manner, un-
resolved issues keep getting piled up,” she said.
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When the conflicts are not being resolved in an effective manner, unresolved issues keep getting piled up
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“Adultery is one reason but I wouldn’t say that is the major reason. Typically people get into adultery because there are other underlying causes, like if they are not
being able to talk to each other properly, or they are not getting each other’s love and affection or emotional support,” added Balasubramanian. “Even if you look at adultery as a term from a psychological perspective you can classify it as an emotional affair or as a one-off sexual affair.” While anecdotal evidence would indicate people of all age groups filing for divorce, Balasubramanian contends that couples are mostly between 28 and 45. “I have seen a few couples above the age of 65 years as well,” she said, “but most of them come earlier on in their marriage. “Only today I dealt with a client who is 78-years-old and filed for a divorce from his 74-year old wife. You cannot decide what goes on in a human mind,” said Ramachandra, the divorce advocate.
BENGALURU
THE OBSERVER
THURSDAY, 20 OCTOBER, 2016
Fest, feast, festivity:Durga Puja in the city of joy, Kolkata
To wear or not to wear: Dhoti politics
Ahana Chatterjee ahana.c@iijnm.org
Bengaluru: A Legislative House Committee is in the final stages of reviewing the draft of a controversial bill that would scrap the dress code followed by the city’s elite recreational clubs, allowing politicians to wear the traditional dhoti and saree. The Karnataka Entry into Public Places Bill 2015 was drafted last September to remove the ban on traditional attire. In a surprising twist, the law also recommends exclusive membership for elected representatives in existing clubs of their constituencies. Hotels, private clubs and other associations have their own dress code rules, some written, others generally agreed upon. The standard, though, is to dress in western attire only. The issue was brought to the attention of state ministers and VIPs when a number of politicians and otherwise noteworthy citizens were denied admission to various clubs because of their attire. The Observer spoke to Bangaloreans to get their take on the proposed law. “Hotels and clubs are private entities. With each generation, I think people are getting over the belief of wearing the traditional Indian attire. Wearing something like a dhoti can spoil the decorum of such places. … Ministers and politicians coming to the clubs should also understand this culture. The government cannot take an autonomous decision in this case, that is in their favour, as they do not run these places. It is true that we pay taxes, but in the end we are a private company.” Kshitij Anand, management trainee, JW Marriott “It is strange how our government has time to discuss such issues while so many other decisions about the basic amenities like transport,
Kolkata: Anyone visiting Kolkata in the month of October can feel and smell a different kind of excitement and aroma in the air of the city. It is that time of the year for the Bengalis, when they come together and celebrate the biggest festival of the city - Durga Puja.
The fragrance of flowers fills the evening sky of the city. It is the finishing touch for all the preparations. The rhythmic, pulsing, exploding sound of dhaks, lights strung across the city and people on the streets till late-night brings a different energy to Kolkata. “Once we are done with one year’s puja, we immediately start
Bengali women playing with vermilion on Dashami Courtesy: Staff reporter Throughout the year, every Bengali waits for this season when good (Durga) triumphs over evil (Mahishasura). For those who don’t live in the city, it is time for homecoming. They count the days when they can be home-bound for the grand celebration. Preparations begin two-to-three months in advance. The entire city gets a makeover and is decorated with lights, banners and advertisements of the famous pandals and pujo. Artists work hard to make their pandal look the best only for those five days. Kumortoli, the place where the idols are made, is the busiest place before the festival. Idol creators are busy doing last minute work to make the idols look perfect for the five-day-long festival. On the day of Mahalaya, artists follow tradition and draw the eyes of the idol early in the morning. In the famous shopping areas, people can be spotted buying new clothes for themselves and their loved ones. The shops and the stores come up with innovative ideas to attract more customers and everyone wants to look their best. Although it is celebrated in most of the country, for a Bengali, it is more than a festival.
planning for the next year’s celebration. Budget, decorations, sponsors - everything is decided one year before hand.” said Sounak Sarkar, secretary of Naktala Nabadoy Sangha, a puja community of Kolkata. The idols of the pandals are different from one another; some of them have Chinese eyes, some has big eyes and some have a contemporary touch. “Daak er saaj” is the most traditional form of idol and they are classy and elegant. There are transportation hassles that the city faces during Durga Puja. Over the last five years, police have banned autos after 3 pm during durga puja. Rickshaws, though,one of the most dependable and cheapest ways to get around Kolkata, operate. “This is the most difficult time for our business. We face difficulties in achieving our daily wage and if police find us on the streets after 3 pm they fine us with a huge amount of money,” Bapi, an auto driver complained. The celebration starts from Shasti and continues till Dashami. As the Goddess Durga is immersed in water on the final day, there is a feeling of grief among the people that they will have to wait for one year again to celebrate the greatest festival of the city of joy.
Mahak Dutta mahak.d@iijnm.org
health, roads, etc., etc. are pending. It is all right to raise a concern about the cultural issues, as dhotis are a significant reflection of our values; but using it for your own benefit is not justified. It depends on the club owner to allow people in traditional attire. They should embrace traditional attire by choice, not by law enforcement.” - Bhawya Dwivedi, an Infosys employee “Since clubs are private entities, they can set the rules. They aren’t telling you what to wear outside their premises so it’s not violating your rights. For example, Skybar in Bangalore allows only formal wear. I can’t go there in jeans.” Karunakaran TK, a LinkedIn employee “High profile clubs are image conscious and hence they set some general rules which are supposed to be followed. At the end of the day, it is a business so it is entirely their discretion.” Achira Thakur, senior analyst, Target Corp “I understand that many clubs don’t allow people dressed in traditional attire like dhotis and kurta pyjamas. It is fair on their part as it is their own business. Government intervention in this case doesn’t fit in but if they are doing so, then they have to make sure that their rule is valid for all citizens, which includes common men and women, too. People should have the right to enter a place, wearing whatever they wish to,” Vaibhav Tayal, student, Christ University “I believe that there is no need of a fixed dress code for anyone, be it a man or a woman. In today’s era, people know how to conduct themselves. But the law about membership will not be easily accepted by everyone.” Risha Bhattacharya, student, Indian Institute of Psychology and Research.
Sunil Chhetri drives Bengaluru club into maiden AFC cup final
Bengaluru: October ushers in the world’s largest beer festival – Oktoberfest – and is the season for pub towns like Bengaluru to show off their finest brews made in the German style. “We have a special beer menu this month to help people be a part of the world’s biggest Volkfest. We brew these beers only for the month of October, keeping in mind both the German traditions and the Indian taste,” says Kaushik of Bangalore Brew Works. Beers such as quinoa pale, German bock, brasserie greff and weizenbier, among others, are popping off menu chalkboards outside city’s best pubs this weekend. Kaushik said BBW will also offer a
special menu of typical German dishes. Dozens of pubs across the city are offering heavy discounts on beer this month while others are coming up with their own versions of the “ultimate Oktoberfest beer.” Sibi, of District 6, says they have just one special beer for the season that they call ‘Oktoberfest,’ which they believe captures the essence and spirit of the festival, which itself started as a gathering of Munich residents wanting to celebrate locally-brewed beer. Today, Oktoberfest has grown into a worldwide celebration of German and speciality beers. Some of the pubs in the city that are serving specially brewed beer for the season include Arbor Brewing Company, Big Pitcher, Casa Piccosa and Murphy’s Brewhouse.
Twitter This Week
The fact that Trump unleashed "nasty woman" while Clinton delivered a response about SOCIAL SECURITY makes it even more ludicrous. @feministabulous (Elizabeth Plank) Well, there you have it. A highly intelligent, experienced woman just debated a giant Orange Twitter egg. Your move, America. #debate @jk_rowling Things are different today. See how well Khadi is marketed now. Earlier it was only 'Khadi for nation', now its also 'Khadi for fashion': PM @PMOIndia BDA, which is implementing #Steelflyoverproject, announced that motorists on z#flyover will have to use smart cards @BPACofficial Bogus tweets! What next? How desperate is GoK for this monstrous #SteelFlyover?... @Belawadi THE WEEKLY OBSERVER TEAM EDITOR- IN - CHIEF Karishma Jaypaul ASSISTANT EDITOR Cherry Agarwal COPY EDITORS Mitali Goyal, Phalguni Vittal Rao LAYOUT EDITORS Yogita Chainani, Bibin Raj PB
German Beer the Bengaluru way Rishiraj Bhagawati rishiraj.b@iijnm.org
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UNWIND
PHOTO EDITOR Nivedita Naidu
Bengaluru FC became the first Indian club to AFC Cup Final Courtesy: ndtv.com the net, sealing Bangalore Football Rishiraj Bhagawati Club’s (BFC) place in the final. rishiraj.b@iijnm.org Bengaluru Football Club made history Wednesday night as the first Indian football club to reach the final of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup after defeating defending champions from Malaysia Johor Darul Ta’zim 3-1 in the second leg of the semi-final at Sri Kanteerava Stadium. Skipper Sunil Chhetri equalised in the 40th minute for the home team to bring the match back to life, after the crowd had been silenced by an early goal by Johor Darul Ta’zim’s (JDT) Shafiq Rahim. Chhetri went on to score his second goal in the next half through a splendid kick to the left corner of
Spaniard Juan Antonio’s third and final goal was the icing on the cake as it advanced the aggregate score to 4-2 for BFC. The two teams were locked at 11 after the first leg of the semi-final in Johor Bahru, Malaysia in September. Bengaluru FC will play the final of the AFC Cup on November 5 against Iraq’s Air Force Club in Qatar. The stadium was nearly filled with blue-clad supporters rallying for the home team, Attendance in the 24,000-seat stadium was reported as 21,379. Fans were treated to a “Lap of Honour” following the match.
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Mahak Dutta STAFF Sandra Branger Aneesh Srinivasan Supriya Dedgaonkar Ayushee Chaudhary Sumukh Ramesh Kadekar Rishiraj Bhagawati Arunava Banarjee Ahana Chatterjee Divya R Aarohi Vinay Pathak
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