The Observer, Dailies 1 Volume 22

The Observer

An IIJNM publication Vol 22, Issue 17 Monday, 28 November, 2022

Website: theweeklyobserver in

Epaper: https://issuu com/ theweeklyobserver

Beref t of facilities, residents of pvt slums look to govt for aid

Every month, agent of ‘owner ’ collects money

By Vindhya Pabolu

Residents of private slums are looking to the govern ment for assistance as their living conditions in those arae are deteriorating evidently

The slum dwellers, mostly mi grants from north India, say the tiny houses they live in are in an extremly poor condition The Ob server noticed that houses consist of 10 feet x 13 feet single rooms Their roofs are covered with plas tic covers and banners In the ab sence of washrooms, the residents use public toilets

Laxmi Naik, who resides in the Thuperellipalyam slum in Marathahalli, informed The Ob server: “I am originally from Uttar Pradesh. I came to Ben galuru for work There was no place for us to stay So we ended up here The room is really small

Anganwadi staff want new govt scheme pulled Anganwadis

in Bengaluru are threatened that they might lose their jobs with the Bala Vatika scheme intro duced by the government, re ports Vindhya Pabolu

The scheme, which promises to provide education and nutritious food to children aged four years or below, will turn anganwadis into primary health care service cen ters. Anganwadi workers say they are providing education and food to children, there is no need for a new scheme The anganwadi workers are already paid very less and the loss of jobs will further make their lives more difficult

The anganwadi workers are de manding restructuring of angan wadis instead of completely dismantling them Their de mands often go unheard by the concerned authorities

and we pay Rs 1,500 a month ” Ningamma, a daily wage earner living in the Thuperelli palyam slum, said: “I have been here for quite a long time. We are here to work, so we don’t expect any luxuries Neither we nor any of our family members is a resi

dent of Bengaluru, so we do not have BPL cards and are ineligible for government housing Most of the people in other slums (govern ment recognized slums) didn’t allow us to live there, so we ended up here Yes, the situation here is terrible, but we cannot do any

thing I don’t want anything other than a better life for my children ” Other residents of the Marathahalli slum informed The Observer that they do not have access to water. They have to walk to a nearby school or use borewells Most of the women liv ing in the slums have no knowl edge of sanitary pads A study on the state of slums in Bengaluru by Duke’s University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and Omid yar Network has uncovered star tling discrepancies in official data The city has over 2,000 slums, but the government recog nizes only 597 under the Kanataka Slum Areas (Improve ment and Clearance) Act, 1973 As per the survey, the poorest slums need toilets and drinking water which are fundamental Private slums are slums that are not notified under the Kar nataka Slum Development Board These lands belong to in dividuals who lease the land and allow people to live on it. vindhya p@iijnm org Read the complete story on www theweeklyobserver in

We are distressed, raise FRP to Rs 3,500, say Karnataka’s sugarcane farmers

By Siddhi Chauhan

Thedemands of Karnataka’s sugarcane farmers, whose protest entered the seventh day, remain unheard

They want the government to raise the fair and remunerative price (FRP) for their produce to Rs 3,500 a quintal The govern ment had fixed it at Rs 305

Kurubur Shanthakumar, pres ident of the Sugarcane Farmers’ Association, informed The Ob server: “We are organizing the protest because the Union gov ernment has fixed a lower price for sugarcane ”

Sugarcane cultivation has in creased by 50 per cent, but the government still needs to in crease the price, he said Until the government decides to give in to these demands, they will continue their protest They demand a seperate market to prevent the

News briefs

Cases against 3,000 over Vizhinjam attack

Over 3,000 persons have been booked in connection with violent clashes during an ongoing protest against an Adani port project in Kerala's Vizhinjam area on Sun day night Police said cases have been registered against 3,000 'identifiable persons' for vandalis ing a police station and injuring police personnel. As many as 36 police personnel were reported to be injured in the violence PTI HC notice to state govt on ‘bias’

against SC/STs

The High Court of Karnataka has issued a notice to the state gov ernment on alleged discrimina tion in awarding contract works in tenders below Rs 50 lakh for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes by the Urban Development Department The Hindu Bommai to visit Delhi for talks on border row

Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bom mai on Monday said he will visit New Delhi to meet BJP President J P Nadda and hold talks with a senior advocate in the Supreme Court regarding the legal battle with Maharashtra over the bor der dispute The meeting with Nadda, gains significance, as he had recently indicated that the much awaited expansion or reshuffle of his Cabinet is likely after the Gujarat Assembly polls PTI

Woman and son held for killing, chopping hubby

A woman, along with her son, was arrested for allegedly killing her husband and chopping the body into 22 pieces in east Delhi’s Pan dav Nagar, police said on Mon day Poonam and Deepak kept the body parts of Anjan Das in a fridge and would dispose of them at different places Infidelity on Das part is said to have incited the crime PTI

Usha is set to become first IOA woman chief

PT Usha is set to become the first woman president of Indian Olympic Association as she emerged as the lone candidate for the top post for the December 10 elections The 58 year old Usha, a multiple Asian Games gold medallist and a fourth place fin isher in the 1984 Olympics 400m hurdles final, filed her nomina tion for the top job on Sunday along with her team The Hindu

Employees unaware of labour laws; nearly half of them work without insurance benefits | P 3

As Covid recedes, many people turn cold to taking booster dose; only 20% got the third jab | P 4

Currently, there is no law regarding people living in private slums, so the government can’t do anything | Credit: Yukta Mudgal

exploitation by the middlemen Last Saturday, the farmers staged a hunger strike on Se

shadri Road, but the police didn’t allow the protest to continue

Until the government decides to give in to their demands, the sugarcane farmers will continue their protest Credit | Siddhi Chauhan

Around the city

Bangalore Literature Festi val, 3 December to 4 December,The LaLiT Ashok, Ku marakrupa Road, High Grounds Bengaluru ARTS AND CRAFTS MELA, 2nd December to 11th December (11 am 7 pm), KarnatakaChitrakala Parishath, Kumara Krupa Road,Near Shiv ananda Circle

The Visual Arts competition, Thu Dec 1 2022 (10:00 am to 3:00 pm), #44/4 District Fund Road Ground Floor Left Wing, Jayana gara 9th Block

Literary Evening, with French writer Nathalie Azoulai, Wed Nov 30 2022 7:00 pm, Araku Coffee,12th Main Road, HAL 2nd Stage Indirana gar

Maps and Milestones, 2 De cember (7:00 pm 8:15 pm), Ban galore International Centre, 7,4th Main Road, Domlur II Stage

Gender Bender, 9 December 11 December (11: 30 am 7:30 pm), Bangalore International Centre, 7,4th Main Road, Domlur II Stage

Yusuf Arakkal Retrosepctive, 30 November (11 am 6 pm), NGMA, Vasanth Nagar Borderlands, 29 November, (6:30 pm 8:30 pm), Bangalore International Centre, 7,4th Main Road, Domlur II Stage

SteppinOut Night Market Christmas Fiesta 3 Dec, 12 Pm

Commuters facing problems with the QR ticketing system

Say multiple attempts to scan them fail

By Yashaswini Sri

Despitethe growing popu larity of QR tickets, most QR scanners at Namma Metro stations are not functionin g properly

According to a Hindu report, the QR based ticketing system is being used by over 10,000 passen gers for travelling on the Metro almost two weeks after its launch BMRCL managing director Anjum Parwez said that in addi tion to QR ticket usage, more than 30,000 passengers are using the WhatsApp chatbot daily for various purposes.

Divya Prata, a student visiting Bengaluru the first time, shared her experience on the Metro with The Observer: “I had to travel from Indiranagar to Vidhana Soudha with my family for sight seeing I bought a QR ticket on WhatsApp and tried to scan it at

an entry gate While attempting to scan it several times, it did not happen I waited for 30 minutes until someone from the Metro came and manually scanned it From then, I stopped purchasing

Metro washrooms lack hangers, commuters keep bags on floor

BMRCL

PRO

promises to look into it

By Yukta Mudgal

QR tickets It seems better to stand in a line and buy a physical token instead ” S Prem Kumar, a Metro em ployee at the Vidhana Soudha station, said: “Most of the scan

ners at the entrance and exit do not work sometimes. So we alerted our higher officials for a solution If the scanner does not work, we ask the commuter to use the next entrance/exit gate’s scanners ”

G Kalyani, a commuter who uses the Metro daily, said: “I still prefer buying tokens or recharg ing my Metro card None of my friends has had a good experience with QR tickets Online payments on the Namma Metro app are al ways a big task I bought a QR ticket the first time it was intro duced The payment failed three times, and I had to repeat it until it was successful It just seems like too much work ”

Since November 1, travellers have been able to buy single jour ney Metro tickets on their smart phones through the Namma Metro app or WhatsApp. Along with the option to purchase sin gle journey QR tickets and recharge Metro travel passes, BMRCL’s WhatsApp chat bot also offers a journey planner, cus tomer feedback and WhatsApp payment options

yashaswini s@iijnm org

Citizen’s Voice

Regulate consumption of health gummies

Health gummies available on the market, containing elements like biotin, have become a favourite among many people But their unregulated consumption to get perfect skin and hair, even by stressed out people, could cause health issues. Their use must be regulated for people

Ardra Nair

have job security nor hired pri vately We need justice

Lakshmi

Speed up justice to molestation victims

Girls are routinely molested in India After the tormentor is found guilty, the implementation of justice is very slow The law must be amended to hasten the process of

justice

Sharayu Mahanti

Namma

Metro’s washrooms do not have hangers, forc ing commuters to keep their bags on the floor

Chaitanya R, a II PUC student in the Universal Group of Institu tions, Ramohalli, said hangers should be made available as users of washrooms have to keep their bags on the wet floor

“Our bags are heavy because of books; we cannot keep them on the washroom floor because books are sacred to us We need hangers to keep our bags clean and protect books from water If we keep them outside, there is a chance of theft ”

Muftab Shera, a commuter, said they cannot leave their be longings outside the washrooms because they fear they will be stolen even if cameras are in stalled outside the washrooms to prevent the same This makes hangers a must inside the washrooms

The Observer found that hang ers are not present in men ’ s washrooms as well

Syed Huzaif, a BTech student of Christ University, agreed that hangers in the washrooms would

be helpful He also suggested hav ing lockers for commuters to keep their bags as well as a person to look after them

Another staff member said: “None of the washrooms from Na gasandra to here (Kengeri) has hangers inside the washrooms, though we haven't heard any commuters complaining about it ”

The Observer noted that even the washrooms for physically handicapped people do not have hangers to use

When The Observer asked BMRCL Chief PRO Yashwant Chavan B L about this, he said: “Pegs (hangers) have limitations,

we have to check the weight they can hold ” He pointed out that even washrooms in airports do not have hangers

A woman guard at the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Metro Station who did not want to be named said even BMRCL em ployees need hangers as they have to change clothes on report ing for duty

People are facing inconvience due to heavy bags and lack of hangers on the door in washroom

In front of The Observer Cha van made a phone call and asked someone to look into the matter yukta m@iijnm org

Develop infra, make officials accountable

Infrastructure will be the main reason for the downfall of Ben galuru in the near future The city’s roads are terrible, riddled with potholes Officials need to be accountable to citizens If infra structure gets the attention it de serves, most of Bengaluru's problems will be resolved

Suresh M

Fifa World Cup shows the power of underdogs

This Fifa World Cup has been a tournament of underdogs so far It is amazing to watch teams like Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Japan and USA stand at par with the gi ants of the tournament and go be yond them!

Agnidev B

BBMP workers want job security, decent pay

Pourakarmikas marched to Free dom Park on November 28 to protest direct recruitment of BBMP drivers, watermen, load ers, cleaners, etc We work hard, but many of us and other BBMP workers are not paid We don’t

Gender inequality in the corporate world

There is confusion in the corpo rate world on whether to choose a woman as the face of a company Men,who have dominated the corporate world for centuries, are feeling insecure over the prospect of women replacing them

Aditi Dudeja

Cops need to be alert after attacks by fake agents

Citizen's Movement, East Ben galuru posted a tweet regarding some miscreants who had dressed up as Swiggy drivers and had attacked residents at Sar japur Road This kind of act could even harm children. The Ben galuru police need to be vigilant about this issue.

Janani Srinivas

Voter data frenzy meant to stall BBMP polls?

The ruckus over the voter data theft issue, be it by the opposition or the ruling party,is not the right way to approach BBMP elec tions Maybe it’s clever to post pone them

Travellers are unable to use QR scanners after buying Metro tickets ei ther on Namma Metro or Whatsapp | Credit : Yashaswini Sri

Lack of hangers in Metro washrooms force people to leave their belong ings outside risking their safety | Credit : Yukta Mudgal

People unaware of labour laws

work hard, are paid a pittance

Staff of some IT companies work 12 hour days

By Siddhi Chauhan Nehika

Swarup was happy to get a job in a reputable company Over time, as her workload increased, she re alised she was underpaid

“My salary was Rs 10,000 Even my juniors and those who didn’t work hard were paid more than me, ” she sighed

She suffered because she was unaware of labour laws If she had known her rights as an em ployee, she might not have faced such a situation

Swarup is not alone. An article published by NewsClick states that in urban areas, 79 per cent of employees work more than 48 hours a week While over 54 per cent of employees do not get paid leave, nearly half of them are not entitled to health insurance, parental leave (maternity and pa ternity) and Employee Provident Fund benifits

Vinayak S, an employee in an IT firm in Mumbai, said: “We are required to work a total of 12 hours a day Our working hours begin from nine in the morning and end somewhere between nine and ten in the night ”

Farmers want a seperate market to prevent their exploitation

Continued from page 1

Shanthakumar noted: “Our sugar recovery is more than other states Still, we are not getting the desired amount ” The biggest problem farmers face is the cost of cultivation, he explained “The farmers’ wives suffer because their husbands go on protests They (the farmers’ wives) will join us today ”

Laxmi Devi, president of the women ’ s wing, said: “Govern ments are least bothered about farmers We sugarcane farmers want FTP at any cost The three farm laws withdrawn by the gov ernment should be reintroduced ”

B.R. Narayan, another leader, said in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, the price is Rs 3,500 a tonne, but the price in Karnataka is Rs 2,800 Farmers want the government to provide crop insur ance

The farmers want a separate market to prevent farmers’ ex ploitation and the availability of other markets where they can sell their yield directly

Read the complete story on www theweeklyobserver com

Riddhima (name changed), who works for an IT company in Bel landur, informed The Observer that her company didn’t have an Internal Complaints Committee initially It was only after some female employees requested the Human Resource department that the cell was formed Labour laws guide companies on the payment of salaries, sexual harassment policies, maternity

benefits, provident funds, etc Aiswarya Saji, an advocate, ex plained: “The term ‘labour’ means productive work, especially phys ical work done for wages Labour law, also known as employment law, is a body of laws, administra tive rulings and precedents which address the legal rights of, and re strictions on, working people and their organizations All employ ees have a right to work in a safe

workplace with basic amenities and hygiene ”

She explained about laws appli cable to private companies The Factories Act and The Shop and Establishment Acts (both laws) protect the rights of workers and non workmen

“Under the most recent laws, an adult worker shall work over 9 hours per day or 48 hours per week, and overtime shall be dou ble the regular wages A female worker can work from 6 am to 7 pm This can be relaxed upon explicit permission ”

Payment for overtime work and safe transportation facility need to be provided

Apart from a weekly day off, a half an hour break and no more than 12 hours of work on any given day are mandated The working hours for child workers are limited to 4 5 hours a day,” ex plained Saji.

Kavita Sardana, HR manager at Haldari, an outlet of ISP Seeds, said their company do not have an Internal Complaint Commit tee Asked about the number of working hours, she said employ ees are required to work nine hours a day

Anik Guho, HR manager at Lab avantage Solutions, said his company is providing its employ ees with two months’ maternity leave and three days’ of paternity leave siddhi c@iijnm org

An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day Irv Kupcinet

The first Sunglasses used to be made from flat panes of smoky quartz and offered no corrective powers but were first used by judges in ancient Chinese courts in the 12th century to conceal their facial expressions while questioning witnesses

1 When was the United States Declaration of Independence signed?

2 Name the largest domesticated cat breed in the world?

3 Who coined the word “beep”?

4 The famous building Dancing House was originally known by which nickname?

5 In which sport would competi tors use a piece of equipment known as a foil?

6 Who is known as the father of Modern Linguistics?

7 What is the study of mush rooms called?

8 What mountain peak is farthest from the center of the Earth?

9 What part of the human body serves the purpose of maintaining balance?

10 What is the name of the tallest grass on earth?

Kill new scheme, it threatens our jobs: Anganwadi staff

By Vindhya Pabolu

Bengaluru’s

anganwadi com munity is demanding that the education ministry’s Bala Vatika scheme, which was approved recently by the Supreme Court, be shut down

The scheme aims to provide children below four years of age education, good environment and nutritious food The ministry im plemented it on October 21

The Centre has decided to transform anganwadis into pri mary health care service centres, threatening anganwadi workers

Worried that the new scheme will rob their jobs, the anganwadi workers are on a statewide agita tion to demand it be shelved They also want the government to provide them better facilities

Saraswathi H, a worker at an anganwadi in JP Nagar, informed The Observer: “Anganwadis al ready provide education to pri mary school students. Why do we need a new scheme now? We are scared of losing our jobs There was a meeting in May where our president gave us an assurance about the safety of our jobs ”

Varalakshmi S, president of Karya Rajya Anganwadi Naukarara Sangha, informed The Observer: “We are planning a strike on December 1 to stop the Bala Vatika scheme Anganwadis

already have facilities to provide education to children aged 4 years There are a lot of teachers across the state who depend on anganwadis for their living A lot of jobs of anganwadis faculty will be in danger ”

Additionally, she commented: “We don’t have enough facilities like washrooms, healthcare and quality drinking water, which

should be primarily provided under the Integrated Child De velopment Scheme Instead of launching a new scheme, the gov ernment can provide all the facil ities that can shape our anganwadis as they should be ”

Currently, 62,580 anganwadis and 331 mini anganwadi centres are functioning in Karnataka Venkata Ramana, managing

trustee of Swabhiman, an NGO, shared: “Anganwadi people are only being paid Rs 5,000 for eight hours of work which is minimal And anganwadis lack facilities like playrooms, spacious rooms and nutritious food for children which are supposed to be pro vided by the government Many anganwadis in the city have tiny rooms The children are supposed to have a good environment to study The government can do a lot for them, and they can restruc ture all anganwadis by providing the facilities that a child needs ”

THEIR DEMANDS

l Recognition of anganwadi workers as teachers

l Pre primary education in an ganwadis l Upgrade anganwadis as Annadotti Akshara Kendras l Health facility and gratuity

Anganwadis was an initiative taken by the Central government under the Integrated Child De velopment Services Scheme

An anganwadi is a primary healthcare and education centre in rural India, focusing on chil dren basic education and health of pregnant women and nursing mothers and child health care vindhya p@iijnm org

54 per cent of employees do not get paid leave, nearly half of them are not entitled to health insurance, parental leave and EPF | Credit: Ahona

Karya Rajya Anganwadi Naukarara Sangha is planning a strike on De cember 1 opposing the Bala Vatika scheme | Credit: Vindhya Pabolu

YouNgsters oN a safet Y drive Mentally disabled showcase their talent at Nimhans

Poor sales leave stall owners at handloom exhibition unhappy

By Sneha T S

Anexhibition of handloom made products and handi crafts from Odisha, Ra jasthan and Uttar Pradesh concluded on Monday

Surendar Rajput, from a Jaipur stall, informed The Observer: “Our main focus is bedsheets and sleepwear This print is called Kathiawar This year, there were not many customers ”

Jayant Das, a seller at the ex hibition, said: “I have been com ing to Bangalore often to sell dress materials and saris (Odisha cotton) with my boss The clothes we sell are affordable It ranges

from Rs 350 450 The maximum price is Rs 850 Still, we did not have enough customers Coming here is a loss ” Bharat Das from Bhubaneswar who has a stall of traditional paintings, said: “These paintings are exclusive The uniqueness of our images lies in Pattachitra paintings on silk cloth It is a handmade canvas The paintings depict stories from our mythol ogy I invest around Rs 500 per day, and here 10 to 15 days on the paintings I spend around Rs 7,500 to Rs 8,000 in making these paintings I also have to pay the people who assist me ”

He added: “The other exclusive

art I sell is palm leaf etching Palm leaves have to be dried and soaked before painting them I have been travelling to Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu I made the least sale in Karnataka Only a few people are interested in the art However, this art is out of reach for many people A paint ing costs Rs 5,000 10,000, which is nothing compared to the money I invest It was good business in the initial days of the exhibition, but now it has dropped.”

Suresh Jatte, a customer at the exhibition, held in Rajajinagar, said: “The cloth material is good, but some are really costly One can easily find clothes like this in Malleswaram at cheaper rates We visited because we just hap pened to be here in the area ”

Venkatesh Iyer, who frequently buys clothes from this exhibition, said: “My wife and daughter liked the clothes They are perfect I do not understand why people are not coming; an exhibition only happens once a year ”

Dr SF Harlapur, selection grade lecturer, department of tex tile technology, said: “Cheaper textile products are already avail able in Karnataka That’s why many do not prefer the original ones We should be aware of our textiles. The government needs to take initiative to promote it The Kerala government made it com pulsory for government employ ees to wear handloom clothes at least once a week Karnataka should do the same ”

‘Handloom' is a loom that is used to weave cloth without the use of any electricity by the weavers Hand weaving is done on pit looms or frame looms gen erally located in weavers ’ home sneha ts@iijnm org

By Shruti Banerjee

level art exhibi tion to empower mentally disabled people opened in Nimhans on Monday

Anational

Dr Srinivas Nayak, a physio therapist at Nimhans, said: “The exhibition’s goal is to improve cre ative talent among mentally dis abled people to improve their creative quotient Such events should get proper media cover age The amount collected when the paintings are sold will be given to the artists ”

The patients are given physio therapy at Nimhans, he added Amala, the head of the project, said: “In Chitrakala (Parishath), they had success as many people visited it, but only two paintings were sold. The total cost will be given to the artist The canvas and colours are provided to the artists by them ”

Moushumi Das, the mother of an artist, said: “Jijo is a multifac eted individual who has faced several hardships while being mentally challenged It was his elder brother, Ankit, who got him into photography and art He is a warm hearted and exteremly lov

ing soul People in Nimhans have been so kind to him that their en couragement led him to do ab stract painting He has learnt mixing, pouring he even got an award ”

Dr Arti Jagannatha, additional head of the department of psychi atry, said the exhibition is sup ported by the department of empowerment of persons with disabilities It is a culmination of two workshops held in July and October The patients were screened by experts from the Chi trakala Parishath Forty seven people with disabilities have con tributed 105 paintings

Visitor Bhagyashree said: “It’s excellent but costly overall I am visiting the art gallery for the first time, and am impressed ” Divya, another visitor, re marked that the talents of the artists need to be showcased more “The paintings are open to interpretation Some have pro found thoughts on the artwork presented here ”

The exhibition, under way at Ashwini Hall which has started from November 28 and will con tinue till December 3 shruti b@iijnm org

As a part of a traffic awareness campaign at Brigade Road, students of St Joseph’s College carry road safety and no honking signs The campaign focuses not only on safe driving practices but also on decreasing noise pollution in Bengaluru | Credit: Suryash Kumar

The art exhibition’s goal is to improve creative talent among mentally disabled people to improve their creative quotient It creates space for the artists to showcase their talent | Credit: Shruti Banerjee

The beautiness and the uniqueness of the images lies in Pattachitra paintings on silk cloth which are handmade canvas | Credit: Sneha T S

Transgenders tell the police their woes

Don’t abuse us or slap us with false cases’

By Yukta Mudgal

Aprogramme

to sensitize po lice personnel about trans genders was organized at the Sanjaynagar and Hebbal po lice stations on November 24 and 25

Prakash, assistant sub inspec tor, Sanjaynagar, said around 30 police officials, including the in spector, attended the programme

“The topic was the sexual free dom of the transgender commu nity They (the organizers) said transgender people beg on roads and travel in the bus, but people only see them from the perspec tive of sex workers We should see transgender people as normal. Our police station will see any one, either male, female or trans gender, from the lens of the law and the Constitution ”

Mallu S Kumbar, coordinator, Karnataka Sexual Minorities Forum, which organized the pro gramme, said that the event was held on the directive of the DGP on October 27

“There are many fake cases reg istered against the transgender community So we want to have a conversation with the police and discuss if a transgender person indulges in fighting and snatch ing, then what be the reason be hind it could be ”

Shrikant Kannan, a transman, said: “Yesterday, at Namma Pride, a policeman started ver bally abusing two transpersons for clicking a selfie. Unfortu

nately, this often happens with community members Hence, sen sitization of police stations is a good step. Most of the time, when transpersons go to police stations with their issues, the officers use derogatory remarks about our genitals and portray us as sex workers, even when we are not ”

Subhash H Lamani, sub in spector, Hebbal Police station, said: “I did not attend the com plete programme, only the last five minutes, as I was working The function was good They ex plained the laws for transgender I gave them two pieces of advice: They should leave sex work and start educating themselves ”

Under the Hebbal flyover, Lamani said, transgender sex workers try to rob people of phones and money

The sensitization programme will be completed next year in Karnataka in June 2023, and in Bengaluru in three months It will cover all districts and local police stations in Karnataka.

Robotic surgeries make complex knee operations safer

By Suryash Kumar

Robotic

surgery has made knee replacement safer and hassle free for patients Knee replacement surgery has a 95 98% success rate Robotic knee replacement surgery makes it even safer

Patients often complain about the pain after surgery, but using robots reduces the intensity of pain Robotic surgery does away with the need to insert a rod Sahil, an application and prod uct specialist from Meril Health, said: “Cuvut robotic surgery has sensors that detect even the slightest movement in the pa tient’s body and immediately stops the robotic arm The ma chine uses hydraulics to keep it self fixed on the ground Earlier, in non robotic operations, a rod was inserted to hold the implant in its place However, with robotic surgery, the cut is precise, and the implant goes in the exact place without needing a rod.”

The implant’s life has increased by five years as the material used has improved The need for blood transfusion is avoided as a rod is not needed

Srinivasan, 57, who lives in Bengaluru, said: “I have been suf fering from knee pain for seven years I recently had robotic knee replacement surgery at Hosmat Hospital on my right knee, and am delighted I don’t have knee pain anymore I can walk, climb

and drive my car I plan to have a replacement surgery on my left knee soon ”

Dr Thomas Chandy, chief of or thopedics and arthroplasty, Hos mat Hospitals, said: “Knee replacement doesn’t mean trans planting or removing the knee, but it means lining the knee and bones around it It involves trim ming the knee, not replacing the knee Also, people in India fear surgery as they see anesthesia as close to dying Patient education is needed, and hospitals must have a strong communication sys tem to make patients understand there will be some pain after sur gery, but we have pain manage ment techniques ”

Knee replacement surgery often fails because of infection, “but we at Hosmat have two ded icated operation theatres for knee surgery which have a special air circulation system It signifi cantly reduces the risk of infec tions,” Dr Chandy added As life expectancy has in

creased, people have reduced ac tivity and increased cartilage wear and tear, making it a perfect situation for the onset of os teoarthritis Knee replacement surgery relieves pain and stiff ness, and restores mobility But the surgeons still have control over the robots If surgeons are not happy with the way a surgery is performed by robots, they can always stop them

Dr Prasad B, a senior orthope dic consultant, said: “In India, pa tients come for surgery only when both knees, and sometimes the spine, are affected Doctors don’t have a wand that will fix every thing after an operation It takes time to recover So the best thing is to come early for surgery when one of the knees is affected ”

Osteoarthritis is the wearing of joints WHO reports that 18 per cent of people globally have os teoarthritis NHP (India) puts that percentage for India at 22 39% of adults suryash k@iijnm org

When transpersons go to police stations, the officers use deroga tory remarks |Credit :Yukta Mudgal

Many pourakarmikas didn't get their salary for eight months, while some were not paid for four months Many didn't get pension for a year “Government said that they visited various houses but nobody visited We don’t have homes to live, we don't have any facility,” Anjappa Koli, a protestor | Credit : Siddhi Chauhan

pourakarmikas sTage proTesT for Their benefiTs

and hassle-free

Cuts are precise, no rod needs to be inserted

The implant’s life has increased by five years as the material used during robotic surgery has improved | Credit : Ahona Roy

Traffic at a standstill on Triveni Road, near Yeshwanthpur Circle, has become a routine An autorickshaw driver said: “Every day the road is congested as from nine to ten in the morning, people leave for their re spective workplaces ” | Credit : Yukta Mudgal

Traffic a normal sighT on Triveni road near YeshwanTpur circle

Angkor Wat is a temple com plex, indeed the largest reli gious structure in the world, and part of the capital city of the Khmer Empire, which controlled all the area in what is today the modern country of Cambodia, as well as parts of Laos and Thailand, between the 9th and 13th centuries AD The Temple Complex includes a central pyramid of some 60 meters (200 ft) in height, contained within an area of about two square kilometers (~3/4 of a square mile), surrounded by a defensive wall and moat Known for breathtaking murals of mythological and historical figures and events, Angkor Wat is certainly an excellent candi date for one of the new won ders of the world

Source : ThoughtCo

As Covid recedes, many people turn cold to taking booster dose

13L in BBMP areas have taken the third jab

By Hamsaveni N

Asthe world is returning to normal after facing multi ple Covid waves, there are lakhs of people who have still not taken the booster vaccine dose

Just 1 crore 2 lakh people have taken the booster dose in Kar nataka, while the rest are yet to receive the dose

According to data from the CoWin website, 5 5 crore people in Karnataka have taken the first and second doses But only 20 percent of the population has taken the booster dose

Bengaluru areas under BBMP limits have 13 lakh people who have taken the booster dose

Winter Monday mornings are a level more difficult than regular Monday mornings Sagar (@sagarcasm)

Minimum temperature: 19°

Maximum temperature: 27°

Humidity: 88%

Forecast : Sunny Intervals and Light Winds

A citizen who did not want to be named informed The Observer: “I am not sure if I should get a booster dose, because I was once affected by Covid and hence I pos sess natural immunity which in itself acts as a booster How ever, I would like to seek a doc tor’s opinion on getting a booster dose before registering for same ” Ganesh Bhat, another citizen, said: “I felt it is not necessary to take a booster dose Now Covid has reduced Also, there were some studies which were running on social media that Covid indi rectly affects one ’ s life span Such messages will scare people to go

for vaccination ”

Another citizen said the booster dose is not necessary

Priyanka, another citizen, shared: “I had visited a PHC at my place months ago and the booster vaccine for 18 plus was not given Now I don’t even know whether booster vaccines are available or not I felt even the government has somewhere lacked a little in spreading booster dose awareness People in rural setups are still scared about taking (the) booster (dose) because of myths about vaccines being circulated everywhere ”

Dr Seema Rudrappa Mahabale,

reproductive and child health of ficer, Bengaluru Rural said: “The immunity we get keeps taper ing Taking a booster (dose) can help humans generate antibodies One of the main reasons to take a booster vaccine is because the virus keeps changing its strains These vaccines will help us to be ready to face any mutations Peo ple have lost the fear of Covid Lack of awareness about vaccines is the main reason for people not taking jabs It is their responsi bility to make sure that they are safe People are negligent to wards doctors, they don’t really consider doctors’ words, and they

Cloth sanitary pads, reusable and kind on environment, find some users in Bengaluru

‘Cotton fabric should be used to make them’

By Sneha T S

odour is also unbearable Cloth pads are cheaper in the long run You can spend less on sanitary napkins every month ”

speak about natural immunity and their own methods of immu nizing themselves ”

No study has proved that peo ple will have serious health issues if they take a vaccine “Yes, we do see a very less number of people having health issues after taking the vaccine, but (it is) not solely because of the vaccine that people have health issues,” she added Dr Arundhathi Chan drashekar, mission director, Na tional Health Mission, informed The Observer: “Covid numbers have reduced, but Covid still ex ists and we see dynamic changes with regard to virus and its mu tations across the globe Vaccines are available for free, but people are not coming forward to take the shot People think we are all back to pre Covid, but if you see , people came in large num bers only during the second wave. Knowledge and reach are quite good and people are aware about the booster dose We are doing a lot of awareness (campaigns) in rural areas and panchayats, but the response is not as well as ex pected We can’t force people It is all about people’s mentality ”

“We have sufficient doses to im munize the state The govern ment of India is ready to supply as and when we are out of stock We achieved a good response for the first two doses ”

As the booster dose would help prevent any kind of risk, these vaccines are available free of cost in government hospitals and Pub lic Health Centres hamsaveni n@iijnm org

While

menstrual cups are already popular among women, a few are shift ing to agro based reusable pads Malinee Gopalakrishnan, the founder of Rebelle Natural Men strual Pads, informed The Ob server: “Today, women are considering using reusable pads instead of disposable plastic ones. There were no reproductive health issues back then Only after the sale of disposable sani tary pads increased women started getting reproductive health issues ”

About the material that is safe to use in menstrual pads, she said use cotton fabric should be pre ferred to cotton fibre More women are asking for such pads

Divya Rai, who works with Saukhyam Pads, said: “Dispos able pads are non biodegradable They are made of plastic They contribute a lot to landfill waste These pads take 200 500 years to decompose Also, these pads use a lot of cellulose as adsorbent mate rial, for which trees were cut ” Rai said even agro waste is

used to make pads “ … we use ba nana fibre extracted from the ba nana stem and fill it in cotton cloth to make these pads ”

Geetha R, a cloth pad user, said: “Cloth pads are really com fortable In fact, they are more comfortable than disposable ones Disposable ones, if not replaced in time, can cause infections The

Nithu P, another user of cloth pads, shared: “I know disposable pads are bad I cannot think of using these pads As a working woman, I have to travel for long hours, due to which it is difficult to use them ”

Dr Girija Valliyathan, a gyne cologist observed: “Both these pads have pros and cons It all de pends upon the hygiene habits of the users If you are using dispos able ones, change after every 4 5 hours If you are using cloth, wash it properly and dry it in sunlight ”

A recent study by an NGO called Toxics Link found that the top 10 commercial brands of san itary napkins sold in India con tain two harmful chemicals: phthalates and volatile organic compounds sneha t@iijnm org Read the complete story on : the weeklyobserver com

According to data from the CoWin website, 5 5 crore people in Karnataka have taken the first and second doses | Credit : Hamsaveni N

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Reusable sanitary napkins have minimal impact on the environment and are user friendly to women | Credit: Malinee Gopalakrishnan