The Observer An IIJNM publication
Vol 18, Issue 15
Namma Pride march for the rights of LGBTQ community on Nov 25 | P3
Friday, November 23, 2018
Family issues, peer pressure lead them to start drinking early Sayantan Sarkar
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It is difficult to ascertain the number of alcoholics in the city because people don’t identify themselves as such. | Credit: Sayantan Sarkar drinking at a very young age, it can affect their liver and also cause pancreatic and gastrointestinal cancers.” Nathan I, a coordinator at Alcoholics Anonymous, said: “It is difficult to conduct any census on the number of alcoholics in the city as people are not comfortable coming out as alcoholics. People who face problems due to regular alcohol consumption need to talk
@theweeklyobserver On the Web: issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver/docs/ the_observer
System must ensure the safety of children, says an official of Enfold NGO | P5
Bengaluru’s young guzzlers are putting their health in danger onsumption of alcohol among Bengaluru’s youths has increased, employees of pubs and bars say. Some young people drink every day, putting their health in danger. “People who buy alcohol from our bar are generally in the age group of 25 to 40,’’ Jagdesh M.S., manager of Music Bar on MG Road, informed The Observer. A WHO study on Bengaluru’s alcohol consumption suggested that two-thirds of alcohol users are in the age group of 26 to 45. Sethu Mahadeva, an employee at Chin Lung Bar on MG Road, said: “The young prefer to drink beer. On weekends, many young people order whisky and rum.” Dr Ravi Prakash, a psychologist practising in Bengaluru, said: “Some youngsters start drinking because of problems in their families. Some also come under peer pressure.” Surgeon Atanu Deb Roy said: “A recent study conducted in the United States shows that consuming even one peg is harmful.” On the risk to young people, he added: “If someone starts
The Observer
about their difficulties.” Alcoholics Anonymous encourages people to share their experiences regarding alcohol consumption. They hold meetings and sessions where people talk about hope and strength to give up the habit. Anyone who wants to quit the habit is welcomed in the organization, Nathan added. A member of the organization
who did not wish to be named said: “I suffered from depression and a lot of health problems throughout my life due to my addiction.” On how alcohol affects one’s social and personal life, he said: “I did not want to go to my office. I had no strength and did not have time for my family. I joined Alcoholics Anonymous six and a half years ago, and since then have been trying to get rid of my addiction.” Cases of drunken driving have increased in the city. The traffic police website shows there is an increase in the number of drink and drive cases in the past couple of years. In January and February, there were 7,022 and 5,255 cases registered respectively. People with money to spare spend big amounts on alcohol. Nilendra Nath Mullick, 24, an employee at an IT company, shared: “I spend around Rs 1,000 on alcohol every week. It has become an addiction for me. I started drinking when I was 18.” Mullick said he has never tried to quit the habit or gone to anyone for help. sayantan.s@iijnm.org
News Briefs lLocal An FIR has been lodged against 5 Congress, 2 JDS and 1 Independent MLC for providing wrong information and misusing public money in the affidavits of 2016 Mayoral elections. lNational While addressing a campaign for Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, Yogi Adityanath Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh attacked Congress and said that, it is the root cause for Naxalism, anarchy, corruption and terrorism in the country. lInternational United States president Donald Trump said the CIA did not blame Mohammed bin Salman, crown prince of Saudi Arabia, for ordering the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Three suicide bombers attacked the Chinese consulate in Pakistan's southern city of Karachi on Friday two police officers were killed during the attack. lBusiness Samsung apologizes for failing to create a safe working environment for its employees at its computer chip and display factories. lSports Reigning ODI World Champions England beat India by eight wickets in the semi finals to enter the final of the ICC Women’s World T20 on Friday.
NH widening uproots 33 homes Yajush Gupta
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GAJA EFFECT ON BENGALURU: Intermittent rain hit Bengaluru early on Friday, a result of a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal due to cyclone Gaja. There was waterlogging in some parts, but no accidents were reported, the BBMP control room said | Credit: Shrabona Ghosh
early 100 soft-toy sellers in front of Raja Rajeshwari Hospital in Kumbalgodu were left in shock as they saw their homes being uprooted by government personnel. The clearance drive on Mysuru Road was part of a road-widening project along NH 275. Migrants from UP, they lived in the area and sold soft toys and other goods for more than 12 years. “This has ruined our livelihood.There are 33 families living here within the 5-km stretch. Each one of us are clueless about the future.We survive from whatever we earn in a day. None of us can manage the expense of relocating,” said Rahul, who came
They came yesterday with JCBs; began demolishing our houses | Credit: Yajush Gupta
from Lucknow 11 years ago. “They came yesterday with JCBs and began demolishing our houses. Last night I slept on the footpath with my two daughters,” said Raman, another occupant. Sivachannappa Naidu, Construction Manager from Dilip-
Buildcon insisted that the upcoming project has been sanctioned by the NHAI in order to make it a 6-lane highway. “We have been allotted a stretch of 5 km. There has been a lot of traffic congestion in this area. The plan is to widen the highway from a four-lane highway to a six-lane one,” he added. Asked about the deadline for the project, he replied: “I have been given ten days to clear road on both sides. In the first phase, the left perimeter of the road will be cleared, followed by the houses on the right side. We had notified them thrice before going for a demolition drive, yesterday to implement the project work in the particular area.” Continued on page 3
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The Observer Friday, November 23, 2018
Cafes becoming friendly Extortion cases in to the differently abled Bengaluru go up Victims give in easily, say cops
They recognize special needs
Oisika Dev
Akanksha Kashyap
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Support Foundation, a nongovernmental organization that works for children suffering from autism, is on a drive to make cafés and eateries friendly for the differently abled. “It is difficult for an autistic kid to sit and wait for food in a restaurant. They are differently abled and thus need require care,” Bobby Ramani, founder of I Support Foundation, informed The Observer. No cafes or restaurants are able to handle such kids. “It becomes an embarrassment for the family when these kids visit a restaurant as the staff lacks knowledge of how to react in such situations.” Learning from their own experience, Bobby and her sister Juhi started the foundation to make life easier for autistic children. Their brother suffers from autism. Seeing him struggle in restaurants prompted them to start the drive. The foundation, started in Lucknow, covered several cafes there before expanding its business in Bengaluru. “We basically brief the staff on how to manage such kids. We request them to prepare food quicker than they normally do, as an autistic kid has no patience.
The NGO is making cafes disabled - friendly. | Credit: ISF Even then, there is a brief period where the child has nothing to do, We have thus given the restaurants a kit which keeps them engaged,” Bobby said. The kit has games, puzzles and a sketching book. These cafes and restaurants are now tagged ‘We are differently-abled friendly’. “I have never seen differently abled children in cafés, but the tag of ‘differently abled friendly’ puts a smile on my face,” law students Aparna Jha said. The drive is known for creating differently abled-friendly zones where autistic children are welcomed and cared for. The foundation has so far covered 15
restaurants in Bengaluru, including BakBak Bar, Bakasur, Petoo and Chatpata India . Their next target is Café Coffee Day. It will be a living experience for the differently abled in city. “It feels good to see that Chung Wah is also differently abledfriendly,” remarked Harpreet Bishnoi, a student who visits the restaurant at Koramangala . Renu Chamlegi, a professor of psychology, said, “This is great news as autistic kids become very impatient while sitting idle. These cafes welcome both autistics kid and their parents.” akanksha.k@iijnm.org
Around the City •Virsa Fest 2018 Saturday, Bengaluru 15 k run @Phoenix Master city Sunday,Nov 25,6.00a.m.
•Nirbhhaya Self Defence Academy Walkathon @Freedom Work November,25,5.00 a.m.
•India’s first free hugs fest and CONNECT MEETUP @cubbon park, Sunday Nov 25. 7.0p.m.
•Feiern (International Business Festival) @lalit hotel Thu, 29 Nov 9:30AM - Sat, 1 Dec 8:30PM
•Cup of Positivitea @Pottery Road, Frazer Town November 24,2.00p.m. •Fourth Edition of AI minds ,In Collaboration with Reva University @Yelahanka,24th Nov,Saturday,10.00 a.m.
•Zero to Success - Online Growth Workshop V 2.0 Bangalore - With Shibaram Mishra, Business workshopSun, 25 Nov 10:00AM 5:00PMTech Supply Chain Conference & Exposition @Hotel Novotel Bengaluru Techpark , East Bangalore
•Introduction to Natural Dyeing and Block Printing,Beginner WeekdayWorkshop@6th cross road ,Koramangala, Bengaluru Nov 25, Sunday 2.00p.m.
•Zero to Success - Online Growth Workshop V 2.0 Bangalore - With Shibaram Mishra, Business workshopSun, 25 Nov 10:00AM 5:00PM
•Lalbagh eco walk @Lalbagh Nov 25,Sunday ,6.00p.m.
•Tech Supply Chain Conference & Exposition @Hotel Novotel Bengaluru Techpark , East Bangalore Sat, 24 Nov 7:00AM - 9:00AM
•Supergombo at Windmills Craftwork @Whitefield ,Nov 24,Saturday,8.00p.m. •ISB PGP Infosession @Windsor Square,Bengaluru November 25,Sunday,11.00 a.m. •Devops and Ansible @Basaveshwar Nagar Nov 24,Saturday,4.30 p.m.
•Cubbon GamiFYI’d @Cubbon Park Traffic Police Station, Sat, 24th Nov, 7 a.m to 9 a.m •Bead Loom Workshop - A Beginner module - With Bhavna Gupta @Bloom & Grow, South Bangalore, Nov 24, 10 a.m- 2 p.m
here has been an increase in extortion cases registered in Bengaluru in recent years, police record show. DCP (crime) Girish S informed The Observer: “Extortion of money has increased rapidly in the past few years. Police are trying to track the gangs behind these crime. However, very few people actually lodge a complaint against their blackmailers. Most of the time the victims are afraid and give in to the perpetrators easily.” According to data of the Central Crime Bureau, there were 382 cases of extortion of money in 2013. The number increased to 489 in 2014, followed by 619 cases in 2015. In 2016, there were 622 cases registered; these increased to 715 in 2017. This year, the number has gone up to 774. Extortion is a criminal offence of obtaining money, property or services from an individual or institution through coercion. “Extortion of money is common these days. We need strong laws to prevent extortion. The government should ensure that people involved in extortion are punished severely,” lawyer Ravinder Kumar said. B. Priyanka, an Infosys employee, said: “For the past one month, I have been receiving threat calls for money. They have
CCB records an increase in extortion cases. | Courtesy: Pexels threatened to hack my social media account if I refuse to pay. Police are investigating.” Praveen Balawishwanathan, a businessman, said: “A few days ago, I received a call demanding Rs 5 lakh. I was threatened that if I refuse, I would be killed. k Legal expert Padma Uttur Rao said: “People should immediately report extortion cases. Agreeing to pay makes matters worse. Extortion is very common these days; it can easily happen to anyone. The only way to prevent it is to take proactive steps for protection. The police also need to be vigilant with their work.”According to Article 384, whoever commits extortion shall be punished with imprisonment of one year which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both. oisika.d@iijnm.org
RWH drive gets a leg-up Soudha among the buildings covered Raveena Bhati
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he Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology (KSCST) has come forward to implement the rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems in residential and commercial buildings in collaboration with the BWSSB. “The program was initiated in 2009 but implemented only in 2011. Since then, it is compulsory for all residential sites that cover an area of 2,400 sqft to have RWH systems,” B.M. Manjunath, BWSSB PRO, informed The Observer. KSCST executive engineer Navneeth said: “We conduct surveys of buildings and train people like contractors and plumbers who can install RWH systems efficiently.” Karnal Swamy, head of the RWH system in various colleges, said: “Across 11 buildings… RWH systems have been installed. The project includes installation of two tanks with a capacity of 1 lakh litres. We hire contractors and hand it over to them. The
KSCST to implement the rain water harvesting systems in collaboration with BWSSB in residential buildings. | Courtesy: KSCST water stored is not drinkable but is used for washing, cleaning and other purposes.” Manjunath said: “BWSSB has levied heavy penalties on houses that do not have RWH systems. Residential houses are charged 25% more on their water bills and a 50% hike for commercial buildings is imposed. Recently, the BWSSB collected a penalty of Rs 8 crore. A survey of RWH-system buildings takes place every month. According to
data released on October 31, there are 1.75 lakh buildings in Bengaluru with RWH systems installed.” A KSCST said: “Our imitative to implement RWH systems in Bengaluru in order to overcome the water crisis has recorded good results. Quite a few government institutions, including Vidhana Soudha, BWSSB and BBMP, have RWH systems installed in their buildings.” raveena.b@iijnm.org
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The Observer November, Friday 23, 2018
Engg students oppose AICTE’s plan to hold GATE-like exam ‘Current syllabus not good to train GATE students’ Abbinaya Kuzhanthaivel
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ngineering students and professors are unhappy over the All India Council for Technical Education’s (AICTE) proposal to bring up ‘exit exam’ for engineering students. AICTE is working on a proposal to make the final year engineering students appear for an ‘exit exam’ in line with GATE exam, which would be mandatory to get the degree certificate. “ There is no feasibility in bringing up the exit exam now. All universities do not have the same curriculum. The current syllabus is not much standardised to train the students to appear for GATE. Changes in the curriculum need to be implemented. As of now, we have a new curriculum for our current first-year students proposed by the AICTE. It will be easy if every university has the same syllabus,” says Dr R Balakrishna, principal at Rajarajeshwari College of Engineering. The ‘exit exam’ is the result of poor employability of engineering graduates in India. With roughly around 7000 engineering graduates coming up across 3000 regis-
The government should aim to curb the number of graduates and increase the quality of engineers | Credit: Abbinaya Swathi tered colleges in India, the employability of the freshers is hardly 20-30% according to the AICTE. However, engineers are unhappy because of the poor syllabus, which may turn them down at GATE. “I feel this isn’t required for the current batch students, as it is possible only when we train them from the 1st semester. We can prepare the students to compete. It is good if the recruitment panel is based on the GATE scores. It must be mandated only when there is support from the recruiters,” says Dr Thriveni J, assistant professor at UVEC.
When the observer spoke to students, they questioned about the use of appearing for external and internal exams throughout the course and also presented an argument if AICTE would award them with a degree if they clear GATE exam without clearing the regular papers. “I will attend coaching classes for GATE and clear the exam. Will AICTE give me the degree? It is a strategy to improve coaching centres across the country. They brought in NEET which increased the number of students in coaching centres,” said a student, who didn't wish his name to be published. Engineering course has approx-
Man-animal conflict looms over Bannerghatta area A
Due to a decrease in area of ESZ, Bannerghatta National Park is under a serious threat | Credit: Yajush Gupta underground passage for the ele- mals.” On November 5, the Minphants, so they can move easily istry of Environmental and and freely to Talakaveri where Forests issued a new draft notifithey generally move to during cation and reduced the Eco-Senwinter. The landowners of the sitive Zone (ESZ) to 168.84sq.km area, though, are against it be- from 268.96 sq.km. “Reduction in cause they believe that construc- area of ESZ will only increase the tion of the corridor may destroy human-animal conflict. their land.” They have reduced the area to Devaram Seervi, a resident of promote mining and quarrying Byrapahalli said “Our village is which has a huge negative effect two kilometres away from on environment,” said AN YellapBanerghatta National Park, so pareddy an environmentalist. we are quite used to seeing ani- shashank.d@iijnm.org
Slum board says toy-sellers have no records
Continued from page 1 r Sujiranth, Assistant Engineer, Karnataka Slum Clearance Board (KSCB) explained that the area doesn’t fall into the jurisdiction of the clearance board. “For any redressal or compensation, the occupants are required to register with the BBMP for a period not less than 10 years. In this case, we have no record of them staying there.”
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The occupants are on their own without any state support or alternate arrangements. “The authorities’ will not immediately build roads here. Why are they in a hurry to remove us? We need time to relocate and find a decent place first,” said another occupant whose house was demolished yesterday. yajush.g@iijnm.org
November 25 march to celebrate LGBTQ rights R Yohanjali
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Shashank Dipankar s many as 45 elephants from Tamil Nadu and adjacent forests have come to Bannerghatta National Park. Earlier, there were 32 residents but after the arrival of other elephants the counts has reached to 77. The lake where the elephants usually stay is dried up forcing them to move to the nearest water body in the nearby village. As a result of the shift of elephants whereabouts, the officials are on a high alert. “Elephants are going towards villages because of which the chances of man-animal conflict have gone up,” said Dr TN Manohara, scientist in Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change. He further added that they are monitoring the movement of elephants and will notify the village as precautionary method if any such issue arise. TN Manohara informed The Observer , “We are trying to find solutions for it. The solution we think can be viable is building an
imately 48 theory papers and 16 practical lab exams and elective courses in four years of the engineering programme, which may vary according to the university or colleges that fall under deemed, affiliated or autonomous category. “I do not think exit exam is necessary, as engineering is a course with new inventions coming up every minute. Even after serious preparations, many do not qualify. Let them bring GATE as mandatory if a job is guaranteed,” said Divya Shree U, M. Tech student in UVEC. Another student said that the government should aim to curb the number of graduates and increase the quality of engineers. “Bring in entrance exam at a difficult level rather stopping them at gunpoint in the final year. It would reduce the number of seats and also maintain the standards,” he said. However, the top official from AICTE said that GATE might be implemented soon from the new academic year 2019-2020. He also added that AICTE would maintain confidentiality until confirmed. An ex-AICTE employee added that it would just increase the outflow of students to coaching centres. The proposal, made in 2017, continues to agitate engineers all over India. abbinaya.s@iijnm.org
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march to be held on 25th of November demanding civil rights and social liberties for the LGBTQ by Karnataka Queer Hubba along with Coalition of Sex Workers’ and Sexual Minorities’ Rights (CSMR) is organizing a protest march to demand civil rights and social liberties for the LGBTQ community. “This march is a celebration of our identity but is also a protest for our rights. We are asking for basic human rights that every human is entitled to. We fight for our inalienable rights.” said Anirudh, a member of the LGBTQ community.The protestors say that in the backdrop of the Supreme Court reading down Section 377, the government has still not come out with any substantial provisions for them. “Around 5000 to 7000 people will be fighting for our march. We still don’t have basic rights like education, health care, adoption, insurance, blood donation etc,” said Riyana, a member of the community who recognizes herself as a transgender. Section 377 of Indian Penal Code criminalised carnal inter-
course against the order of nature. The Supreme Court, on September 6, 2018, read down Section 377 and decriminalized homosexuality in its ruling which in turn freed the LGBTQ community from the grip of such archaic laws. Namma Pride will be held from 2 PM to 5 PM with members of LGBTQ marching from Tulsi Park to Town Hall with the community asking for their demands to be fulfilled.“I too am part of Karnataka, India then why am I being separated as ‘Third Gender’? I am a common man like others. ” said Riyana. “The transgender policy provides us free Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) but it is not provided to us. Our acceptance in education, employment and health care is also mentioned but none of these are implemented,” said Meenakshi Dunga. “Now that we are not criminals, the politicians see us as vote bank. If they don’t fulfill our demands they will exclude a big community of votes. Treat us like citizens first and then ask us for vote,” said Anirudh. Namma Pride march will help the LGBTQ community gain legal recognition and achieve equality. yohanjali.r@iijnm.org
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The Observer November, Friday 23, 2018
Just 20 personnel to handle Kushtagi swears by 12,000 cyber crime cases traditional remedies Some in town have not been to a hospital
Abbinaya K
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yber crime station in Bangalore has only 20 personnel to deal over 12,000 cases. Since the inception of special station for cyber crimes in April 2017, it remains woefully understaffed. In May, it had 26 personneland is now left with 20 personnel. “We have a sub inspector, 3 assistant sub-inspector and 15 constables. Public has to say if it is understaffed or not. As far complaints are considered there is equal number of minor crimes and grievous economic cases,” says, head inspector of cyber crime department. He also informed The Observer that around 6,000 cases of minor crimes and 6,000 cases of grievous economic cases were registered. However, approximately 500 cases were solved. Earlier records from January to April 2018 had 2,218 registered complaints. The number of cases solved is negligible compared to the registered complaints. When the observer spoke to few complainants, they were found to be unhappy over the movement of the case. “I lost 85K last year in job fraud and immediately made a complaint. I lost hope of getting back my money. I got my FIR copy within a month I filed a complaint. But I didn’t have any update after that, ” says a
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The number of cases solved is negligible when compared to the number of pending cases | Credit: Abbinaya K 35-year-old man who didn’t wish his name to be published. Another 28-year-old man who didn’t want his name to be published said, “I got cheated in job fraud by a company. I paid 65K and made a complaint four months ago. I got my FIR copy within but I had no update. I came today but they told me to come again after a month. The cases are moving very slow and they don’t understand people’s pain. They treat like I made some mistake”. Complainants agonized the observer about the hefty process of filing a complaint with all Xerox
copy and official letter with rental agreement was more painful. “I lost 4,50,000 in online sales. They told me to bring identity proof and today they are asking for a rental agreement,” a 25year-old man told observer. However, the head inspector told that complainants must produce their identity, as many from different place like Tumkur come to the cell for filing a complaint. Even though Bangalore has India’s first cyber police station, it is found to be inefficient due to the lack of personnel and as a result pending cases are piling up. abbinaya.s@iijnm.org
eople of Kushtagi taluk depend on traditional remedies for their ailments. “They are cheaper and more effective than modern drugs. Our ancestors used them, so we will continue to use them. I have never been to a hospital for past 32 years,” Munniamma from Gotagi informed The Observer. “I believe hot water is enough to cure any disease,” she added. Traditional and natural remedies have been used in India since ancient times. They are still prevalent in the form of ayurveda, Sidha and Unani. Several colleges in the metros cities teach these systems of medicine. “Traditional medicines don’t have side-effects. Even though consultation is free in government hospital, I have to travel for 90 minutes. We also don’t have enough buses to go to Kushtagi,” said Veerappa, who has never taken modern medicine. “Doctors from the government hospital come here every six months to do checkups and give us medicines if it’s a severe health problem.” “People come to me for treatment every day. I do it for free. I
Plants are used to cure all kinds of diseases. | Credit: Pexels use plants to cure all kinds of diseases,” said 97-year-old Padmana, who has been treating people at her home in Gotagi. “I use ginger and coriander to cure diarrhea, bitter gourd for diabetes, cinnamon for malaria, and garlic for asthma and more. I have been doing this for 52 years now. Every household in India uses one or the other natural remedy. Turmeric, tulsi and ginger are used to cure cold. Neem is used for chicken pox ,” Padmana said. Dr K.S. Reddy, general surgeon at the Kushtagi taluk hospital, said: “They are unaware of the new drugs that have come up. They also hesitate to try modern medicine. We try to include ayurvedic medicines.” yohanjali.r@iijnm.org
Campaign launched Exhibition gives students platform to show to save govt schools their understanding of scientific theories Shashank Dipankar
Sounak Das
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ave Government Schools Movement, a campaign to protest State Government’s negligence towards education in the state was carried out today in the city. Anil Shetty, lead campaigner said: “We will give the government only a week’s time to appoint a capable education minister. If it fails to do so, we shall be forced to stage a protest against its ability to run the education department.’’According to a report by Hindustan Times, G T Devegowda, the present education minister of the state, has little formal education himself. . He added, “There are around 50 lakh students in government schools. We want a better future for them.’’ The campaigners have written a letter to cabinet ministers. . Shetty added: ‘’We have been writing letters to government on several issues concerning the education department and we demanded a new ‘State Education Policy’. We will also send a request to all elected representatives to debate on the policy in the upcoming winter session of Karnataka Assembly. We are
They are going to adopt a school in Kodagu | Credit: Yusha Rahman hoping to receive a positive response from the government to allow the debate.’’ On 12th October, the organisers had carried out an awareness campaign at Church Street for children, in a bid to improve the quality of education in staterun schools. For this, it has committed itself to adopt several schools with the help of local residents and celebrities. The movement has appointed ‘Education Ambassadors’ including famous Kannada rapper Alok Babu, famously called All Ok. They are going to financially support a government school in flood-affected Kodagu district. “We are hoping that the chief minister will understand the seriousness of the situation and commit himself to prioritising the cause of education in his coalition government,’’ signed off Shetty. sounak.d@iijnm.org
he annual science exhibition organised by the science department of Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium started today at the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium on Raj Bhavan road Bengaluru. The planetarium organises this exhibition every year to celebrate science and to generate scientific curiosity among students of various schools. Fifteen schools are participating in the exhibition from Bengaluru. A total of 26 exhibits have been put this time. The exhibition will be on till Sunday. The exhibits range from Rochester cloaking device, optical illusion, hydrodynamic levitation, non-Newtonian physics and many more. “Students this year have really impressed us with their exhibits. It’s good to see students’ curiosity for science and their desire to showcase their knowledge in the form of exhibits,” said Pramod G. Galagali, Director of JNP. Varun, a student of Delhi Public School East Zone said, “I like science a lot. My favourite subject is Physics; this is the reason why my exhibit is hydrodynamic levitation. I like talking about science
Last year the exhibition saw 4,000 visitors | Credit: Malvika Ramesh and I wanted to be part of this exhibition.” The exhibition has provided the students them a platform to showcase their understanding of complicated scientific theories and their practical applications. Aparna, a science teacher of the Trio International School said, “This kind of exhibition is necessary as it presents a practical way for children to talk and explain scientific topics which in turn inculcates affection for science in them. The students are meeting so many people and explaining these topics to them. It really helps them grab the nuances of scientific theory and laws.” While there is immense interest from the student’s, the visitors to the exhibition are given a rundown of the exhibits in a nutshell
by the students. Dr MY Anand, a senior scientific officer at the planetarium, spoke with The Observer and said, “We organise this exhibition to motivate students. It also helps them grab the concepts of science as they are presenting their exhibits and at the same time explaining the scientific laws behind it.” He added that last year they had 4,000 visitors and they are expecting the same number of turnout this year too. K Madangopal, director of Visvesvaraya Museum was the chief guest of the exhibition and had a few words of encouragement for the students participating. “It is amazing to see students of Class 8 showing exhibits on non-Newtonian physics. The level of exhibits has been going up every year. It is a testament to the fact that children are becoming more curious about science. They are putting more effort in their exhibits. The main point of this exhibition is to teach children that science is so much fun when you are practising it after understanding it,” said Madangopal while speaking with The Observer. shashank.d@iijnm.org
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The Observer November, Friday 23, 2018
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‘Our system must become child-friendly’ Following a sexual assault, society doesn’t allow a child to recover, says NGO official Credit: Ayanti Bera
Pranay Prakash
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he Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) is tasked with providing a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to minor victims of rape and Rs 1.5 Lakh to victims who are not minor. Kushi Kushalappa, head of policy and community integration at Enfold, an NGO that supports victims of sexual crimes, spoke to The Observer about the challenges in rehabilitating minor rape victims. Excerpts from an interview: Do you think compensation for underage victims of sexual assault helps them recover? The family needs it more. The delay in awarding compensation needs to be less-
Observer Interview ened. Families of victims feel that there is one thing they need to chase while chasing justice: Compensation. It is not like the government is bribing the victims. It is to ensure that the family can withstand what they have been through, like financial and emotional issues. The system also needs to become more child-friendly. When I say child-friendly, I do not mean having a room painted with Mickey and Minny Mouse. It is about the way children are spoken to. What is the best way to rehabilitate these children?
Sexual abuse is a traumatic incident; but so is a child being diagnosed with diabetes or with hearing or speech impairment or autism. All these are difficult circumstances. Because we pay so much attention to sexual assault, we make it such a big thing. Society does not allow the child to recover. The manner in which the family responds is so important. The government can take the child and
say, since you’re not safe at home, why don’t we put you in an institution where you’ll be absolutely safe and you’ll get counseling. Taking a child out of her safe place and institutionalizing her is wrong at that age. Even if a child were to go and get counselling, the stigma still associated with counselling is bad. What role does awareness about such crimes play? Who are the people who commit these offences? The responsibility, blame and shame have to shift from the victim to the perpetrator. It continues to be a responsibility of the victim or the victim’s family. The media have a responsibility to create awareness. Now if you go to a particular district, the cops there say, ‘Madam, Pocso ke to humare paas sirf 10 case hain, hum kyun specialised cell banayen’. They don’t realise that 10 cases are being reported because no one has confidence in the system. Do you think that the school has a role to play in sensitizing students? One of the biggest challenges, at least with younger children, is the lack of knowledge about safe and unsafe touch, and inappropriate behavior. India’s typical culture would be like, ‘Bade kar rahen hain to sab theek hi hoga. Mere dada kar rahen hain, mere nana kar rahen hai to wo to koi galat nahin kar sakte hain. He is such a respected person’. From the pre-school stage, children need to be made aware about their safety. These
are messages that have to go to children from a very young age. Of course, it has to be age-appropriate. It should not be that a child is afraid of every adult in the environment. Any case where you faced challenges in rehabilitating a child? In a particular case, the family was from another part of the country. The child was assaulted by the father’s colleague; it was a penetrative sexual assault. The police response was timely. The chargesheet was submitted within the stipulated timeframe, the report from the Forensic Science Laboratory came promptly. The family were doing relatively OK. Then the trial began. In the interim period, the father lost his job because it happened at the place where he and all the other families used to work, including the colleague who assaulted the daughter. They were given quarters by the father’s employer. Overnight, he lost both his job and his house, and they had to relocate. Everything fell on the mother’s head. She got fed up and left. Her deposition in court was over, but her cross-examination was pending for a very long time. She was the prime witness because the child was young. Her deposition would have made an impact. The mother came back some months later and deposed. It was a 2013 case and the conviction happened in 2017. pranay.p@iijnm.org
Lung cancer a growing menace; only Movement to address 15% cases curable at time of diagnosis gender violence is need of the hour: Activists Physical exercise reduces the risk of lung cancer by 20%, say doctors
Shrabona Ghosh
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Sayantan Sarkar
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ung cancer is fast turning into an epidemic. Doctors claim that that only 15 percent of lung cancer cases are curable at the time of diagnosis. “Patients with lung cancer come for diagnosis at a much later stage than other cancers due to the nature of the disease,” said Dr NitiRaizada, Sr. Consultant Medical Oncologist and Hemato-oncologist at Vikram Hospital. She added, “Early on, people have no symptoms or vague symptoms. Therefore, if lung caner is detected by chest X-ray, it is already too late for the patient.” On the occasion of World Lung Cancer awareness month, Vikram Hospital started a lung cancer program along with smoking cessation therapy. Suchit K Naik, an employee at XL Health Pvt Ltd said, “I have been smoking 10- 15 cigarettes a day since I was in college thus I sometimes fall short of breath.We all know smoking is injurious to health, but the problem is, it is difficult to give up the habit.” Dr Niti embarked on the main causes for lung cancer, which are smoking and exposure to carcinogenic toxins such as asbestos and radon. She also said, “Exposure of women to smoke from burning of
On the occasion of World Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Vikram Hospital started a lung cancer program along with a smoking cessation therapy. Doctors say people smoke despite knowing its danger | Credit: Anusha Bodapati charcoal for cooking is also a cause of lung cancer. Physical activity may reduce the risk of lung cancer by about 20 percent.” Dr KS Satish, consultant pulmonologist and chest physician said, “It is never too late to quit smoking. By quitting people can reduce the risk of lung cancer. If a person quits by 50, he or she can reduce the risk of smoking re-
lated disease by almost 50%." “People should be more careful with symptoms and get treated in the initial stages. Two out of every three patents with lung cancer are over 65 years of age,Bengaluru has the third highest number of lung cancer cases,” Mr Satish informed The Observer. sayantan.s@iijnm.org
here is a need to bring women movement all over the world under one frame work to address the root cause of increasing gender violence. " The increasing gender violence in the country need to be addressed, this will be easily attainable when women movement all over the world will come under one frame work", Sharmistha Choudhury, General Secretary, All India Revolutionary Women's Organisation. India is ranked as the most Unsafe place for women in the world, by a Thomson Reuters Foundation Survey. Bangalore has also seen an increase in crime rate against women. Sivamma, a women activist from Karnataka said that it is important to understand the basic cause of violence against women, until then the cause is known the issue cannot be addressed. The WHO report has identified violence against women as a "global health problem of epidemic proportio." Women work participation is the least in South Asia. India's female work force participation is just 24%, lower than Bangladesh and Srilanka, and marginally above Pakistan. Women empowerment, over the years has lead to more women participation in different sectors.
The WHO report has identified violence against women as a ‘global health problem of epidemic proportio.’| Credit:Shrabona Ghosh This might be one cause of increasing gender violence, the coming out of women and their participation may have been looked down upon, said Sharmistha Choudhury, General Secretary, AIRWO. The international conference on liberation of women in Bengaluru, hosted by AIRWO will try to raise awareness and address the issue. shrabona. g@Iijnm.org
RURAL KARNATAKA
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The Observer November, Friday 23, 2018
Social opposition stops Swachh Bharat Abhiyan an elusive dream in women wrestlers this village of Raichur Open defecation rampant as there are no toilets
Abbinaya Kuzhanthaivel
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wing to lack of facilities and opposition by society, women wrestlers of Rabkavi in Jamkhandi taluk are robbed of opportunities to participate in competitions . The situation mirrors the scene in the whole of rural Karnataka, where girls are not allowed to take wrestling classes. “Women are passionate about wrestling but discouraged by the society.. I wouldn’t stop training as many women are interested to learn “says Ravi Basavannur, wrestling coach, National Institute of Sports, Rabkhavi. Rabkhavi has two coaches Basavannur and Ramesh Patil, who had been influencing and supporting women to wrestle. Coaching classes are taken in two sessions according to convenience of the students. Patil said that he had very few students and those were the daughters of wrestler’s themselves and it is hard to find parents encouraging girls. “ My father left home last year after I started to wrestle.I attended the State level meet and he didn’t like that. My mother always told me that she cannot help me realize my dreams because of our poor economical status,” says Usha Gangappa Geni, a woman wrestler. Most of the girls find time to
Weather Isolated thunderstorm, a shower expected in the city Forecast: Generally cloudy sky with Light rain Minimum: 20 degree Celsius Maximum: 27 degree Celsius
Oisika Dev
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Women wrestlers demand equal opportunities. I Credit: Abbinaya practice in their physical education hour in the school. In Parents’ view if the girls spend more time in sports, academics will go down.. We can’t afford her sports necessities. The facilities available in tournament venues aren’t good and unsafe,” says a girl’s father who didn’t wish to be named. The physical education teacher at SRA high school, M B Shetty informed the observer that other villagers and boys abuse girls in tournament venues. “Even girls aren’t comfortable to wear sports uniform and go out to the ground. No special coaching centres or facilities are available to train
Manvi’s garbage piles Farmers troubled by make residents sick water scarcity, low yields Cows and pigs create nuisance on the roads
Precipitation: 79%
Ileena Dutta
Humidity: 89%
arbage piles in the crowded market area in Manvi, Raichur district, are causing health hazards. Animals, mostly cows and pigs, block and dirty the roads. Residents and shopkeepers say a stench always hangs over the area. “The garbage needs to be cleared every day to prevent the spread of diseases. A child of mine has been diagnosed with malaria,” Mohd Ali, a shopkeeper, informed The Observer. Flies and mosquitoes swarm the place because of the garbage. “Mostly children are affected by malaria, dengue and chikungunya. The number of cases of malaria has risen by 10 this year due to the irresponsible attitude of the municipality members,” Dr Chandrasekhar Swamy, taluk health officer, said. Though the taluk hospital is the
Observer Team Editor: Raveena Bhati Desk: Ajay Biradar, Anuradha Sriram, Ileena Dutta, Oisika Dev,Akanksha Kashyap,Pranay Prakash. Copy Editors: Akanksha Kashyap, Pranay Prakash, Anuradha Sriram Reporters:Renuka Thakare, Sahana S, Sayanthan Sarkar, Shashank Dipankar, Sindhuja Michael, Sounak Das, Sharbona Ghosh, Yajush Gupta, Yohanjali R, Akanksha Kashyap, Pranay Prakash, Ajay Birader, Anuradha Sriram, Ileena Dutta, Oisika Dev, Raveena Bhati, Abbinaya K
them.” he added. Wrestling is a sport that needs good physical fitness. The coaches here find it very difficult to spend on their fitness. “ I get dry fruits to maintain their fitness whenever it is feasible.” Basavannur said. However, the girls are determined to pursue their future in wrestling in spite of opposition from villagers and parents. “I will achieve and I can achieve it; I will build a strong career in this field,” says Daneshwari Shreeshail, a wrestler. Twenty girls are practicing during the physical education training hours at school. abbinaya.s@iijnm.org
asaba village, which is 35 km away from the Lingasugur taluk headquarters in Raichur district, has only two toilet complexes, both constructed from villagers’ money. The village has 420 families and a population of 2,212. The construction of toilets under the Centre’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has been pending for the past six months. Sabiha a class 6th student of Urdu Primary School says, “We have to go out in the field to defecate .It becomes very difficult especially for the girls to defecate in the open.” “Many people have fallen ill in the few months due to open defecation too,” Sabiha added. Apart from Kasaba Lingasugur, there are many villages like Mudgal, Adabibhavi,and Naryanpura where people defecate in the open. Mohammad Izaz the Principal of the Urdu primary school at Mudgal village, says”The construction of toilets is still pending for the past three months. In spite of complaining to the authorities over the past two
months regarding the construction of toilets.” Funds for the toilets to be constructed under the Swacchh Bharat Abhiyan have been sanctioned. But P.Avinash Taluk Welfare officer says: “It took a lot of time for the funds to get sanctioned. However we are looking into the matter. Hopefully, the construction will start soon”. In the past few months, water-borne diseases have increased too in these villages due to open defecation. As a result, there is a rise in malaria, typhoid and dengue patients because people relieve themselves in the open. Health Officer Avinash Patel says,” We get many patients suffering from dengue and malaria every month from many villages. If open defecation is not eradicated completely, malaria will spread like plague and it might get fatal too”. Nagesh HM, a farmer of Narayanpura village, says: “We have to go out in the fields to defecate because there are no other options available. We have been waiting for the toilets to be constructed for the past three months, but there has been no response from the authorities regarding this issue. Our problems are being neglected by them.’’ oisika.d@iijnm.org
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only affordable facility available to the villagers, it lacks medicine for air- and water-borne diseases. The villagers have to travel 50 km to Raichur for treatment. “Garbage can be cleared on a daily basis to avoid most air-borne diseases. The municipality should be responsible enough to carry out its work,” Dr Venkash Y. Nayak, chief media officer of the taluk hospital, said.But the municipality thinks that it is doing enough.It is helping the people of Manvi taluk. Vijaya Lakshmi, chief officer of the municipality, said: “Our men are supposed to collect piles of garbage from every area once every ten days, and that is enough to keep the locality clean. We are responsible enough to look after the people of Manvi.” The garbage problem Manvi faces is common in rural Karntaka. That leads to various health issues. Rajkamal Goswami, secretary, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, said: “It is important to maintain the ecological balance to preserve citizens’ good health.” People should file complaints with the local authority, he added. ileena.d@iijnm.org
Anuradha Sriram
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armers of Duggavathi village in Harapanahalli taluk, Davanagere district, get low yields of maize, sugarcane and cotton because of a water shortage. Farmer L.V. Shettynaik said the condition of crops is deteriorating. “Farmers have attempted suicide due to poor yields,” He informed The Observer. The farmers get no extended support from the government. Lack of irrigation is a major trouble in the taluk. The yield from 1 acre of land is close to 40 tonnes. The farmers have installed borewells on their fields. The government seems to have rejected their demands for more borewells. Another farmer from the village said: “Those who can bribe the government get support. Farmers are poor and they cannot afford to install more borewells.” The farmers are also facing hardship due to poor irrigation facilities. A recent study states that in Davanagere district, the average mandi price of maize is Rs 1,303 per quintal, 23% less than the minimum support price by the government. A similar scenario prevails in
Dried up fields in Harapanahalli | Credit: Anuradha Sriram Mandya district, where the difference is 24%. “Funds released by the government do not reach in ample amount to the villages and this is one of the major reasons for a lack of irrigation facilities,” panchayat development officer H. Sangappa said.The farmers cannot entirely depend on rainfall as the taluk gets scanty rain. It becomes really difficlut for them to sustain lives. Low crop yields result in the hike in prices of the crop and affects the income of the farmers. anuradha.s@iijnm.org