The Observer An IIJNM Publication
Miners protest against govt policies restricting iron-ore import,export and processing | P4
Vol 18 Issue 25
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Poor bus frequency hits commuters hard: BMTC doesn’t heed our appeals, they complain | P3
Commuters relieved as Inadequate govt govt lifts ban on Ola funds hit muzrai Aggregator will temples, priests pay a penalty of Rs 15 lakh
Abbinaya Kuzhanthaivel
C
ommuters in Bengaluru are relieved after the Karnataka government on Monday lifted its ban on Ola Cabs. The decision came after the company agreed to pay a hefty penalty. “I am happy that the government has revoked the ban. It is very difficult to commute without Ola. Auto drivers demand more money even for short distances. Many prefer to use Ola. People are affected by sudden decisions without prior notice,” Achutha Kumar, a student of Presidency College, informed
Commuters relieved as govternment revokes ban on Ola | Credit : Abbinaya Kuzhanthaivel The Observer. Raj Vamshi, a resident of Jayamahal, said: “I am happy. There should be fairness. The government should not take out one of the largest cab service players overnight. There are many people who would have put money
into the Ola wallet and it would have been a headache to get back the money. There are small cab aggregators who would have tied up with Ola. The ban would hit them hard. It is a good decision to lift the ban. Elderly people also prefer Ola as it has affordable pricing and great availability in times of need.” The government banned Ola’s autorickshaw, cab and two-wheeler services for six months as the company was found operating bike taxis without permission. According to the notice, “Under Section 11 (1) the Karnataka On Demand Transportation Technology Aggregators Rules, 2016, the Transport Department can decide to cancel the licence of the cab aggregator.” Continued on Page 4
Youths should join politics to serve nation: Santosh Hegde Abbinaya Kuzhanthaivel
F
ormer Karnataka Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde has called upon youths to join politics to serve the people. “Democracy is lagging behind politics. Politicians are serving themselves, and not the people, in the name of democracy. The youth can join politics, but with the intention to serve the people,” Hegde said on Tuesday while addressing students during a vot-
ing awareness campaign at Bangalore University. “We are facing a decline in the pillars of our constitution. Media is the fourth pillar, and the paid news concept has evolved to greater extent now,” he said. He expressed worry about the path media is following in recent times. Hegde, a former Supreme court judge, said the public service commissions were created to check corruption in government.
But a case now takes 14-15 years to be solved. Students asked Hegde their doubts about NOTA. Hegde explained that if NOTA gets more votes than any candidate in a constituency, a re-election should be conducted. “People need not give in to political pressures. They need not take any candidate who is politically imposed on them.NOTA votes can change election results,”he said. Continued on Page 3
Some are run on donations by devotees
Sahana S
M
ore than half of Bengaluru’s muzrai temples lack adequate funds for their maintenance. Several temples under the jurisdiction of the state government’s muzrai department are in a bad shape and need attention from the government. The chief priests and archakas of these temples say they are unable to manage expenses with the funds allotted by the government. Muniswamy M, the chief priest of the Shiva temple at Hanumanthanagar, said: “Most of the temples across Hanumanthanagar belong to the muzrai department. Even though this temple belongs to the muzrai department, we don’t receive enough funds. The temple depends on donations from devotees, who donate from Rs 500 to Rs 2,000.” Temples in the state are divided into three categories. Grade A temples have an annual income up to Rs 25 lakh; Grade B temples have an income up to Rs 5 lakh; and Grade C temples have an annual income below Rs 5 lakh. Grade C, or muzrai, temples are unable to access funds. Pruthvi Achar, a subordinate priest of Sri Venkateshwara Temple, Srinagar, said: “We
Priests in the Grade C, Muzrai temples are unhappy over their low wages. | Credit : Sahana S manage the requirements of the temple with the help of funds pooled by the trustee.” According to the religious and endowments department, there are more than 3,400 muzrai temples in Karnataka Rajendra Bhat, a priest at Sri Maremma Temple, Thyagarajnagar, said: “The government pays us merely Rs 5,000 a month. With such low wages, it is a challenge to be in this profession.” Ananth Kumar, chief priest at the Hanuman Degula temple, Maruthi Circle, said: “Initially, we had to face difficulties for the construction of the temple, so we decided to collect donations ranging from Rs 500-2,000 from devotees.”According to a Deccan Herald report, priests and achakas staged a protest in Bengaluru on March 7, 2019, to draw the government’s attention to the poor condition of Grade C temples. sahana.s@iijnm.org
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POLITICS | CITY
The Observer Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Low-level discourse ahead of LS polls has voters worried They think netas will make matters worse in future
Pranay Prakash
O
n January 19, 2019, a scuffle broke out between Kampli MLA J N Ganesh and his Hosapete counterpart Anand Singh when they were sequestered at a resort by the Congress party after reports of the BJP attempt to poach MLAs emerged in the media. On February 9, BJP MP Harish Dwivedi made a disrespectful comment about Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s attire. On March 24, BJP lawmaker Surendra Singh said Rahul Gandhi should marry Sapna Chaudhary as she shares the same pesha (profession) as his mother. He went on to say that India will not accept ‘dancers’ as long as it has a charitravaan (virtuous) leader like Narendra Modi. Just two days ago, Congress leader Rahul gandhi commented on PM Modi’s campaign of ‘ Chowkidar’ that he inly guards the rich people. These are among the numerous examples of politicians putting the foot in the mouth during the election season. With the poll schedule announced, the political discourse will only get worse, political experts and the public feel. They point to the degenerating
HITTING A NEW LOW “You should also accept Sapna
“Modi has been doing chowki-
the way your father had accepted
dari of Nirav Modi, Vijay Mal-
your mother”
lya and Mehul Choksi. He
-BJP
lawmaker
Surendra
Singh to Rahul Gandhi “Priyanka Gandhi wears jeans and top in Delhi but when she comes to rural areas she is clad in a sari and wears sindoor,”
is not a chowkidar for poor people. Modi is chowkidar for Anil Ambani and rich people only.” -Congress leader Rahul Gan-
-BJP member Harish Dwivedi on
dhi on PM Modi’s ‘Chowki-
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
dar’ campaign
discourse between political opponents, with no hope of real issues being addressed by the political class. They say politicians care about the common man only before the elections, and forget them later. An article by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) says: “we are now witnessing the resurfacing of the anti-democratic urge in the world’s oldest and largest democracies. All means, it would seem, are fair to block those who are disliked by the disinherited, disentitled and dethroned.” Ujjwal, a teacher at the Mentor
Centre of Excellence who votes in Bihar’s Motihari Lok Sabha constituency, said: “I feel the political discourse in the country has degenerated into a mud-slinging match where political leaders only try to tarnish each other’s image. They use unacceptable words against each other which destroy the dignity of the whole democratic system. Rules should be framed to make the political discourse more tempered and relevant.” Neelam Ahuja, a store manager at Reliance Brands Pvt. Ltd who votes in the Bhabanipur constituency in Kolkata,
said: “It’s not only the campaign which is negative. Politicians only want to polarize voters for their electoral gains. They are not connected to the grassroots voters and are not aware of their problems. All they do during rallies is make tall promises and diss their opponents which doesn’t really solve anyone’s problems.” Experts feel that politicians go overboard with their bluster during political campaigns. They should be more restrained as making personal comments against political opponents is seen as bad behaviour that sets a wrong example for people who want to enter politics. This complaint against the political class is not unfounded, feel the experts. Making distasteful comments against Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other politicians, coupled with the trend of dubbing anyone who speaks against the government ‘anti-national’, is a new phenomenon. Retired bank manager Das echoed the sentiment. “No party is worried about the problems of the common man. People must ask them tough questions about our problems and how will they solve those problems?” The ORF article suggested calling on the Election Commission ”to step in to ensure that the democratic process is not perverted by myopic politics”. pranay.p@iijnm.org
News Briefs National lThe Nirmohi Akhara, Ayodhya, on Monday moved an application in the Supreme Court finding fault with the mediation proceedings that took place on March 13.“The appellant (Akhara) participated in the proceedings before the mediation panel held at Faizabad on March 13. However, with utmost respect to this Honourable Court as well as the panel of mediators appointed by this court, the proceedings have left a lot to be desired,” the Akhara claimed. International lActing Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan on Monday said he has authorised $1 billion to build part of the wall sought by President Donald Trump along the US-Mexico border. The amount will go towards building 92 km of 18-foot fencing, improving roads and other measures along the border. Earlier, Trump had declared national emergency over the border wall demand. Business lFugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Tuesday asked in a tweet why the banks are not taking his money as it will help them save Jet Airways. He also criticised the government for not doing anything for Kingfisher Airlines. This comes after the government announced that Jet Airways will get immediate funding support of Rs.1,500 crore by lenders.
Around the City
BEAT THE HEAT: With a big rise in average temperatures, Bengalureans find it difficult to step out. Those who venture out stop by at stalls selling fruit juice and tender-coconut water. The maximum temperature in Bengaluru for the next week will average 35 degrees Celsius. Coastal Karnataka and north interior Karnataka could receive thunderstorms with gusty winds along with lightning at isolated places. | Credit- Oisika Dev
lGraffiti GamiFYI’d@ Cubbon Park Metro, 30th March, Saturday, 11am lStorytelling For Kids@ Dialogues Koramangala , South Bangalore,31st March, Sunday 3pm lAdhyaya 2019 presents ‘AGNI’ @ Ada Ranga Mandira: Bengaluru, 29th March, Friday 7 pm lIC B ’ s B e g i n n e r 3 W e e k Improv Course@ Smart studio, 7th April, Sunday 10am lBig step 4 + one - A two Weeken d Theatre Program, WeMove Theatre: Bengaluru, 6th A pril, Saturday 5 pm
CITY
The Observer Tuesday, March 26, 2019
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Poor BMTC bus frequency hits us hard, complain commuters Appeals to officials to increase buses go unheard Ileena Dutta
B
MTC passengers face difficulties due to poor bus frequency in many areas. They say BMTC officials have not heeded their numerous complaints. “It is difficult to reach office on time amidst the heavy traffic and poor frequency of buses in the route Kodipalya to Majestic. Most days, I give up and take an auto to the nearest Metro station that costs me double the bus fare. This is not possible every day. I have informed the Bengaluru Bus Prayaanikara Vedike, a bus passengers association’, as I am new to the city,” Anish Gupta, an IT professional, informed The Observer. According to a Deccan Herald report, Bengaluru has only 6,634 buses to address the commuting requirements of the city’s 1.2 crore people. Commuters are hopelessly trapped in gridlocks for long hours.
BU session was useful for us: Student Continued from Page 1 “Lying has become the foundation of the society. This should be changed. Nowadays every party has 15-20% people who have criminal cases against them. We should take a decision not to vote for them.” Shwetha R, a second-year student of Bangalore University, said: “I am a first-time voter and the session was helpful. I now know the importance of NOTA. I have to decide independently rather than get influenced by parents or friends.” Students performed a street play on voting awareness and also made an audio-visual presentation. The campaign is expected to continue for 15 days across the Bangalore University campus and affiliated colleges, according to a press release from the university. abbinaya.s@iijnm.org
Commuters have a harrowing time finding buses as various routes remain under-served by BMTC |Credit: Abbinaya Kuzhanthaivel “Daily I wait for half an hour to get a bus from Devagere to Hemmigepura in order to reach my factory for work. Being a daily wager, it becomes difficult for me if there are no frequent buses. There is no alternative to public buses on the route” said Raheem Ali. According to a Bangalore Mirror report, BMTC busses currently run 70,025 trips with a ridership of 51 lakh. Every bus makes about five to six round trips daily. But the huge crowds seen at bus stops on several under-served stretches of the city are an indication that these numbers are nowhere near meeting Bengaluru’s commuting needs.
“The issue of poor bus frequency is there for long, and we have been trying to convince the BMTC officials to look after this matter, but things go in vain every time. They say that with increasing private vehicles and commuters, roadblocks increase. It is not possible to bring out more buses because of this reason,” said Vinay Sreenivas, a member of Bengaluru Bus Prayaanikara Vedike, an association for the welfare of bus commuters. Saddamhusen B.H., a technical assistant at BMTC informed The Observer: “We introduced three new BMTC routes recently near Electronics City. But we are
aware that this is not enough. Necessary steps will be taken to introduce more buses, especially in the outskirts of Bengaluru for people who commute to the city regularly.” Asish Goswami, a college student, said: “I travel from Bayanpalya to Chikkagowdanapalya, a route that has very few buses. The existing buses are not so swift; they have several stoppages as the conductor stops the bus to issue tickets. The passengers feel agitated when their commute is delayed.” According to unescap.org, a UN website, reliability of the public transport is a major component of commuter decisions to switch to, and continue using, mass transit systems. Increase in frequency provided by fleet augmentation is a means to improve transport reliability. Increased operational efficiencies through a rationalised routing system, better maintenance of vehicles, and safety policies further help improve transport reliability while maintaining its efficiency. ileena .d@iijnm.org
Citizen’s Voice Water scarcity in Bengaluru I would like to draw the attention of the authority towards the burning issue of water crises in Bangalore. Due to scarcity of water in many areas, people are suffering. Especially in areas like tc palaya with colleges around them. Students face difficulty in getting ready for their morning classes. Also, in Kengeri people have to wait in long queues everyday to get water from the water vending machines. Earlier it used to take 5 mins but now people have to wait for hours to get water. Ankruti Ganesh
Pedestrians facing problem
Despite riding motor vehicles on footpath being a punishable offence motorist continue with the menace. As a result pedestrians are forced to use the busy roads which lead to accidents. This is often observed on the Cubbon road and other footpaths which are in the vicinity of Traffic Management Center.This is a situation that needs media’s proper monitoring system. Shrabona Ghosh
Plastic-stone blocks could replace those of cement Inventor: Plastone
is more durable and water-proof
Yohanjali R
B
locks made from plastic along with other waste materials can help build pavements and toilets. Plastone, a combination of plastic and stones, could replace cement in the construction processes. “I can replace cement pavements and blocks as it (Plastone) is more durable, strong and water-proof. It also reduces the maintenance cost,” RajagopalanVasudevan, inventor of Plastone, informed The Observer. He believes his invention can easily solve the issue of plastics use. “Banning plastics is not the solution. Instead, they must be recycled and reused properly.
Many say that disposal of plastics is a problem. I say give them to us, we will make plastic roads with no potholes and Plastone to build toilets,” he said. Talking on the non-biodegradability of plastics, Vasudevan, a Padma Shri awardee, said “Even rocks and water are not biodegradable, but we don’t ban them. We find alternative uses for them, right? The same must be done with plastics.”
According to government data, 25,940 tonnes of plastic waste is produced every day in India. Delhi produces the maximum waste of 689 tonnes, followed by Chennai (429 tonnes) and Kolkata (425 tonnes). Bengaluru stands fifth with 313 tonnes of plastic waste produced daily. Hariharan S, a site supervisor for the extension of Namma Metro on Mysuru Road, said: “It seems nice. If Plastone is used, it would not only benefit us but also the environment. We are completely ready to accept and adapt this big change.” Several construction workers were also optimistic about the plastic blocks.Raghu Ram, a
construction worker at the same site where Hariharan works, said “Blocks made of plastic sounds nice. If that is made possible, definitely our burden will be reduced as they won’t weigh much and will be easy to carry.” Manikandan, a construction worker, has a different view. “How will a block made from plastic be strong? It’s not possible. Cement and bricks are rigid, while plastic can be melted and bent. It’s doesn’t stand a chance against concrete,” he said. A high government official who didn’t want to be named told The Observer: “Some have started using plastic blocks for construction. It’s still on trial. Once the durability of the Plastone is proved, we can all start using it. Plastone is definitely lighter, making the construction work easier and faster.” yohanjali.r@iijnm.org
CITY
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The Observer Thursday, March 26, 2019
Miners protest against government restrictions Say e-auction is robbing their livelihood
Pranay Prakash
T
housands of miners and their dependents from Karnataka’s mining districts on Tuesday protested in Bengaluru against government policies that restrict mining in the state. The people who came to protest are either directly employed in the mines or in ancillary industries like transportation, loading, cleaning and sorting of raw material, or their livelihoods are indirectly linked to mines in the region. Protesting against the government’s apathy to amending the rules governing mining in the state, Sirajuddin, a contract wagon-loader in Chitradurga district, said: “Karnataka has mining permission from the central government, the state government, the Supreme Court and even the National Green Tribunal. But arbitrary restrictions imposed on the export of
City Speaks lRakesh S @BBMP_MAYOR My form 6 application was processed within 11 days.Thanks to ECI and our PM for helping citizens through NVSP,it’s superfast. Also thankful to BBMP officials of Yeshwanthpur and Kengeri. lVishal Agarwal Garbage being burnt at Sri circle, st. Johns rd, Shivan Shetty gardens, @citizenmatters @ BBMPCOMM @BBMP_MAYOR has become a regular practice from last few days. Highly polluting and hazardous to health. Garbage trucks are leaving lot of left overs near the circle. Making a mess. lSubramanyam Gupta @BBMP_MAYOR one more vehicle stuck at 1st Main road, Bethel Nagar, KR Puram. Due to negligence of BBMP after digging the road. Can BBMP take care of public safety after digging the road?
The people who came to protest are either directly employed in the mines or in ancillary industries | Credit: Pranay Prakash iron ore, coupled with import of iron ore from other states and countries, have impacted mining operations in Chitradurga and other districts. Our raw material is not competitively priced in the market, and industries in Karnataka tend to avoid buying our products. They import iron ore from other states or countries like Australia, China or Africa but do not buy from local mining operations within the state.” The protest at Freedom Park, organized by the Karnataka Gani Avalambithara Vedike (KGAV), saw participation from around 6,000 truck owners, truck driv-
ers, wagon-loading contractors, machine operators, porters and various other people who had come from Bellary, Chitradurga and Hospet. The protesters said the government’s e-auction method for iron ore is preventing them from earning a sustainable livelihood. Because of e-auction, mines do not get regular orders for supply of raw materials. Viresh Koti, a transporter operating 300 trucks from Chitradurga district said: “We cannot sell ore to other states because of restrictions imposed by the state government, but facto-
ries in Karnataka are allowed to import ore from other states. Restrictions that were imposed by the SC have been lifted and mining states like Odisha and Goa have started exporting their ore to other states but we are not able to do that. The government should help the mining industry in Karnataka.” Murugesh BSV, owner of an earthmover business, said that they incur a loss of around Rs 2025 lakh a month when the mine doesn’t have any orders to fulfil. “We depend on the mine getting orders. We still pay the salaries of machine operators, drivers and labourers employed with us even though there is no work for five-six months in a year.” Talking to The Observer, Karnataka Gani Avalambithara Vedike spokesperson Rajakumara S said that they may consider stepping up the protest if the government does not listen to their demands. “We might sit on a hunger strike if the government doesn’t listen to our demands. We are also planning to send a delegation to Delhi.” pranay.p@iijnm.org
Martial arts help young people in B’luru with mental health issues Oisika Dev
D
octors in Bengaluru are recommending that adolescents suffering from mental health issues learn martial arts because they help to cure depression. “Most teenagers these days suffer from mental illnesses. Martial arts is a form of exercise. It helps children to increase their concentration power. Physical activity helps people a lot with depression. Martial arts help adolescents to develop a sense of control and decisiveness and eventually help them to surpass the obstacles in their life,” Dr.B.S. Sheela, a psychiatrist, informed The Observer. Nearly 150 million Indians aged 13 and above are likely to be suffering from one or more mental health problems and need treatment, according to a survey done by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosci-
Martial arts help to cure depression | Courtesy: Pexels ences. .The survey team interviewed nearly 40,000 individuals, including 1,200 adolescents, from 12 states. “I have been suffering from depression since I was in class 10. I couldn’t perform well in my class 10 board examinations. My parents took me to a counsellor but in vain. Finally, one of my friends suggested I learn martial arts. Since then, I have been a lot better,” said Palak Jain, a college student. According to a study done by NIMHANS, the psychotherapeutic
benefits of karate have been the focus of a lot of research in the past years. It shows that long-term training causes positive psychological and social adjustments. Karate may be viewed as formalized, refined systems of human potential training which provide interesting, practical models of intervention. “Last year, there were almost 20 students suffering from various mental disorders. We decided to start a special batch for them. Martial arts enable teenagers to diffuse emotions and relieve tension a lot. The training is also useful in increasing their selfcontrol, self- esteem and confidence,” said Ritesh Reddy, a trainer who has taught martial arts for 10 years. According to research done by IndoAmerican Institutions, Asian karate has traditionally emphasized self-improvement, and self-control. oisika.d@iijnm.org
Ola back on city roads Continued from Page 1
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he notice added, “Prior to this, a notice must be sent to the company in question. Hence on February 15, 2019, the Transport Department had sent Ola a notice, asking the company to respond to the findings of the probe. Ola sent its reply on March 3, 2019. As Ola’s reply was not satisfactory, and did because it not provide any evidence which proved it did not violate the norms, the transport department on March 18 has decided to suspend the company’s licence for six months”. The company agreed to pay a penalty of Rs 15 lakh for violation of aggregator rules by operating bike taxis. According to an Economic Times report, Ola responded: “We are glad that the issue stands resolved and we regret any inconvenience caused to our driver partners and passengers since Friday.” Kathyayini Chamaraj, executive trustee of CIVIC, a citizen’s initiative to discuss civic problems, said citizens and cab drivers would have been affected by the ban. “The government should not implement a sudden complete ban without any information. If Ola ran bike taxis, the ban should be on bike taxis, not on other services. It is good that the government has lifted the ban. The government shouldn’t punish commoners for the company’s mistake.” In December 2014, Ola, Uber and other app-based cab service providers were issued notice by the Delhi government for operating without licence. The Delhi High Court lifted the ban in July 2015 after a plea. abbinaya.s@iijnm.org
WEATHER
Minimum Temperature: 21 degrees Celsius Maximum Temperature: 35 degrees Celsius
OBSERVER TEAM Editor- Ileena Dutta Page Layout: Shrabona Ghosh, Yohanjali R, Abbinaya Kuzhanthaivel