This auto-rickshaw driver helps leprosy patients lead a dignified life

Agencies
October 15, 2017

Kalaburagi, Oct 15: Setting an example of selfless service, an auto-rickshaw driver, Hanmanth Huvanna Devnoor, helps leprosy patients lead a dignified life.

Setting aside eight hours of his day for the patients, Hanmanth has been treating the patients for the last 20 years.
Hanmanth shared his story about how his life changed after his mother got leprosy.

"My mother had leprosy. When my father took her to the doctor, they asked us to not stay with her or eat with her. My parents came home crying. My father in fear of getting affected left me and my mother and went to another village. He never came back. My mother did not have the money, so she begged at the temple to feed me and my sister," said Hanmanth.

"The people of the leprosy colony saw my mother crying and asked her to live with them. No one used to come to stay with these patients, who left their villages and settled here," he added.

It was Hanmanth's mother who inspired him to serve these people.

"Before my mother passed away, she asked me to help and serve these patients. The colony people asked me to work so I took loan and drove auto rickshaw. I keep a part of the money I earn aside for the leprosy patients."

Hanmanth saves a portion of his earnings everyday and provides help to the leprosy patients by dressing their wounds, giving them first aid and also taking them to the government offices to help them in getting benefits of schemes for leprosy patients.

A leprosy patient, Kondabha, who got leprosy in 1972, also entailed how he met Hanmanth.

"Whatever life we are living now, it is because of Hanmanth. As we are not able to work, my wife and children work; Hanmanth also looks after us. It is because of him only that we are living here. Earlier there were small huts, but now we have our homes. And this is because of Hanmanth. We have not got any help from the government."

In 2002, Hanmanth opened the Mahatma Gandhi Leprosy Dispensary Centre in the colony to provide regular dressing to the leprosy patients. He even took basic training from a doctor at the Leprosy Treatment Centre.

India has the world's largest number of persons affected by leprosy.

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News Network
March 19,2020

Belagavi, Mar 19: South Western Railway (SWR) on Thursday increased the fares of the platform tickets at Belagavi, Hubballi and Ballari.

The rate of platform tickets has been increased to Rs 50 with effect from Thursday till March 31, in order to control the crowding at platforms in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

Belagavi, Hubballi, and Bellari were all big stations and maximum number of people, including both passengers and those there to see them off come or to receive them at these railway stations, a SWR official sources said.

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coastaldigest.com news network
June 2,2020

Mangaluru, Jun 2: Even as the mosques in Karnataka recieved green signal from state government to reopen for congregational prayers from June 8, a senior Islamic scholar in coastal Karnataka has encouraged Muslims to prefer to offer prayers at homes during covid times. 

Twaqa Ahmed Al-Azhari, the Qadhi of Mangaluru, has welcomed the state government's decision to allow Muslims to offer congregational prayers including Jum'a prayers with certain precautions and conditions.

"Government has upheld our religions sentiments. All the mosques where congregational prayers will be held from June 8 should strictly follow all the guidelines issued by the government," he said. 

He also suggested that if any mosque is not in a position to follow all the guidelines issued by the government then it should refrain from holding congregational prayers. "Muslims can continue offer Fard and Jumá prayers at homes as the cornavirus pandemic is still spreading in the region and across the world," he said.

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News Network
July 30,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 30: Karnataka reported 83 deaths and 6,128 new cases in the state on Thursday. With this, the total number of cases in the state stood at 1,18,632, the state health ministry said.

Currently, there are 69,700 active cases, while a total of 2,230 people have lost their lives due to the pandemic till now.

There are 15,83,792 confirmed cases across the country. Of them, 5,28,242 cases remain active. While 10,20,582 have recovered, 34,968 patients have lost their lives due to the pandemic.

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