Will Congress field U T Ifthikar from Kasaragod LS seat?

coastaldigest.com web desk
March 13, 2019

Kasaragod/Mangaluru, Mar 13: The Indian National Congress, which has been trying to wrest Kasaragod Lok Sabha constituency from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for past three decades, is reportedly mulling to field U T Ifthikar Ali, younger brother of Karnataka’s minister for urban development and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge U T Khader, in the 17th Lok Sabha elections.  The coastal district of Kerala will go to polls on April 23.

According to party sources, Ifthikar’s name is among a few shortlisted Congress leaders’ names being considered by the high command to be fielded from Kasaragod. The list of aspirants from this segment also includes former Kasaragod MP B Rama Rai, senior advocate Subbaiah Rai and former Kannur MP Abdulla Kutty.

In 2014 Lok Sabha polls Congress had lost to CPI (M) leader  P Karunakaran with a small margin of around six thousand votes in Kasaragod, which has around 13.5 lakh voters including around 60 percent of Hindus and 30 percent of Muslims. Hence Congress is likely to prefer Ifthikar, whose family is known for promoting secularism and communal harmony in coastal Karnataka, sources said.

Even though Ifthikar, who is the Syndicate member of the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka, is currently based in Mangaluru, he is not a stranger for the people of Kasaragod district as his family hails from Uppala region.

On the other hand Kasaragod too shares close ties with Mangaluru. In fact prior to the implementation of States Reorganisation Act, 1956, the present Legislative Assembly seats of Manjeswar, Kasaragod, Udma and Kanhangad in Kasaragod district were part of South Kanara (South) LS constituency of erstwhile Madras State. In 1956, South Kanara (South) LS constituency was replaced by Mangaluru LS constituency, which gradually became Dakshina Kannada constituency. The parts of Kasaragod and Hosdurg (Kanhangad) seats were merged with Kerala and became a part of Kasaragod LS constituency. Kasaragod still has a considerable number of Kannadigas that share an emotional bond with Karnataka.

Despite, hailing from a politically influential family, Ifthikar has so far refrained from electoral politics. However, elections are not new for him. He has been the “poll strategist” for his elder brother who has registered four successive victories in Mangaluru assembly constituency after the demise of his father and four-time MLA U T Fareed in 2007. Besides, Ifthikar enjoys close contact with several bigwigs of Congress including its supremo Rahul Gandhi and former union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. He also has maintained a good relationship with several prominent NRI businessmen from Kasaragod district and heads of educational institutions, hospitals in the region.

He is also a known personality in health, social, educational fields in costal belt of Karnataka and is president of Dakshina Kannada Physiotherapy Teachers Association, Sport & Fitness Training Federation of India and executive committee member of the Indian Association of Physiotherapy. As chairman of U T Fareed Foundation, he has undertaken many charity activities. Being a social activist he is involved in various social service activities.

While contacted, Ifthikar told coastaldigest.com that he has been associated with Congress since his college days and that he would not hesitate to jump into poll fray from Kasaragod if the party high command wishes. “I will abide by the high command’s decision,” he said.

Comments

Kannadiga
 - 
Wednesday, 13 Mar 2019

Kasargod will witness real development if a Kannadiga becomes its MP. Malayalees are showing step-motherly attitude towards the people of Kasargod.

Unni Krishna
 - 
Wednesday, 13 Mar 2019

Not a bad choice. Kasaragod also need some respite from communist politics. Let Congress field this handsome gentleman.

Anand T
 - 
Wednesday, 13 Mar 2019

UTI is the best choice for Kasaragod district. Efficient and people friendly. 

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 17,2020

Mangaluru, May 17: Former health minister U T Khader demanded that the authorities carry out a scientific analysis of the five deaths that occurred due to Covid-19 in Dakshina Kannada. 

“The number of fatalities vis-à-vis the number of positive cases in the district is worrying, and the district administration and health department should not take the matter lightly. Lapses, if any, in dealing with the co-morbidity factors should be addressed, lest it become a major health challenge,” he warned.

Addressing reporters on Saturday, Khader, said only carrying out such types of analysis will help the health department combat the spread of the novel coronavirus in the future. “At present, the only data available with the health authorities here and in the state war room, is the number of people tested and number of positive cases,” Khader said.

“Any strategy to combat Covid-19 must be built around scientific analysis of causes of how the disease is spreading and to do so, concrete efforts must be made to find the source of the cluster at the First Neuro Hospital in Padil. A analysis of reasons that caused the deaths, will also come in handy for the authorities to prepare suitable advisories for the people, who in turn could take informed decisions,” Khader noted.

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News Network
July 15,2020

Kochi, Jul 15: Alisha P Shaji, a commerce student from Kerala's Kochi scored 499 out of 500 in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) class 12 results declared on Monday, wants to pursue a career in economics.

While talking to news agency on Tuesday, she said that she never joined coaching classes.

"I was surprised after knowing the unexpected result. I never expected this, I expected close to 98 per cent. I had five subjects to write but I could attempt only three as two were postponed. I am sad that I could not attempt them, but I am happy that I scored 100 in those subjects. In future, I want to pursue a degree in economics," she said.

"My friends, family and teachers are very supportive and I am thankful to them. I never went to tuitions. I used to study four to five hours a day," she added.

Alisha further said that she wants to give the message that it is okay to start late, but continuity is key to achieve good results.
CBSE on Monday had declared the results for Class 12 examinations 2020.

As per CBSE, with 88.78 per cent pass percentage this year for Class 12, the pass percentage has increased by 5.38 per cent. Last year, the pass percentage was 83.40 per cent. 

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Agencies
June 13,2020

New Delhi, Jun 13: Loss of smell or taste has been added to the list of COVID-19 symptoms, according to the revised clinical management protocols released by the Union Health Ministry on Saturday.

The ministry said that coronavirus-infected patients reporting to various COVID-19 treatment facilities have been reporting symptoms like fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, expectoration, myalgia, rhinorrhea, sore throat and diarrhea.

They have also complained of loss of smell (anosmia) or loss of taste (ageusia) preceding the onset of respiratory symptoms.

Older people and immune-suppressed patients in particular may present with atypical symptoms such as fatigue, reduced alertness, reduced mobility, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, delirium, and absence of fever, the ministry said.

Children might not have reported fever or cough as frequently as adults.

The US's national public health institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), had in early May incorporated "a new loss of taste or smell" in the list of COVID-19 symptoms.

According to the data from Integrated Health Information Platform and Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, portal case investigation forms for COVID 19 (n=15,366), the details on the signs and symptoms reported are (as on June 11), fever (27 per cent), cough (21 pc), sore throat (10 pc), breathlessness (8 pc), Weakness (7 pc), running nose (3pc ) and others 24 pc.

According to the health ministry, people infected by the novel coronavirus are the main source of infection.

Direct person-to-person transmission occurs through close contact, mainly through respiratory droplets that are released when the infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks.

These droplets may also land on surfaces, where the virus remains viable. Infection can also occur if a person touches an infected surface and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

The median incubation period is 5.1 days (range 2–14 days). The precise interval during which an individual with COVID-19 is infectious is uncertain.

As per the current evidence, the period of infectivity starts 2 days prior to onset of symptoms and lasts up to 8 days.

The extent and role played by pre-clinical/ asymptomatic infections in transmission still remain under investigation.

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