Hike in fuel prices won't be a burden: Siddaramaiah

Udupi, Jul 18: Noted multi-lingual scholar Dr Uliyar Padmanabha Upadhyaya passed away last night at a private hospital in Manipal. The 88-year-old was survived by a son and a daughter.

His wife Susheela Uadhyaya, who was also a multi-lingual scholar, had passed away in January 2014 at the age of 77. The duo had compiled the six-volume Tulu Lexicon. Its first volume was published in 1988 and the last volume in 1997.

Son of Sitaram Upadhyaya, who was a scholar in the court of the Raja of Travancore, Dr Padmanabha was born on April 10, 1932 at Uliyar in Majur Village near Kaup in Udupi district. 

The Upadhyaya couple had conducted serious research work in linguistics and folk culture and produced a number of books-some of them jointly, some individually and some in collaboration with others. 

Dr Padmanabha had acquired three Master of Arts degrees in Sanskrit, Kannada and Linguistics from Madras, Kerala and Pune Universities, Vidwan in Hindi and PhD in Linguistics from the Pune University for his thesis titled “A Comparative Study of Kannada Dialects”.

He was a visiting Professor at the Universities of London and Paris. He knew Hindi, Kannada, Tulu, Malayalam, Tamil, English, French and Olof, the language of Senegal in Africa.

His works include Nanjanagudu Kannada (Vokkaliga Dialect), Coorg Kannada, Kuruba - A Dravidian Language, Kannada - A Phonetic Language, Malayalam Language and Literature (with Ms. Susheela), Effect of Bilingualism on Bidar Kannada, Coimbatore Tamil, Kannada as Spoken by Different Population Groups in Mysore City, Dravidian and Negro African: Ethno Linguistic Study (with Ms. Susheela), Conversational Kannada, Coastal Karnataka and Bhuta Worship: Aspects of a Ritualistic Theatre (with Ms. Susheela).

Also Read: Eminent linguist Dr Susheela P Upadhyaya no more

Bengaluru, Feb 28: “Those who struggle to come up can understand people’s problems better. Yediyurappa is one such leader who has reached this position after a struggle,’’ said former chief minister Siddaramaiah, in praise of Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, who celebrated his 78th birthday on Thursday in Bengaluru.

Siddaramaiah was the only non-BJP leader on the dais, who not only attended the event, but was present throughout. He released a coffee table book, ‘A Leader who Saw Tomorrow’, on Yediyurappa’s life and achievements, compiled by The New Indian Express.

Dwelling on the political spectrum and human relationships, Siddaramaiah said, “Our ideologies are different, but that is limited to politics. Politics should not come between personal relationships.’’ Recalling his association with Yediyurappa, Siddaramaiah said that in 1983, he and Yediyurappa had entered the Assembly for the first time.

“Yediyurappa did not become chief minister just like that. It took years of struggle and hard work. We both have many similarities — neither of us came from political backgrounds. We came up through struggle and those who come from such backgrounds understand people,’’ he said.

Siddaramaiah said that it was Yediyurappa who first became chief minister, and he had reached the post only five years later. “I am five years younger than him, maybe that is the reason,’’ he said on a lighter note. Yediyurappa has become chief minister four times, but I have been chief minister only once, he added. He also spoke about how Yediyurappa had played an important role in bringing the BJP to power in the state, the party’s first government in South India. “Very few leaders know the pulse of the state and Yediyurappa is one among them,’’ he said.

In a development which highlights the diversity in the United Kingdom’s legal system, a 40-year-old Muslim woman has become the first hijab-wearing judge in the country.

Raffia Arshad, a barrister, was appointed a deputy district judge on the Midlands circuit last week after 17-year career in law.  

She said her promotion was great news for diversity in the world’s most respected legal system. She hopes to be an inspiration to young Muslims.

Ms Arshad, who grew up in Yorkshire, north England, has wanted to work in law since she was 11.

Ms Arshad said the judicial office was looking to promote diversity, but when they appointed her they did not know that she wore the hijab.

‘It’s definitely bigger than me,” she told Metro newspaper. "I know this is not about me.

"It’s important for all women, not just Muslim women, but it is particularly important for Muslim women."

Ms Arshad, a mother of three, has been practising private law dealing with children, forced marriage, female genital mutilation and other cases involving Islamic law for the past 17 years.

She was the first in her family to go to university and has also written a leading text on Islamic family law.

Although the promotion by the Lord Chief Justice was welcome news for her, Ms Arshad said the happiness from other people sharing the news was “far greater”.

“I’ve had so many emails from people, men and women," she said.

"It’s the ones from women that stand out, saying that they wear a hijab and thought they wouldn’t even be able to become a barrister, let alone a judge."

Ms Arshad is regularly the subject of discrimination in the courtroom because of her choice to wear the hijab.

She is sometimes mistaken for a court worker or a client.

Ms Arshad said that recently she was asked by an usher whether she was a client, an interpreter, and even if she were on work experience.

“I have nothing against the usher who said that but it reflects that as a society, even for somebody who works in the courts, there is still this prejudicial view that professionals at the top end don’t look like me,” she said.

A family member once advised her to not wear a hijab at an interview for a scholarship at the Inns of Court School of Law in 2001, warning that it would affect her chances of landing the role.

“I decided that I was going to wear my headscarf because for me it’s so important to accept the person for who they are," Ms Arshad said.

"And if I had to become a different person to pursue my profession, it’s not something I wanted.”

The joint heads of St Mary’s Family Law Chambers said they were “delighted” to hear the news of her appointment.

“Raffia has led the way for Muslim women to succeed in the law and at the bar, and has worked tirelessly to promote equality and diversity in the profession,” Vickie Hodges and Judy Claxton said.

“It is an appointment richly deserved and entirely on merit, and all at St Mary’s are proud of her and wish her every success.”