Inspired by Jignesh Mevani, many activists in Karnataka set to entre poll fray

News Network
February 6, 2018

Bouyed by the triumphant win of Dalit activist Jignesh Mevani in recent Gujarat polls, many social activists in Karnataka have shown keen interest in testing their luck in the upcoming state legislative elections.

Ravi Krishna Reddy, an anti-corruption activist who is associated with Aam Aadmi Party; C S Dwarakanath, an advocate and former chairperson of Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes; V Nagaraj, a Dalit activist; Linge Gowda, an anti-liquor activist; and K S Puttannaiah, a farmers’ leader and incumbent MLA, are among those who are readying themselves for the polls.

Among them Mr Reddy and Mr Gowda have completed over two-and-a-half-months of door-to-door campaign in Jayanagar Assembly segment in Bengaluru and Maddur constituency in Mandya, respectively.

“We may be known to 50 lakh people across the State, but what matters is people who vote in a particular constituency, where we never concentrate and work,” said Mr. Reddy. He learned this lesson in the three earlier polls he had contested, and lost.

Even though the upcoming elections in Karnataka is likely to be a hotly contested election between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, these independent voices believe that there is hunger for alternative politics among people and social activism must articulate that alternative, argue activists.

A senior leader from Swaraj India, a political party formed out of Swaraj Abhiyan led by Yogendra Yadav, said they have identified over five candidates — all activists working in Chitradurga, Koppal and other districts. The list will be finalised soon.

On the other hand, many activists are also urging caution as they are worried that they will only cause votes to split, benefiting the BJP. They also say that it will be difficult to recreate Mr Mevani’s win in the absence of ground work in specific constituencies.

Noor Sridhar, a former left-wing extremist who is now part of the mainstream, said while alternative politics must be strengthened, forces must also strategise in such a way that they don’t end up benefiting communal forces and splitting votes.

“Activists must contest only in places where they have a social base and are sure of a win,” he said. Brushing aside the possibility of contesting polls he said that his contribution would be only in strengthening social movements.

(With inputs from The Hindu)

Comments

Khasai Khane
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Feb 2018

Congress wins, SIddaramiah becomes CM again, we're all happy.

 

BJP wins, congratulations you have set the stage for Karnataka to be the Next UP. This happens and we will all suffer, which is a good thing, Equal Opportunity. I mean people of Karnataka contributed to the loss that this PM (Pakoda Man) has caused to the country. You ignored that bloody background of Modi and made him PM, just becuase those killed were muslims. You sold your dignity of being Kannadigas, by following Sanghis. You deserve worse than this.

 

shaji
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Feb 2018

My humble request to all of you not to contest separately thereby splitting the votes and helping communal party to win.  We need to save our constitution from the hands of anti nationals and wicked political party.   They want to rule our land even on our dead body and hence are doing politics on dead bodies  We should unite and fight the most anti national and communal party.

Suresh Kalladka
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Feb 2018

Activism just for publicity and political benefits. All are doing the same.

Indrajit P
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Feb 2018

Activism these days is a fashion for the some and a profession for the rest. For semi intellectuals like Jignesh Mevani and Kanhaiya Kumar activism is a means to fool the innocent people who are frustrated of misrule of NDA. By, following their footsteps activists can become leaders like them but they cannot contribute anything to social change. 

Vinod
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Feb 2018

Independent candidates wont win in karnataka, that also BJP

Danish
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Feb 2018

Free Thinkers, intellectuals and activists should come front for our country. If not then Modi will make India upside down by his foolish acts

Sandesh
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Feb 2018

Mevali will become autocrat in future. His attitude like that

Hari
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Feb 2018

Mevali became inspiration for many. Good

Ramya
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Feb 2018

True.. If leaders are not good, not doing anything to society then forget the leaders and party. 

Kumar
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Feb 2018

Now people should change themselves to vote for good cause. They have to forget specific favourite polical party

Ganesh
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Feb 2018

Great.. These move is giving more hope

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News Network
May 9,2020

Kota, May 9: Karnataka Yakshagana Academy has come to the rescue of artists in distress due to cancellation of all Yakshagana festivals following coronavirus outbreak and clamping of lock-down.

The academy spends lakh of rupees every year from the money sanctioned to it on training new artists, performances and documentation. However, no such activity was undertaken due to COVID-19. Hence, the academy is discussing to transfer a large amount of money to Yakshagana artists as emergency aid, Academy President Prof M A Hegde said here.

In a statement issued here on Saturday, he said that along with this aid the donations by the public and Yakshagana admirers too could be given to the artists.

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News Network
February 13,2020

New Delhi, Feb 13: Two SpiceJet pilots have been suspended today for an improper landing at Mangalore Airport which damaged three runway edge lights. The incident took place on October 31 last year when the private carrier's Boeing 737 aircraft was returning from Dubai.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) suspended the licenses of the pilots for four-and-half months from the date of the incident.

DGCA had issued a show cause notice to the Pilot in Command and the First Officer demanding explanation of the "lapses" and found their replies unsatisfactory, the aviation watchdog said in a statement.

Investigation revealed that the touchdown was improper as it deviated to the the left on the runway in turn damaging three runway edge lights.

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coastaldigest.com web desk
July 25,2020

Bengaluru, July 25: A 105-year-old person from Bengaluru’s Basaveshwar Nagar, who was under treatment for covid-19 at a hospital for past five days, breathed his last today. He was a former government account who retired in 1973. He was the oldest known covid-19 patient in the state so far.

Many members of the patient's family are said to be infected and are hospitalised at various facilities. The funeral will be overseen by two uninfected family members.

The patient 74411 died on Saturday morning at around 9 a.m., said Dr Prasanna, Managing Director of Pristine Hospital And Research Centre where the former was admitted.

“The patient was initially doing well when he admitted on July 20. He did not have significant lung changes when he was admitted. However, after three days, his blood pressure started to drop so he was put on oxygen in the ICU. Yesterday morning, with continued deterioration, he was placed on non-invasive ventilator support,” Dr Prasanna said.

“Finally, by last night, his oxygen saturation levels began to plummet abruptly and we had to intubate him for ventilator support. His condition continued to deteriorate, however. The cause of death was respiratory failure and the onset of sepsis,” he added.

Although earmarked for supplies of Remdesivir by the government, the hospital did not receive the drugs. An appeal to Dr K Sudhakar, Minister of Medical Education by the hospital staff resulted in an assurance that the medication would arrive. “However, in the end, we had to source the medication ourselves on Friday,” medical staff said.

Dr Thrilok Chandra, Head, Critical Care Support Unit (CCSU), which oversees the care of critical or vulnerable-aged Covid-19 patients, had said that Patient 74411 had been diagnosed early. “He was identified when the disease was still in the early stages in his body. He only had symptoms of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI), so the symptoms were not severe,” Dr Chandra had said.

“It’s very sad. We were rooting for him to pull through. He had no comorbidities at all. He had been bed-ridden from last year, but he was healthy. His only potential comorbidity was his advanced age,” Dr Prasanna said.

According to government data, 34% of Covid-19 fatalities in India are aged between 60 and 74 years of age. Fourteen per cent are aged above 74.

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