This Karnataka mom-daughter duo is set to circumnavigate earth in motor glider

News Network
November 30, 2017

Mysuru, Nov 30: In a first-of-its-kind sojourn to create a world record in a motor glider, a mother-daughter duo from Karnataka’s Mysuru is all set to circumnavigate around the world — 21 countries, covering 51,000 km — in a motor glider.

Capt Audrey Deepika Maben and Amy Mehta will fly around the planet in 80 days, criss-crossing over South East Asia, Japan, Russia, Alaska, North America, Iceland, Greenland, Europe, Iran and Pakistan before touching down in India. The jaunt will begin on February 18, 2018.

Maben’s plane ‘Mahi’ is a Sinus 912 that’s smaller than the size of an average kitchen, can fly around the world in lesser fuel than you need to make it to office and back, and has never been flown by a female pilot; until now. Given the size constraints, the pilot will be unable to fly across the globe with extra clothes and not always have her daughter alongside her, and will have to fly commercial from time to time.

The expedition was announced at the Jakkur Aerodrome on Wednesday. The journey is conceptualised by Social Access Communications as part of their campaign ‘WE! Women Empower’ and is supported by a private TV channel and the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development.

Audrey, who started flying gliders in Jakkur as a 15-year-old NCC cadet, was the first woman microlight aircraft instructor in the country. She also set a record as the only woman ultralight pilot in the Air Race India in 2003.

Nineteen-year-old Amy has flown beside her mother from when she was a child and she is excited to be with her on this mission.

“I will be my mother’s eyes and ears during the journey. I will be looking after social media, where we will post about our journey,” she said.

Amy is a photography student and she will be taking special leave to be on this expedition. “I will be taking pictures and I hope to bring out a photography book at the end of the trip,” she said.

Audrey is now on a nutrition programme and is undergoing strength and endurance training to prepare for the physically and mentally demanding journey. “I am also preparing my children and family for this trip, because everybody perceives this journey as a risk. But I say the roads are much more dangerous than the skies,” Audrey said.

She hopes to empower young girls and women by showing them that they can also fly. The campaign has a crowdfunding drive to create ‘We! Udaan Scholarships’ to support underprivileged girls who want to fly.

Comments

Mohan
 - 
Thursday, 30 Nov 2017

Great expedition. All the best for future plans

Sruti Kotian
 - 
Thursday, 30 Nov 2017

Inspiring. I wish I can do atleast all India tour with my mom

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News Network
June 3,2020

Mangaluru, Jun 3: A banner that read "Veer Savarkar Flyover Pumpwell" surfaced on the sidewall of the Pumpwell flyover in Mangaluru on Tuesday night.

It is suspected that activists of Bajrang Dal put up the controversial banner. Though it was removed later, it sparked debates on social media and photos of it went viral.

The development comes amid the controversy over the naming of a flyover at Yelahanka in Bengaluru after Savarkar.

A Hindutva ideologue, Savarkar has tendered apology to British imperialists and pledged to support them following his arrest during India’s freedom movement.

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News Network
February 17,2020

Kasaragod, Feb 17: A Kerala Muslim couple conducted the wedding of their Hindu foster daughter at a Bhagavathi temple in Kerala, scripting another tale of communal harmony at Kasaragod.

The wedding ceremony was held on Sunday.

The woman Rajeshwari tied the knot with Vishnu Prasad in the presence of family and friends belonging to both Hindu and Muslim communities.

Abdulla and Khadeeja adopted Rajeshwari after her father who worked at Abdulla's farm died. Rajeshwari's mother also passed away when she was a child.

Rajeshwari grew up alongside Abdulla and Khadeeja's three sons- Shameem, Najeeb and Shereef.

Earlier in January this year, cutting across the lines of religion, a mosque in Kerala's Kayamkulam hosted a Hindu marriage ceremony.

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News Network
January 7,2020

Bengaluru, Jan 7: Slogans of ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ rent the air at Town Hall on Monday evening as thousands of students, social activists, lawyers, doctors and theatrepersons among others staged a protest to denounce Sunday’s attack on the students and faculty of New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

“This is unacceptable. As students living in hostels, we are now worried about our safety,” said Prakruthi Kishore, a student of National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru.

Rishi Kumar, a student of Indian Institute of Science, pitched in. “JNU is an extremely protected university located in the national capital. It’s surprising that such an incident occurred amid tight security.”

Delhi police and the government need to wake up and take stringent action against the goons, Kumar said, adding: “Students can’t be treated like puppets. The government needs to act immediately.”

“The government is behaving shamelessly by sending goons to threaten students and professors of JNU,” said Alokanath Pandit, a lawyer.

With “Zor se bolo-azadi, tum din me maaro-azadi, hum raat me ayenge-azadi,” drowning the cacophony of traffic at the intersection, the sloganeering reached a crescendo around 6pm as the protesters raised their hands in a show of solidarity with the beleaguered JNU community.

Theatrepersons Prasanna and Arundathi Nag, farmer leader Kodihalli Chandrashekar and social activists Tara Krishnaswamy and Srinivas Alavilli were present at the protest venue. “It is not fair that educational institutions are now becoming the target. First, they hiked fees and now they are attacking students. What is the government doing,” Arundathi asked.

“JNU has always been an institution which has raised its voice against atrocities across the country as its students harbour no fear. This is an alarm bell for the country and the government to wake up. Students are the future and can’t be targeted,” she added.

Chandrashekar said Narendra Modi is unfit to be the Prime Minister as he doesn’t keep his word. “Modi said he will help farmers but has done nothing for them. He said he will provide employment to students but is now making them furious,” he said.

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