Umbrella Yaga to bag Yagna!

July 2, 2011

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After giving 81 umbrellas to the students of the Gandhi Nagar Primary school to 'induce the rain gods' to give rain which succeeded as it has been raining cats and dogs in Mangalore, we decided to conduct one more of such by giving bags to those of the students who did not have them. Not just any ordinary bags but those with slogans on them to make them think.

There were about 68 students needing them and were handed over those bags on Saturday, July 2 at a small function with a small treat thrown in!

However, we just could not resist bringing a bit of scientific temper into the proceedings! We asked the children whether giving them umbrellas had started the rains!

One boy replied it rained only on the next day. Then I asked him whether the rain was due to them being given umbrellas and there was a chorus of 'no's! Then came a bed of nails with really sharp ones on a plank. It was shown around and the students felt it.

All agreed that the nails were really sharp. Then came the question: who is going to stand on it? As there were no volunteers, we asked the teachers who were the most mischievous boy and girl in the school. They were named, summoned and 'punished' by asking them stand on the bed of nails! They however were smiling!

When we asked them why they said it is not paining at all! The children were surprised and one of them explained why the nails were not piercing the skin. He said because of the large number of nails who were at the same level the weight of person standing gets equally distributed on a number of points!

A point was made about rational thinking and its need.

We also explained the slogans screen printed on the bags- they were two- Hands that help are better than lips that pray. When we asked them the meaning they said they do not know!

Then it was explained to them how it is so. We gave them the example of a person who has slipped and fallen - no amount of prayers can help him to stand and only a hand given to help.

Then we asked them whether they understood the second slogan which said develop rational thinking for the progress of the nation. The answer was again no. It was explained to them how scientific temper helps the country to progress by proper utilisation of resources. It was also explained to them as to why all of them were not given bags or umbrellas.

The teachers had taken care to inspect their bags to see which of them had none and the same was applicable to the umbrellas too. But, we told them that we love them all equally and that the note books given by us at the beginning of the year and the treat following was for all because all of them needed these things.

The funds for these activities have come from a number of individual rationalists who wanted to help children without any rings attached. We do not ask them to sing praises of baba or pray to gods or sing apesn to our diety. We don't force them to say any slogans but we request them only one thing- think before you believe.

We have not put the names of any of the organisations or the donors because we want to make the children happy and help them to the extent possible.


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BG

*The writer is the president of Federation of Indian rationalist Associations

The umbrella yaga

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News Network
January 9,2020

Bengaluru, Jan 9: Some BJP workers created a ruckus on Wednesday at a college here while seeking support for the amended Citizenship Act by raising slogans like 'Go back to Pakistan' outside the campus on Wednesday, as girl students opposed a pro-CAA banner on the wall of their institution.

A video of the incident went viral on social media.

A group of BJP workers, supporters of local party leader M M Govindaraj, had put up a poster "India Supports CAA" on the wall of Jyothi Nivas College near Koramangala.

This was opposed by girl students, who said they would not allow any such poster to be put up on the college property.

The BJP workers then tried to shout down the students.

"You are not concerned about citizenship, you are concerned about yourself. You should be concerned about India first. You are not an Indian then," a BJP worker is heard screaming at the girls in the video.

They also questioned the students if they had valid reasons to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Act and sought to know whether they wanted an argument or a debate.

The BJP workers purportedly told the girls that they were only the students of the college and not the owner.

"What's your problem madam with the CAA? Are you the owner of the college?" they asked.

Amid the heated argument, the BJP workers resorted to sloganeering like 'We want CAA' and "Go back to Pakistan', as seen in another video shot by the students.

BTM Layout Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy visited the college on Thursday after learning about the incident and spoke to its management.

Later, he told reporters that the campus should not be allowed for any political activities.

"Any signature campaign whether in favor or against it (CAA) should be done outside the campus," Reddy said.

He cautioned the pro-CAA protesters he will not let any violent incidents like the one at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi happen at the city college.

Reddy's daughter Sowmya Reddy, who is the Jayanagar MLA, tweeted, "A few videos & photos of outside #JyotiNivascollege are being circulated on social media."

"MLA Ramalinga Reddy & I have spoken to cops and the Prinicipal about this incident. Spoke to DCP South East Bengaluru and she said that Koramangala cops went there immediately & they are picketing even now," she added.

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News Network
June 5,2020

New Delhi, Jun 5: Congress has named Mallikarjun Kharge as its candidate for ensuing biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka.

Party interim president Sonia Gandhi approved Kharge's candidature on Friday, according to a Congress release by general secretary Mukul Wasnik.

The elections to fill the pending 18 Rajya Sabha seats from seven states will be held on June 19.

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coastaldigest.com news network
June 28,2020

Mangaluru/Udupi, June 28: The coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi have recorded 97 and 40 fresh coronavirus positive cases in last 24 hours. 

With the highest single day spike, the total covid-19 positive cases in Dakshina Kannada mounted to 665, among which 272 cases are now active.

So far 313 people have recovered and discharged from the hospitals. 13 covid-19 patients have passed away. Two among them have died due to non covid reasons. 

With the 40 fresh cases, Udupi’s total mounted to 1179, among which only 135 cases are active. 1042 people have recovered and discharged from the hospitals. Two people passed away.

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