Endosulfan: Mothers' agitation gains momentum

[email protected] (CD Network)
April 30, 2012

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Kasargod, April 30: The agitation by mothers of hapless endosulfan victims in Kasargod district appears to be picking up momentum with more and more organisations coming forward to express their solidarity with the aggrieved persons.

They have accused the State government of having failed to fulfil its assurances on an enhanced relief and rehabilitation package in a time-bound manner.

Most of the assurances by successive governments have remained on paper, driving the victims and their families to frustration, said office-bearers of the Kasaragod People's Forum and leading cultural activists, addressing the mothers of the victims as the strike entered the 10th day on Sunday.

The agitation is sponsored by the Endosulfan Satyagraha Samithi. It was decided at a meeting to launch a massive campaign on May 3 and submit a detailed memorandum enlisting the unfulfilled promises to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy during his visit here on May 10, said forum president M. K. Radhakrishnan, presiding over the fast near the collectorate premises here on Sunday.

Forum activists V. Gopinathan, V.V. Prabhakaran, V.D. Joseph, M. Padmakshan, E. Chandrasekharan Nair, besides social and cultural activists Subaida Neeleswaram, Narayanan Periya, among others, addressed the fasting mothers.

The Democratic Youth Federation of India will observe a day-long hartal on May 5 in areas falling under the worst affected 11 panchayat, where the victims are leading a life of agony and trauma in the aftermath of indiscriminate aerial spraying of endosulfan in the cashew estates of the State-owned Plantation Corporation of Kerala.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishath Kasaragod district unit at Vellikoth in Kanhangad on Sunday expressed solidarity with the mothers' agitation, and demanded that the State government initiate steps to solve the problems faced by their families.

In a resolution at the close of the two-day meeting, the parishath urged the government to meet the mothers' demands. Implementation of relief and rehabilitation packages should get top priority.

The parishath criticised the Health Ministry's stand of overruling a study done by the Government Medical College, Kozhikode, on the health hazards posed by endosulfan.

The study report had been submitted before the Supreme Court.

The organisation demanded that the huge stock of endosulfan kept in the godowns of the Plantation Corporation of Kerala in the district be destroyed. Steps should be taken to promote organic farming to supplement the efforts of the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute and the Krishi Vigyan Kendra. It demanded that the district administration conserve rivers with the participation of people to address water scarcity.

T.K. Devarajan was elected president of the parishath's district unit and B.S. Babu Secretary.


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News Network
March 9,2020

Hubli, Mar 9: A Hubli court on Monday rejected the bail application of three Kashmiri students, who were booked for sedition, after their video allegedly raising pro-Pakistan slogans went viral.

The plea was filed under Section 439 of CrPC.

This comes after the Hubli Bar Association earlier withdrew its resolution against representing the three Kashmiri students and said that advocates who wish to appear for them can approach Dharwad Principal District Court to file bail plea.

The three students are Basit Ashik Sophi (19), Talib Majid (19) and Amir Mohiuddin (23). They were booked under sedition charges for raising pro-Pakistan slogan in a video shared on social media.

They were earlier transferred to Belgaum Hindalga jail from Hubli sub-jail and the case, registered in Gokul Road police station, was also transferred to the rural police station because the video was recorded in the college hostel room, which is in its jurisdiction.

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News Network
June 11,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 11: A love triangle took a violent turn when a final-year engineering student was assaulted by both her current and former lovers. She's now battling for her life in the ICU, police said. 

For the 22-year-old woman, who lives in Sidedahalli, it was a case of fast-changing relationships. She broke up with a fellow student Babith, 21, a few months ago after having dated him for four years. Four months ago, she started seeing another collegemate named Rahul, 22, and everything seemed fine. 

On June 7, she went to Rahul's house, ostensibly for his birthday party, after informing her parents. Babith got wind of it and barged into Rahul's house. The trio got into an argument, and Rahul abused and assaulted her. 

The woman decided to leave him, and went with Babith to his house in Chikkabanavara, North Bengaluru. But things didn't end there. Babith picked an argument with her. Things became so bad that he attacked her with a helmet. 

He then panicked and called her parents, asking them to take her home. When her parents arrived, they found only Babith, his mother and sister in the house. Babith's family directed them to a bedroom where she was lying motionless, with her face being badly wounded. 

When her parents demanded to know what had happened, nobody responded. They took her to a hospital where her condition remains serious. A while later, Babith came to the hospital and gave her parents the key of her scooter. He told them what had happened and allegedly warned them against filing a police complaint. 

Her mother, however, filed a complaint with the jurisdictional Soladevanahalli police. According to her, Babith had fought with her daughter at their house for not taking his phone calls six months ago. 

Shashikumar N, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North), said both the men had been arrested and that further investigations are underway. 

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News Network
July 15,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 15: Karnataka Congress Chief D K Shivakumar on Wednesday urged the Ministers in the state to visit Covid-19 designated hospitals and instil confidence among patients, doctors and medical staff there.

Noting that doctors, nurses and others were doing a great job, Shivakumar said the government has to stand with them and instil confidence in them. Speaking to reporters after visiting Victoria hospital, a major dedicated Covid hospital in the city, he said, "All the Ministers have to go to hospitals and instil confidence in the staff, patients.... they have to remove fear and tell them we will have to live with this (virus), and cannot escape from it."

Shivakumar said he believes that by instilling confidence most part of the diseases can be cured. He lauded doctors, paramedical and other staff working at the Hospital for the sake of patients, putting their own life at risk and appreciated facilities provided there.

During the visit, the state Congress President interacted with patients undergoing treatment for Covid-19, also medical staff and doctors. He said at Victoria hospital patients were allowed to use mobile phones, so that they can speak to family members, which has to an extent instilled confidence among them, and the same has to be replicated across the state.

Not wishing to comment on complaints about the quality of facility and PPE kits provided at the hospital, also alleged misappropriation on part of the government in the purchase of equipment for Covid treatment, Shivakumar said, "....let's see that at Vidhana Soudha (seat of state's legislature)." He said, "this is not the time to talk about corruption and other things, this is not the time for it....instilling confidence among patients, doctors and paramedical staff is important now."

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