Bangladeshi Hindus in Karnataka celebrate Citizenship Amendment Act

coastaldigest.com news network
December 15, 2019

Raichur, Dec 15: A large number of Hindus who had come from Bangladesh and settled in Karnataka’s Raichur district are celebrating the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill-2019, which seeks to give Indian citizenship immigrants from neighbouring countries if they are non-Muslims, was passed in both the Houses of Parliament. President Ram Nath Kovind also gave his assent to the Bill on Dec 13. 

Since then there has been non-stop revelry with colours and crackers around the Durga temple at the “Bangla camp” in Sindhanur taluk in Raichur district.

Even though the contentious CAA has received criticism by civil society groups across the country for being “discriminatory”, it is set to directly benefit about 5,000 people out of the around 20,000 at the Bangla camp, besides indirectly benefiting most families there.

“A large part of the third-generation population that has made Sindhanur home does not have citizenship status as one of their parents does not have citizenship. Now, with this Act, all these people will get citizenship,” said Prasen Raptan, a Bangladeshi Hindu living in Sindhanur. 

Most of the Bengali-speaking population in the camp came from Khulna, Jessore, Dhaka, Barisal and Faridpur areas in Bangladesh. They entered India before or after the 1971 Indo-Pak war. While the government accommodated them in various temporary shelters, they were eventually settled in permanent camps across the country, including the one in Sindhanur, with an allotment of five acres to each family. Permanent camps are in 18 States, including Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and most north-eastern States.

The problem that the community here faced was that only 727 families, accounting for about 4,000 people, had citizenship conferred as part of their settlement package. However, about 200 families that were related or friends with those settled here also migrated, and they did not get the citizenship status as part of their settlement package. In the past two decades or so, marriages took place between these two sets of families. Their children (or the third generation) also did not receive citizenship because both parents were not citizens as per the 1955 Act, Mr. Raptan said.

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News Network
May 22,2020

Bengaluru, May 22: Karnataka government on Thursday announced that weddings scheduled for May 24 and May 31 are exempted from complete lockdown on Sundays.

As per an earlier advisory issued by the State government with regard to weddings, not more than 50 guests shall be allowed and the consumption of liquor on the occasion will be prohibited.

According to the advisory, sanitisers should be provided at the entry and other appropriate places at the venue. Also, thermal screening of all persons shall be conducted at the entry of the venue. The scanner should be held 3-15 cms away from a person's forehead.

Apart from this, the venue shall be "clean and hygienic," and a "nodal person shall be identified for overseeing the arrangements and coordination at the venue."

Also, a list of attendees with contact details has to be maintained and all guests should have downloaded Aarogya Setu app.

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Anusha Bhat | coastaldigest.com
July 24,2020

Mangaluru, Jul 24: Parents in Dakshina Kannada are urging the educational institutions to reduce fees at least by 75% as most of the infrastructure and resources are not being utilized due to online classes. 

“School campuses are now closed. Why we have to pay such a heavy fee when our children are not availing the facilities offered on campus?” asks a Sapna (name changed), a parent, whose two daughters study at a prestigious private school in Mangaluru.  

Even though some schools considered as small players have reduced fees, most of the “prestigious” institutions in the Mangaluru have so far refused to give any discount.

“Apart from paying school fees, now we have to invest in gadgets, internet connections and accessories required for online classes. School administration can use their infrastructure and facilities for other purposes as students are not utilizing them. Hence, they must give us maximum discount during this pandemic,” said another parent.  
 
On the other hand, many parents are facing a dire financial situation due to covid-19 lockdown – while some have suffered losses in their business some have lost their jobs.

Many parents have even approached the education department to ensure that they get a discount in fees from educational institutions, said Dakshina Kannada DDPI Malleswamy.

“We cannot do anything since a government circular has asked educational institutions not to hike fees, which they have not done, and reduce fees if possible, which will never happen. The department is acting against only those schools that forcefully collect fees,” the DDPI said.

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News Network
April 3,2020

Udupi/Mangaluru, Apr 3: As many as 11 liquor addicts in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts have committed suicide, due to non-availability of liquor.

It is said that the District administration, in association with Psychiatrists, have taken the initiative to provide counselling services, along with telemedicine, to the addicts.

Deputy Commissioner G Jagadeesh said on Thursday that arrangements will be made to provide treatments and personal counselling for the liquor addicts.

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