Dr. S.V. Narasimhan, a family physician based at Virajpet in Kodagu district, is an avid birder, nature lover, adept at computers, Karnatak music and astronomy.
Author of Feathered Jewels of Coorg, a field-guide to 310 species of birds found in Coorg, Dr. Narasimhan is the pioneer in spreading wildlife conservation messages through his unique hand-painted Wildlife Message Cards that are sent free to individuals throughout the world to mark the Wildlife Week.
Total number of hand-painted cards made by him this year is 1,930; in 36 years, 72,655 cards. Total recipients this year including Star of Mysore – 1,010; in 36 years – 13,004 persons.
The Special Wildlife Messenger of this year is Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) — This is the most common garden bird of India. It has a black chest that is turned forwards and has bright red patches on the cheeks and vent. Melodiously vocal, it feeds on fruits, nectar and small insects.
Bulbuls are mostly monogamous. They build an open cup-shaped nest made of rootlets and leaves lined with soft fibre. They live for about 10-11 years.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / October 20th, 2020
Visitors look at the vast range of antique utensils and other items exhibited from the collection of Ponnacchana Madhu in Madikeri on Friday.
She was speaking after inaugurating the exhibition of antique items from the collection of Ponnacchana Madhu at Coffee Krupa building near Raja Seat in Madikeri on Friday. The exhibition a part of Janapada Dasara, was organised by Taluk Janapada Parishat.
“The items that were used by our ancestors had scientific applications. Some utensils in the older days were designed to improve the health of people. Unfortunately, the young generation is forgetting the significance of the livelihood of their ancestors,” she added.
Zilla Janapada Parishat president B G Anantashayana said that the folklore was close to nature. Folklore is a form of knowledge. But, the modernity has been taking us away from this knowledge, he added.
Taluk Janapada Parishat president Anil H T said that Ponnacchana Madhu, the exhibitor, had collected rare items in the last three years.
These items will be on display till October 26. The work by Madhu and Preethu couple is laudable, he added.
Collector and Exhibitor Ponnacchana Madhu said that he purchased old items in the households, after convincing the elders in the houses. Many tourists have been willing to purchase them from me. However, they are not for sale. The collection began with an old lamp contributed by an old lady called Arifa Munavar, a scrap dealer in Madikeri.
Taluk Janapada Parishat Treasurer Ambekal Navin Kushalappa, Parishat Directors Savita Rakesh and Veenakshi were present.
Exquisite collection
The collection showcases traditional weapons, a 120-year-old mud bowl, an ancient lamp from a temple in Tamilnadu with 84 diyas, puja items, African dolls, bronze items, utensils, coffee grinding machines and so on.
The agricultural equipment are an added attraction.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State / by DHNS, Madikeri / October 17th, 2020
The doors of diplomacy were not welcoming of women for a good part of the 20th century.
Until 1946, the UK did not allow women into its foreign service. The foreign and commonwealth office was apprehensive about British prestige being endangered abroad as it felt that a foreign government would perceive it as an insult to conduct diplomacy with a woman diplomat.
Some believed : “A clever woman would not be liked, an attractive woman would not be taken seriously.”
Both the UK and the US had rules which stipulated that a female diplomat should resign from service after her marriage.
The situation in India was not too different in the 20th century and this is the story of C.B. Muthamma, the first woman to join the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). She encountered sexism right from the initial interview conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and had to fight for her promotions and seniority even after putting in years of service.
Muthamma excelled in the UPSC examinations conducted in 1948. During her interview, she was in for a rude shock when the chairman of the UPSC tried to dissuade her from joining the IFS. Muthamma alleged that he later admitted that he had used his authority to ensure that she was awarded low marks in the viva voce. Soon after being inducted into the IFS, she was asked to sign an undertaking that she would resign when she gets married.
In 1979, she petitioned the Supreme Court after she was denied ambassadorship and promotion to grade I of the IFS despite an unblemished record. More importantly, the court’s attention was drawn to two misogynistic service rules of the IFS.
Rule 8(2) of the Indian Foreign Service (Conduct and Discipline) Rules, 1961 stipulated that a woman member of the service had to obtain permission from the government before marrying and the government could ask her to resign if it was satisfied that her “family and domestic commitments” would affect her performance. Rule 18(4) of the Indian Foreign Service (Recruitment, Cadre, Seniority and Promotion) Rules, 1961 stipulated that no married woman had a right to be a member of the IFS.
During the course of the hearing, the government informed the court that it had repealed Rule 18(4). However, the solicitor general defended Rule 8(2) by contending that the rule intended to prevent married women from leaking confidential information and thereby endanger security. This contention exposed how misogynistic the government was. The rule rested on an absurd premise that a married man was unlikely to leak confidential information while a married woman could not be trusted! Also, the rule presumed that it was only a woman who could have “family and domestic commitments” after marriage which could affect her performance.
As the case progressed, the government perhaps felt that the court was not inclined to accept its justification of the rule and hence assured the court that the rule was all set to be deleted and the same would be announced in the official gazette.
Interestingly, after Muthamma challenged the denial of promotion, the government suddenly retracted its assessment that she was not meritorious enough to be appointed as an ambassador. Before the court pronounced its verdict, she was appointed as the ambassador to The Hague and the government even assured the court that her seniority, which was affected by the late promotion, would be restored.
As the government addressed/promised to address, the issues raised in the petition while the case was pending, the court did not have to issue directions to the government. However, Justice Krishna Iyer, who authored the judgment, pointed out that Rule 8(2) and Rule 18(4) were unconstitutional as they violated the principles of equality and non discrimination enshrined in Articles 14, 15 and 16 of the Constitution. He began the judgement with the following line :
“This writ petition by Miss Muthamma, a senior member of the Indian Foreign Service, bespeaks a story which makes one wonder whether Articles 14 and 16 belong to myth or reality”.
He observed that “masculine hubris” haunted the Ministry of External Affairs and described the rules as misogynous and a hangover of a culture of masculinity which suppressed women. The judgment urged the government to remove “stains of gender discrimination” from all the service rules without waiting for “ad hoc inspirations” from petitions filed in the court.
Muthamma’s story suggests that calling out misogyny in the language of rights and constitutional values can act as a powerful nudge. By publicising the discrimination, she effectively abashed the foreign service and forced it to introspect. Also, her efforts enabled the Supreme Court to condemn misogyny in service rules and this judgement has served as a guiding precedent for courts while deciding cases of gender discrimination.
Rahul Machaiah is a post graduate student of law at Azim Premji University, Bangalore.
Featured image credit: Wikipedia (Editing: LiveWire)
source: http://www.livewire.thewire.in / Live Wire / Home> Gender & Sexuality / by Rahul Machaiah / October 14th, 2020
DGP Praveen Sood visited Kodagu on Sunday, as part of his tour to all the districts to boost the morale of police in Covid-19 pandemic situation, at a time when 150 police personnel in Kodagu alone are tested positive for coronavirus and 31 cases are active.
DGP Praveen Sood and IGP Southern Range Vipul Kumar during their visit to Kodagu on Sunday
Kodagu:
DGP Praveen Sood visited Kodagu on Sunday, as part of his tour to all the districts to boost the morale of police in Covid-19 pandemic situation, at a time when 150 police personnel in Kodagu alone are tested positive for coronavirus and 31 cases are active.
According to Praveen Sood, as many as 8,000 police personnel in the State are tested positive for Covid-19 so far and, 1,500 cases are active, and 72 police personnel lost their lives.
According to IGP Southern Range Vipul Kumar who accompanied Praveen Sood, in southern range alone including Mysuru, Kodagu, Chamarajnagar, Mandya and Hassan, as many as 794 police personnel are tested positive for Covid-19 and 181 cases are active and seven police personnel lost their lives.
Praveen Sood also held a district level review meeting of Police Department on Sunday in Kodgu. He said the Covid-19 cases in Kodagu are comparatively less. (Kodagu has registered 3115 Covid-19 positive cases, 574 cases are active and there are 48 deaths so far). Damages are lesser during floods and landslides during heavy southwest monsoons this year (from 5 August to 10 August), compared to past two years. He lauded the efforts of police in handling Covid-19 pandemic situation and also on their role in handling natural disaster situation in Kodagu.
He also said they are taking all measures to root out drug menace completely in the State. When contacted, Kodagu SP Kshama Mishra said Kodagu police have registered 22 cases related to growing, selling and circulation of marijuana and other drugs in Kodagu district this year.
On allegations of parties involving drugs at homestays and resorts in Kodagu, she said that no such cases are found this year.
source: http://www.thehansindia.com / The Hans India / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Hans News Service / October 05th, 2020
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Ganapathy, IPS, to the post of Director General, BCAS, for a tenure up to his superannuation on February 29, 2024, the order said.
Senior IPS officer M A Ganapathy has been appointed as the Director General of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), according to a Personnel Ministry order issued on Tuesday. He is a 1986 batch IPS officer of Uttarakhand cadre.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Ganapathy, IPS, to the post of Director General, BCAS, for a tenure up to his superannuation on February 29, 2024, the order said. The post of BCAS chief fell vacant after Rakesh Asthana was appointed as the Director General of Border Security Force in August.
source: http://www.news18.com / News18 India / Home> India / by PTI / New Delhi, October 06th, 2020
‘Cauvery Pade’ (Cauvery Force), an all-women Police team to tackle crimes against women and children in Kodagu district, was launched by Kodagu SP Kshama Mishra here on Thursday last.
Speaking on the occasion, Kshama Mishra said that the team will have two Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs) and 16 other Police personnel.
“The Force will act against atrocities and crimes against children, girls and women. The Force will make regular rounds around schools and colleges, accommodations where there are more number of women and other women-dominated places and will act against anyone found behaving in an obscene or indecent way and harassing or stalking women,” she said.
Continuing, the SP said that ‘Cauvery Pade’ has been formed on the lines of ‘Abbakka Pade’ in Udupi, ‘Obavva Pade’ in Chitradurga and ‘Chamundi Pade’ in Mysuru. The patrol team will make rounds from 8 am to 6 pm in the limits of all prominent Police Stations of the district, focussing on schools and colleges for ensuring the safety of girl students.
The members of the public can call 100 in case of trouble or distress, she said and added that the mobile numbers of all the eighteen personnel attached to this women Police team, will be announced soon as the higher authorities issue them.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / October 06th, 2020
Poonam Chattoo with her husband and Real Kashmir owner Sandeep Chattoo.
Over the past couple of seasons, Real Kashmir FC have been a beacon of joy for the people in India’s northernmost union territory.
A club that beat many odds to gain promotion to the I-League, mounted a title charge against all expectations in its first season in top-flight football and overcame the challenges posed by lockdown to achieve higher standards.
The men’s team has brought smiles to their people. And now it’s the women’s turn. At the helm is Poonam Chattoo, a Karnataka native who made Kashmir her home after her marriage to RKFC owner Sandeep Chattoo three decades ago.
“My parents are coffee planters settled in Kodagu after my father retired from the Food Corporation of India. It’s been a long journey from Kodagu to Kashmir, both diverse culturally, geographically and climatically, but I am grateful for the love and affection I have received,” Poonam, who gradutated from Bengaluru after schooling in Chandigarh, tells DH.
The women’s team has been in the making for a long time and the response has been overwhelming, according to Poonam, a teacher.
The requests flooded in from girls after RKFC made a name in the I-League but with so much unpredictability, they started in a small way with a She Power Programme with DPS, Srinagar. Now, the club has taken the plunge by starting registrations for building U-10 and U-14 teams. A training ground also has been identified and plans are being made to ensure they take part in national tournaments.
“(Coming from Karnataka) Sports is definitely in our blood. That mindset has helped me see things differently. All that these young girls need is just an avenue for their talents to bloom,” says Poonam.
“The past year has been dark but then the last couple of decades have not been easy either. Sport has always provided psychological, physiological and cathartic relief and I have always felt that the women have borne the bigger brunt of the circumstances. The girls just did not have an outlet.”
In her quest for understanding the difficulties, she had chats with Afshan Ashiq — captain of Kashmir football team and part of the recent virtual meeting with PM Narendra Modi for the Fit India Movement — about the trials and tribulations she faced and continues to face. Poonam also spoke to Irtiqa Ayoub who runs a rugby team in Kashmir.
“God willing, if we are able to bring hope to even a handful of young girls, I would consider it a blessing,” Poonam admits.
There are big challenges ahead, though, especially for someone as inexperienced as Poonam in the labyrinth that is Indian football.
“Yes, I have no experience of managing a football team, but having been a teacher it shouldn’t be a problem, plus we have very able coaches and a support team. And of course, we have a big brother in RKFC who we can always call for support.
“One doesn’t stop living….we just find different ways to go about our business,” she says.
Well, few are as adept at doing that at that as RKFC.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Sports> Football / by Sandeep Menon / DHNS, Bengaluru / September 29th, 2020
Mysuru Kodava Samaja celebrated the 152nd birth anniversary of Haradasa Appaneravanda Appacha Kavi as Kodava Thakk and Sahitya Divasa at Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa Bhavan in Vijayanagar here yesterday.
Rangayana Director Addanda C. Cariappa, Nellamakkada B. Kaveriappa of Bharani Art Gallery and Chenanda Uthappa spoke about the life and achievements of Haradasa Appacha Kavi and also about the lifetime achievements of litterateurs Dr. I.M. Muthanna and B.D. Ganapathy in their centenary year of celebration.
Maintaining that Appacha Kavi was not limited to just one community, they said that everyone should read the works of the great poet in order to have a deeper understanding of his contributions to the society.
Pointing out that Appacha Kavi is credited with scripting the first Kodava play and also acting in it, they opined that the great poet is very aptly called as Adikavi of Kodava language.
Mysuru Kodava Samaja President K.M. Belliappa, Secretary M.M. Ponnappa, Vice-President M.M. Ponnappa, Treasurer M.B. Jeevan, former Presidents Dr. A.A. Kuttappa, K.A. Kariappa, M.M. Karumbaiah, M.K. Kuttappa, B.M. Nanaiah and others were present.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / September 22nd, 2020
For Pandanda Shyla Naresh, a teacher in Kodagu, the past five months have been a learning period. Jackfruit, banana and bamboo plants in her farm offer ample opportunity for experiential learning. Lessons in value-addition have helped her utilise produce in the best way possible.
What started as an experiment in March after the uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic has now become a steady source of income. “All the three products I prepare – tender jackfruit, banana stem and bamboo shoot steeped in brine (salt solution) – are in good demand. I have sold 400 bottles of tender jackfruit and 300 bottles of banana stem in brine so far,” says Shyla. Ajjikuttira Pallavi Girish, who works as a non-teaching staff in a private college, has also taken up this activity.
These processed foods, prepared without artificial ingredients, are used in a variety of dishes, from pickles to cutlets and curries.
Fancy Ganapathy, who leads an initiative called ‘Kodagu’s Nature’s Best Food Cluster’, a subsidiary of Madikeri and Virajpet taluk Savayava Krishi Sahakari Niyamitha, supported the duo by providing technology and marketing; the forum that Fancy leads strives to encourage women entrepreneurs to make products using locally available fruits, spices and other produce. The women are supported at all stages – whether it is ideation, marketing or assistance in using technology to process the food.
During the lockdown, Fancy’s team saw more people joining the group, the members increased from 110 to 160; their product range also expanded, with the new members bringing in fresh ideas and new recipes. In all, the team boasts over 70 products, ranging from a variety of pickles and jams to oils and vegetables in brine. As many as 50 families took up an alternative livelihood with support from this forum.
With their main customers, the homestays in Kodagu closed during Covid-19, the team chose to go the route of online marketing. “We placed our products on online platforms and the sales have increased significantly as homemade products are trending. Now we are confident of marketing any number of products,” says Fancy. Natural ingredients, localised production (homemade) and a focus on quality have kept them in good stead.
Other women entrepreneurs have come up with unique product ideas as well. Take the case of Archana Muttanna from Kadanga village near Virajpet. She holds a doctorate in biotechnology and has been standardising various traditional products, particularly different types of fruit vinegar that are integral to Kodagu’s cuisine. Kachampuli vinegar or the concentrated juice of Garcinia gummi-gutta, which is sought after for its health benefits, is one of the main products she has been producing for the past one year.
With her production unit shut during the lockdown, Archana spent the free time researching various other products. On a friend’s suggestion, she made jams of the passion fruit, which is available in abundance locally; she then gave the fruit spread a unique twist by adding millets to the recipe.
Eco-crafts
Another woman entrepreneur who benefited from online marketing is Kusuma Hegde, in Uttara Kannada district.
She designs craft and utility items and ornaments from areca sheath, banana fibre, bamboo, and vegetable seeds. What started as a passion 15 years ago has become a source of subsidiary income for her family and provided employment to fellow villagers, mainly women.
Her objective was to transform agriculture waste and locally available raw material into works of art. In her journey from an art enthusiast to a crafts entrepreneur, she has created innovative designs like the areca cap, banana fibre folders and vegetable seed ornaments. Latest addition to her work are the unique rudrakshi pendants made using the rudrakshi fruit grown in their farm. She has expanded the scope of the handicraft production unit by setting up a laser engraving machine that helps her carve and etch designs.
Kusuma has also motivated and trained other rural women to take up value addition by forming Sahyadri eco-friendly solutions. Some college students have also spent their holidays at the workshop, learning on the job and using the money earned to pay their college fee.
However, Kusuma says she was inconvenienced when it came to marketing her products at various forums. “I mostly used to sell the product through homestays, tourist places and some outlets in Bengaluru and Mysuru,” Kusuma says. All her marketing avenues closed when the lockdown began and she had to stop production for a while.
Gradually, she noticed homemade food products being sold on online platforms and decided to try her luck. “I joined some social media platforms and started sharing my work and products and the response was amazing,” she says.
More than the seamless marketing, she prefers these platforms for the sheer joy of knowing the customers and getting their feedback. “Direct marketing has many benefits, especially when you create customised products,” she says.
In these uncertain times, these women from rural areas, from teachers to doctorate holders, have found ways to cope with the difficulties and support each other.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Spectrum> Spectrum Statescan / by Anitha Pailoor / Bengaluru – September 11th, 2020
A befitting tribute to Indo-Pak War Hero on his 55th death anniversary
Madikeri:
The statue of Squadron Leader Ajjamada Bopayya Devayya will be unveiled at Madikeri in Kodagu District on Sept. 7.
The 6-feet-9-inch bronze statue installed at the Old Private Bus Stand Circle will be unveiled on the day Devayya was martyred. Incidentally, the Circle has also been named after him.
Sqn. Ldr. A.B. Devayya is the only Indian Air Force (IAF) Officer to be posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC). During the 1965 India-Pakistan War, Devayya (called ‘Wings of Fire’) was part of a strike mission (on the Pakistani airbase Sargodha).
Works on installing the statue of Squadron Leader A.B. Devayya at Madikeri in Kodagu district is almost complete.
Works on installing the statue of Squadron Leader A.B. Devayya at Madikeri in Kodagu district is almost complete.
The work on the statue basement is almost complete and a giant crane was used to shift and mount the statue on the pedestal.
The bronze statue weighs 600 kg and Rs. 20 lakh has been spent on getting the statue carved at Kengeri near Bengaluru.
The statue installation work was spearheaded by Ajjamada family members, Squadron Leader Ajjamada Devayya Memorial Trust, Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa and General Thimayya Forum, Kodava Makkada Koota.
Wartime job
Sqn. Ldr. A.B. Devayya was born to Ajjamada Bopayya and Neelamma couple on Dec. 24, 1932 at Manchalli village near Kutta in South Kodagu. He joined the Indian Air Force as a pilot on Dec. 26, 1954. Devayya was married to Keethiyanda Sundari.
When the Indo-Pak war broke out in 1965, Devayya was an instructor at the Air Force Flying College. He was posted to No.1 ‘Tigers’ Squadron’ and flew the Mystere fighter bomber. During the war, Devayya shot down a US-made PAF (Pakistan Air Force) F-104 Starfighter while flying an inferior Mystere of French make. The dogfight between the Mystere and the Starfighter was recorded by British author John Fricker in his book ‘Battle for Pakistan’ published in 1979.
Action in the skies
John Fricker wrote, “On Sept. 7, 1965, Mystere pilot Squadron Leader A.B. Devayya showed commendable courage by staying in the fight, and despite being mortally wounded, he eventually scored several cannon strikes against the Starfighter, causing it to be abandoned. This was the first and only Starfighter to be lost through enemy action in the 1965 war.”
Devayya was part of an air strike mission on the PAF base at Sargodha, with the objective being to neutralise its air assets. He engaged in a dogfight with the Starfighter flown by Pakistani Flight Lieutenant Amjad Hussain at an altitude of 7,000 ft. The PAF fighter was faster and more modern, but Hussain made the mistake of reducing his speed in an attempt to out-turn Devayya.
Hussain failed to clear his tail during the dog-fight and suffered several cannon strikes. He was forced to eject since the Mystere had a limited range for action and did not have enough fuel reserves to return to India.
Posthumous award
The Mystere aircraft was destroyed and it was assumed that Devayya died on Pakistani soil. The IAF was not aware of what had happened to Devayya, first recording him missing and later declaring him dead. It was revealed much later by Pakistan that Devayya’s body was found almost intact by villagers not very far from Sargodha and buried.
For this feat in the 1965 conflict, 23 years later, in 1988 he was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC). He is the only Air Force Officer to have been awarded the MVC posthumously so far.
Two heroes from Kodagu receive ‘Maha Vir Chakra’
Two Defence personnel from Kodagu have so far received the honour of Maha Vir Chakra, next only to the supreme Defence award Param Vir Chakra. While Squadron Leader A.B. Devayya received the honour in 1988, the other officer is Major Puttichanda Somaiah Ganapathy (later promoted as Lieutenant Colonel) who is now leading a retired life in Bengaluru.
Major Ganapathy was awarded Maha Vir Chakra for his combat role in 1987 Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka (launched by Indian Peace Keeping Force) against the LTTE. His unit, located at Annakottai, was surrounded and repeatedly attacked by militants on Oct. 16, 1987. His Company had occupied this location to provide a firm base for the 41 Infantry Brigade to launch an offensive.
LTTE militants repeatedly attacked the position with very heavy fire, resulting in heavy casualties, and his unit required immediate replenishment of ammunition. Throughout the day, Major Ganapathy fought gallantly and kept the militants at bay.
When all efforts to drop ammunition by helicopter failed due to heavy fire, Major Ganapathy kept fighting, moving from trench to trench till 6 am on Oct. 17, 1987 when he was finally supplied with ammunition by a patrol. He displayed extreme devotion and held his position against heavy odds.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / by Prasad Sampigekatte / August 31st, 2020
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