The petition was filed by PS Mohan and others from Kodagu district on the ground that permission was not obtained from the central government under the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act.
Bengaluru :
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday slapped a cost of Rs 50,000 on a group of petitioners for wasting the precious time of the court by filing a public interest litigation challenging the construction of the Jungle Lodges and Resorts (JL&R) by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) at Dubare forest in Kodagu district.
“We are of the view that the writ petition is filed without any material to support the contention raised in the petition and it appears that it has been filed with ulterior motives in order to pressurise the respondents — the state authorities. The conduct of the petitioners as such is deprecated for the purpose of wasting the precious time of the court by imposing cost of Rs 50,000 which has to be paid to the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority,” said a division bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Suraj Govindaraj.
The petition was filed by PS Mohan and others from Kodagu district on the ground that permission was not obtained from the central government under the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act for construction of JL&R.
In counter, the government advocate contended that no permission of the central government is required for construction of the jungle lodge by the KSTDC in the reserve forest area coming under the state government.
The counsel of JL&R raised preliminary objections regarding the maintainability of the petition. It was alleged this petition was filed on some personal interest and that JL&R has installed river rafting activities in Dubare area which adversely affected the petitioners. But no public interest is involved in the petition and it has been filed with ulterior motives, the counsel of JL&R argued.
After hearing the parties, the court noted that the JL&R which was constructed in Dubare is a body created by the KSTDC which itself is totally controlled by the state government and no private interest is involved in the activities of the JL&R.
source: http://www.newindianexpess.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Yathiraju, Express News Service / January 04th, 2022
Olympian M.P. Ganesh, who captained the Indian hockey team and was honoured with the Padma Shri by President Ram Nath Kovind, is Coorg Person of the Year-2021.
Mollera Poovaiah Ganesh, hailing from Suntikoppa in Kodagu district, was selected ‘Coorg Person of the Year’ in a poll conducted by www.coorgtourisminfo.com, Kodagu’s first news portal, promoted by journalist and author P.T. Bopanna.
There may not be many such extraordinary instances of a person running away from home to join the Army ending up at the Rashtrapati Bhavan to receive the coveted Padma Shri. Ganesh was also conferred the Arjuna award in 1973.
Ganesh, born on July 8, 1946, was an achiever both on and off the field. Though he ran away from home without informing his parents to join the Army after writing his matriculation examination, Ganesh managed to complete his MA in English, diploma in sports coaching from the National Institute of Sports, Patiala and Ph.D in Physical Education.
Although Ganesh joined the Army to fulfil his childhood dream of becoming a football player, he failed to make it to the football team. Then he went for the hockey selection where he was successful. This goes to prove the adage that “hockey is in the blood of the Kodavas.”
Ganesh represented the Services (Defence Services) in the National Hockey Championships from 1966 to 1973.
After he found a place in the Indian hockey team in 1970, Ganesh played for India at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, finishing third. He was one of the coaches of the Indian team that won a gold medal at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.
Ganesh, a right winger, twice represented the country in the Asian Games, first in 1970 in Bangkok and then in 1974 in Tehran. He was in the Indian team that won Bronze at the first World Cup in Barcelona in 1971 and captained the team that won Silver at the next World Cup in Amsterdam in 1973. He also played for World XI in 1972. Ganesh last played for India in 1974, as his career was cut short following a knee injury.
His most disappointing moment probably was during the finals of the World Cup in Amsterdam when India lost to Netherlands in the finals, after missing a penalty stroke.
Ganesh had a long reign as a sports administrator. He served as Director of Sports Authority of India (South) and in 2017 took charge as the High Performance Director and CEO of the National Hockey Academy in Delhi.
He is married to Keethiyanda Prema and their only son Ayyappa passed away when he was 20 years old due to a rare medical condition.
P. Shrividya Somanna, who helped Ganesh to put together his autobiography ‘Living The Dream: My Autobiography’ told this reporter that Ganesh’s wife Prema was instrumental in motivating him to pursue his higher education.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / January 01st, 2022
The traditional Arabic coffee has always been associated with generosity and the unique Saudi hospitality. (Shutterstock)
A wide range of programs, events and competitions will be held throughout 2022
The ministry was inspired by the traditional Arabic coffee cup for the logo, which has always been associated with generosity and the unique Saudi hospitality.
The ministry started working on the “Year of Saudi Coffee” when Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan announced the initiative and allocated an electronic platform for the celebrations:
The ministry also provided a detailed description of the initiative and its objectives and set guidelines for using the visual identity. At the end of January 2022, the platform will provide a space to receive the ideas of individuals and all parties wishing to implement joint projects that serve the initiative and promote its objectives.
The initiative is part of the Quality of Life Program, one of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 realization programs, through which the Ministry of Culture seeks to celebrate the cultural value of Saudi coffee and its close connection with the customs and traditions of the Kingdom.
______________
HIGHLIGHT
At the end of January 2022, the platform will provide a space to receive the ideas of individuals and all parties wishing to implement joint projects that serve the initiative and promote its objectives.
______________
The ministry, in cooperation with the Culinary Arts Commission, plans to hold a wide range of programs, events and competitions under the initiative’s umbrella throughout 2022, with government and semi-governmental agencies, private sector institutions, restaurants, hotels, cafes and individuals involved in this field.
Through this initiative, the ministry seeks to celebrate Saudi coffee as a distinctive cultural product of the Kingdom and contribute to its marketing locally and internationally, in addition to encouraging related products and activities.
It further aims to highlight the Khawlani coffee produced in southern Saudi Arabia and underline how coffee is prepared in different ways in each of the 13 Saudi regions. It also details how coffee is served to guests in various ways, which gives the Kingdom’s coffee a unique cultural depth.
source: http://www.arabnews.com / Arab News / Home> News> Saudi Arabia / January 01st, 2022
‘A Luxury Called Health’, written by a doctor who is also a novelist, needs to be not only read but also discussed.
Kavery Nambisan. / Modified from screenshot via YouTube / Author TV
What do you get as a reader when a writer of fiction, and also a surgeon who has worked closely in both the public as well as private health sector, picks up her pen to write on the state of the health system in the country?
The answer is easy: you get a book that lays bare the fact that the health of the citizens of a nation is an investment, that the health system is a part of nation building and effective governance and that it is time to learn from mistakes that have been made and continue to be made.
You get a book that comes from years of working amidst the dust and the grime of government health care set-ups, from having observed the profit-oriented approach of the private sector. A book that offers quiet hope that things can, and must, improve.
What’s wrong…
Kavery Nambisan’s first work of non fiction, A Luxury Called Health: A Doctor’s Journey Through the Art, the Science and the Trickery of Medicine, is exactly what its title says, with little drama or exaggeration. It is an honest examination of this thing called healthcare, of the systems that are working and not working, of the people who are its faces and, at times, because of whom, healthcare turns into what it should be: effective, affordable and something that can be trusted by everyone.
A passage from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, where a doctor examines a terminally ill patient in a very poor home, that features in the introduction is an apt reminder of what happens when the poor try to access healthcare: the hope and despair felt by the patient’s loved ones and the disdain that the doctor projects. It sets the tone for what follows in the subsequent chapters.
Later, Nambisan conveys how patients and their families often put doctors and healthcare staff on the pedestal of demigods and do not try to find out about the nitty gritty of how illnesses are treated. This makes them resort to threats and abuse when things do not go as they should.
From the early traditional medical practices to the first steps taken in India to institute a medical institution to train and educate health-workers and medical staff, the author puts the focus on how the poor health of individuals affects the overall well-being of a nation. She takes readers into the time the seeds of a new nation were being sown and, along with them, the hopes and aspirations that went to building the health care system. It was a task made more difficult by entrenched caste practices, such as those of not even touching corpses, leave alone dissecting them as medical students.
Nambisan’s note of appreciation for the first wave coming from Kerala when it was still a profession that had few takers soon after Independence is a reminder of how far the health care system has come. But, as she shows with anecdotes and analysis, with this has come disparities between the public and the private sphere when it comes to health.
… And what’s right
What works for this book is that it stays clear of rhetoric or the blame game. Instead, it injects humaneness through personal insights while making a point on how the health system is interconnected to nutrition, poverty, hygiene, water, and sanitation. Nambisan makes the point that urban development ends with more buildings but little attention to, among other things, waste and rainwater management and water resources, which in turn, affects the health system. She emphasises that treating medical situations on a case by case basis, without a holistic strategy for improving health, leads to little progress.
Thankfully, none of these heavy-duty issues weigh down the book and for that we have the quality of her writing to be thankful to. Perhaps only a writer of fiction used to the economy of words would have been able to cover such complex matters in a little over 300 pages. There are no appendices with tables and data, for the author speaks from her own long years of practice, with quiet, unwavering authority.
The use of anecdotes from the history of medical practices across the world and in India, peppered with the author’s own experiences, makes the book come alive in a way that is informative as well as thought-provoking. In one chapter that details the list of medical procedures in a health set-up, Nambisan admits how easy it is to treat patients as mere technicalities, and that it takes a lot to probe further or ask questions of a supervisor or senior colleague.
There is little of handwringing or giving into hopelessness, even when the book details corruption and political apathy, as well as greed. In a chapter titled “Doctoring Reality”, the author highlights rural initiatives started by medical practitioners who have given up lucrative placements to set up affordable and accessible services. It makes you wonder why we don’t see many of these inspiring stories in the mainstream media.
Towards the end the author takes readers into her personal space, as a spouse having to play part- bystander and caregiver when her husband, the acclaimed poet Vijay Nambisan, is diagnosed with cancer.
Kavery Nambisan’s voice is gentle but firm, with words of caution about how critical it is to listen to the voices on the ground, the doctors who work in remote areas with poor resources. For they are the ones whose intervention saves lives, instead of following protocols laid down by international organisations like the WHO, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A Luxury Called Health is an important book, one that needs to be read and discussed. It exposes the failings of the medical system in the country over the years, but it also shines a light on the people who mend worn-out bodies and organs, bringing hope and succour.
Chitra Ahanthem is former editor of Imphal Free Press, a newspaper published in Manipur. She is also a Manipuri-to-English translator.
A Luxury Called Health: A Doctor’s Journey Through the Art, the Science and the Trickery of Medicine, Kavery Nambisan, Speaking Tiger Books.
source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> Book Review / by Chitra Ahanthem / December 19th, 2021
Akhila Kodava Samaja appeals not to trivialise tradition to appease politicians
Madikeri:
The Akhila Kodava Samaja has unanimously decided not to use the Kodava traditional dresses to appease any political party and not wear it to any event that is political or have any connection to politics.
Samaja President Mathanda Monnappa had recently issued a press note appealing to the community members to desist from trivialising the ‘Kuppiya Chele’ and other outfits by wearing them to all and sundry events. Now the Akhila Kodava Samaja has formally taken the decision in this regard at its AGM held in Virajpet on Dec. 28.
All the traditional dresses like the ‘Kuppiya Chele’, ‘Mandethuni’, ‘Peeche Kathi’ worn by the male members of the community and the traditional ‘Vasthra’, and traditional ornaments worn by women of the community should be worn only to the events and functions of the community where the dress has more value.
These dresses cannot be worn at political rallies or whenever a political leader comes calling. “It has been observed that Kodava community members wear the traditional dresses whenever a political leader comes to Kodagu. This is insulting to the community as the elders have attached special significance to the dress and there is a decorum to be followed,” the Samaja decided.
Also, the Kodava traditional dresses like ‘Bolakaat’, ‘Kolaat’, ‘Ummathaat’ that have a religious significance and performed only at temples and village sacred places must be restricted to the places where they are meant to instead of performing such dances on every dais and also at any political rally or event. These dances and dresses must not be a thing to exhibit. Rather they must serve the community purpose they are meant to.
Dress code at holy places
The Akhila Kodava Samaja also called for strict implementation of dress code at all the holy places of Kodavas in the district including Talacauvery and Bhagamandala that have now become a place of tourist attraction. The management committees of the respective temples must impose restrictions and effectively implement the same, the Samaja has decided.
Appealing to the community members not to indulge in wasteful expenditure during events like wedding and child naming ceremonies where usually there is unlimited supply of liquor, the Akhila Kodava Samaja has said that the community members must exercise restraint and must not indulge in wasteful expenditure.
Community welfare
Also, the community must serve its own interest in joining hands with Kodava Samajas that initiate plans and programmes for the welfare of the community. Everyone must voluntarily cooperate with each other for the larger interests of the community.
Pointing out that unity is a crucial aspect in keeping the community strong, the Akhila Kodava Samaja has appealed to the community to resolve the issues between families and within families in an amicable way. Family unity, unity with other families and unity of villages will go a long way in protecting the interests of the community, it stated.
Mentioning about the way Kodavas indulge in criticism about each other and each other’s political views on social media platforms, the meeting advised the community members not to discredit a fellow Kodava just to serve political interests. Efforts must be made to strengthen the community instead of criticising each other, the Samaja has stated.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / December 30th, 2021
Poovamma has represented India twice in Olympics and four times in the World Championship.
pix: mangaloretoday.com
After a brief courtship, sprinter Machettira Raju Poovamma married her boyfriend, Malayali athlete Jithin Paul, at a wedding ceremony organised at Adyar Garden in the city’s outskirts on Wednesday.
The reception is being planned in Chalakudy in Kerala on January 1. Povamma, a native of Mangaluru, specialises in 400m running and is presently serving in ONGC Mangaluru.
In the Asian Championship, Povamma had won two medals in 2013, two medals in 2015, one medal in 2017 and three medals in 2019. In the Asian Games she won two medals in 2014 and two medals in 2018.
She has represented India twice in Olympics and four times in the World Championship. Jitin Paul, a champion in the 400m hurdles, had represented India in the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games. He had won silver in the 400m hurdles on the SAF Games. He’s at the moment working in the Revenue Tax Division in Pune.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Karnataka Districts / by Harsha , DHNS, Mangaluru / December 29th, 2021
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President D.K. Shivakumar (DKS) visited Talacauvery in Kodagu this morning to offer traditional pujas to the birthplace of River Cauvery.
Before going to Talacauvery, the Congress leader visited the Triveni Sangama in Bhagamandala where he sprinkled the holy water on him as per tradition. He prayed at Sri Bhagandeshwara Temple and then proceeded towards Talacauvery where he was accorded a traditional welcome. Priests performed the rituals at the holy Kundike.
Rousing reception
DKS arrived in Madikeri last night at 10 pm and was given a rousing reception at Koppa Gate that borders Mysuru and Kodagu in Kushalnagar. Seeing the crowd shouting slogans, the Congress leader opened the sunroof of his vehicle and greeted the crowd with folded hands. Flower petals were showered on him by an ecstatic crowd.
The KPCC President was accompanied by party Working President and former MP R. Dhruvanarayan, Legal Cell President A.S. Ponnanna, MLC Veena Achaiah, Dr. Manthar Gowda, President of Karnataka Pradesh Mahila Congress Dr. Pushpa Amarnath, Kodagu Congress President Dharmaja Uthappa and party leaders K.P. Chandrakala and Chandramouli.
Later speaking to reporters, Shivakumar said that the Mekedatu Project will benefit both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. In the Last 16 years, 104 tmcft of water has flown into the Bay of Bengal and with Mekedatu, Karnataka was planning to utilise the water that is being wasted, he said.
“When there is less rainfall, the entire Cauvery water can be stored in respective dams by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and the Mekedatu dam will be built to safeguard the interests of Karnataka. Even power can be generated through the project that will also help in providing drinking water to large barren areas,” he said.
The project will be beneficial to both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and the neighbouring State should realise the benefits. Even the Supreme Court has said many times that drinking water projects should not be stalled. “We have decided to launch a 10-day padayatra on Jan. 9 pressing for the Mekedatu project and it will not be a political movement. As a prelude to Mekedatu padayatra, I have come to Talacauvery today to perform pujas,” Shivakumar said.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / December 24th, 2021
A couple got reunited after seven years in filmy style.
Mutthamma was suffering from psychological disorder. She was admitted into a hospital in Bengaluru in 2014. She was in the hospital for two months. However, one day she escaped from the hospital. From that day onwards, her husband Rajappa, son in laws Dorai and Nagaraj searched for her everywhere. At last, Rajappa filed a missing complaint on his wife in Bengaluru police station. They have given up hope of seeing Mutthamma again.
Meanwhile, Mutthamma was found near a hotel in Madikeri in 2017. Her left leg had turned to Gangrene and started decomposing. When the public informed the same to Tanal orphanage, they took her into their fold and saved her. The organization also gave treatment to her psychological disorder and leg. Her psychological health recovered a great deal.
After Mutthamma arrived from Kerala, she could recall the name and address of her home, husband etc. Tanal organization tried to find out her family. Mohammed, manager of Tanal in Kodagu had tried a lot to locate Mutthamma’s husband Rajappa. Later Kodagu district magistrate Subrahmanya was successful in tracing the address of Mutthamma’s husband in Tamil Nadu.
Rajappa, husband of Mutthamma was overwhelmed when he came to know that his wife is alive. He along with his sons in law rushed to Madikeri and got united with her. Now Mutthamma is back to her native place in Tamil Nadu healed completely. The role of Tanal organization and giving her back a normal life is highly appreciated.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Dajiworld.com / Home> Karnataka / by Daijiworld Media Network – Madikeri (MS) / December 28th, 2021
The Akhila Kodava Samaja has objected to the community members wearing the traditional Kodava outfits like ‘Kuppiya Chele’ to all and sundry events, political gatherings and other nondescript functions.
In a press release, Samaja President Mathanda Monnappa has said that the Kodava traditional dress has special significance, cultural identity and distinctiveness. The dress has been handed over to the community by forefathers and there are events where this dress has to be mandatorily worn.
“Of late, it has been observed that the Kodava traditional dress is worn by the community members at various events, making a mockery of traditions and the attire itself. This unrestricted use of the traditional dresses has to be curbed by the community members who have to exercise restraint,” he has stated.
The traditional ‘Kuppiya Chele’ worn by Kodavas symbolises warrior culture but unfortunately, the dress is being worn now in all and sundry events, denigrating its significance. “Our forefathers have attached a great significance to the dress and have restricted it to particular community events and celebrations. But now the dress is being worn for political events and those functions that the community has no role to play. This is nothing but servitude,” Monnappa stated.
Even the ‘Dudi Kottu’ (a traditional Kodava band) is being played in non-community events and this practice should stop. Monnappa called upon all Kodava Samajas, associations and the community members to join hands to protect the dignity of the Kodava dress.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / December 25th, 2021
Two journalists each from Mysuru and Kodagu districts and one from Chamarajanagar are among the winners of the State Annual Awards given by Bengaluru-based Karnataka Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ).
K.K. Karthik, reporter of The New Indian Express English Daily at Mysuru, has bagged ‘K.A. Nettakallappa Award’ for best sports report while Shivu Hunsur, reporter of Vijayavani Kannada Daily at Hunsur, has bagged ‘R.L. Vasudevarao Award’ for best article on wildlife.
Kodagu’s Shakti Newspaper Editor G. Rajendra has bagged ‘Rajashekar Koti Award’ for his over four-decades service to the field of Journalism while Kannada Prabha Somwarpet taluk Reporter S.A. Muralidhar has bagged ‘Mandibele Shyamanna Memorial Award’ for best report on rural issues.
Gulipura Nandeesh, Chamarajanagar district reporter of Doordarshan’s Chandana Kannada Channel, has bagged ‘Girijamma Rudrappa Talikote Award.’ Nandeesh is a resident of Yelandur in Chamarajanagar district and had served in different newspapers before joining Doordarshan.
The awards will be conferred at KUWJ’s Annual Conference slated to take place at Kalaburagi on Jan. 3 and 4.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / December 26th, 2021
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