OF STATUES & CIRCLES...: A CHAMPION OF THE OPPRESSED CLASS

"In the progress of the country lies our progress; in its salvation our salvation and in its emancipation, our emancipation."
—Babu Jagjivan Ram

 It was around eleven years ago when S. Narayan, the then Mayor of Mysore, thought of installing the statue of Babu Jagjivan Ram in city as he too came from a backward community like the latter.
Highly inspired by the life and works of Babu Jagjivan Ram, who was a freedom fighter and a crusader of social justice, Narayan wished to immortalise the leader in Mysore. This became the foundation for the installation of a statue of Babuji, as he was endearingly called, in front of the City Railway Station in the year 2000.
The bronze statue of Babuji was sculpted by V.A. Deshpande, a renowned sculptor and the present Dean of Chamarajendra Academy of Visual Arts (CAVA). The imposing statue is 9 feet tall and cost around Rs. 8 lakh. Another Rs. 2 lakh was utilised for the construction of the platform.
Narayan, speaking to Star of Mysore, said that initially the statue was to be inaugurated by the then Chief Minister J.H. Patel who could not fulfill the same. Then it was scheduled to be inaugurated by the next Chief Minister S.M. Krishna. This too did not happen due to unavoidable circumstances. The statue was finally inaugurated by the present Opposition leader Siddharamaiah in the presence of Narayan, M.Shivanna, former Minister and others. The funds for the statue sculpting and installation came from Mysore City Corporation's 18% SC/ST reservation, said Narayan.
At present, a Babu Jagjivan Ram Bhavan is being built in the city at a cost of Rs. 4.5 crores.

Babuji was a popular political leader who devoted his entire life working for the welfare of his country. As a national leader, Parliamentarian, Union Minister and cha-mpion of oppressed classes, he played a long innings spanning half-a-century in Indian politics.
Hailing from a Backward Class family of Bihar, he was instrumental in founding the 'All-India Depressed Classes League', an organisation dedicated to attaining equality for untouchables, in 1935 and was elected to Bihar Legislative Assembly in 1937. He also organised the rural labour movement.
In 1946, he became the youngest Minister in Jawaharlal Nehru's provisional government, the First Union Cabinet of India as a Labour Minister, and also a member of Constituent Assembly of India. He went on to serve as a Minister with various portfolios for more than forty years as a member of Indian National Congress (INC).
Apart from this, he was also instrumental in enacting the Minimum Wages Act, 1946; Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 etc., also laying down the foundation of social security by passing the Employees State Insurance Act, 1948 and the Provident Fund Act, 1952.
Most importantly, he was the Defence Minister of India during the Indo-Pak war of 1971, which resulted in formation of Bangladesh. His contribution to the Green Revolution in India and modernising Indian agriculture, during his two tenures as Union Agriculture Minister, are still remembered, especially during 1974 drought when he was asked to hold the additional portfolio to tide over the food crisis. He later served as the Deputy Prime Minister of India (1977–1979), then in 1980, formed Congress (J).

CHARAKA: A DESI TOLSTOY FARM

Mahatma Gandhi had envisioned a utopic nation and tried to experiment with the implementation of his ideas to achieve the same by establishing a rural settlement in South Africa and naming it as Tolstoy Farm, as he was deeply inspired by Tolstoyan philosophy. The farm provided a chance at communal and agrarian living as well as self-reliance. A hundred years later, Gandhian and theatrist Prasanna has successfully led a rural revolution by creating a self-dependent village where women, instead of being dwarfed by poverty and exploitation in the hands of most of their menfolk, have managed to shrug off their meekness and stand up for themselves.

The Charaka organisation in Bheemanakone near Heggodu in Sagara taluk, Shimoga district beckons even the most unsure of all and inspires others to follow them.
Blend of Gandhian thoughts & self-reliance
Western Ghats is known for its serene ambience with unhurried villagers and encompassing forests which brings to mind The Lost World of Arthur Conan Doyle. One such village Bheemanakone, a step away from Heggodu in Sagara taluk in Shimoga district, has however, woken itself up from the dreamy state that is common to all Malenad villages. Instead of a life-long poverty and scraping to make ends meet, the girls and women of the village have taken upon themselves to work and earn money enough for their living, without being dependent on their menfolk. They may not be as self-assured and independent as urban working women, but they have contributed their mite to the native handloom industry, thus creating a weavers’ revolution.
Entering Bheemanakone, the visitor is greeted by a hillock on one side aesthetically terraced to house the different units of Charaka, the Women’s Co-operative Society. Charaka produces naturally dyed cotton handloom garments. The Society employs nearly 350 women and has a turnover of around Rs. 2 crore per annum. Each woman working at Charaka takes home more than Rs. 3,000 a month.
The story behind the birth of Charaka is interesting. In the year 1994, a Trust named “Kavi-Kavya” was formed for conducting literary and cultural activities in the village. A group of educated people, headed by playwright and former Rangayana Director Prasanna, were at the helm of the Trust and it was they who started Charaka.
Kavi-Kavya organised a training programme for the workers of Anganawadis in the villages of Shimoga District, in the use of locally available traditional resources for a year. The activists toured the villages to understand village lifestyle, languages, folklore, theater tradition, agricultural practices, the skills of artisans and so on. In the process, they also understood the problem facing the people of this hilly region — the villagers depended too much on agriculture and this damaged the eco-system.
Kavi-Kavya set up a weaving centre on an experimental basis, in order to prove that handloom weaving can be viable and profitable for the womenfolk. Traditionally, cotton cloth and woolen blankets were brought from the plains and sold here and there was no weaver community in the region. In September 1996, Kavi-Kavya Trust handed over the entire infrastructure thus developed, to the women workers (30 at that time) and Charaka Society was registered.
Charaka, which is engaged in producing naturally dyed cotton handloom garments, markets its products under the brand name ‘Desi.’ It is generally assumed that heavy subsidies are pumped into the maintenance of khadi units. Charaka, the production unit and the Desi chain of retail stores have registered a combined annual turnover of Rs. 6 crore and the grant they avail from govt. as part of rural development initiative is less than five per cent of the turnover. The success story of Charaka can qualify to be a case study for business schools.
Charaka is a self-sufficient Society. The advantage of being in the Western Ghats is the availability of forest resources that can be used to extract dyes. Areca is the main cash crop here. The byproduct of arecanut is used to obtain shades of brown with different mordants. Other dye materials used are Pomegranate, Jackwood, Madder root, to get shades of yellow and reds. After experiments, Charaka has mastered the natural indigo vat process and a regular production is done.

Weaving: Charaka employs 150 people in the weaving units for different processes like warping, winding and weaving on the frame looms. Totally there are 53 looms and 14,000 meters of fabric is produced every month. The rest of the weaving is outsourced from other weaver groups and Societies.
Sarees, dupattas and stoles have been some of the new off-loom products that have been designed and woven at Charaka.
Block Printing: Wood block printing with pigment dyes is done through wood blocks specially designed for Charaka.
Embroidery: Embroidery is the art of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, quills and sequins. At Charaka, women's clothing range and even men's range like Sherwani are hand embroidered.
Tailoring: Charaka produces ready-made garments from fabric that is naturally dyed and woven there itself. Charaka's tailors and designers are all from villages.
There is also a tapestry unit that makes blankets, a bag-making unit and also one that uses the local 'hase' folk painting to produce stationery with intricate designs. Paintings that varyingly have a mandala and stereogram-effect is also tried out on glass, but the locals paint them on their walls.
De-Centralisation: In an effort to provide job opportunities to more people, Charaka has decentralised its processes. People get trained in Charaka on various processes and then set up their own units in the comfort of their homes. The weavers, dyers or tailors need not travel too far to earn livelihood. Also, most of these workers being women, can balance work and household.
The Society is growing at a phenomenal rate of 25 per cent per year. The workers give themselves a small bonus every year, eat subsidised food, have health insurance and take home loans. They also have a library and a cultural troupe. Charaka is not sustained through donations, either foreign or Indian. As Desi products have become a popular brand in Karnataka, sometimes it gets hard to meet the demand.
The success of Charaka is in the fact that many educated youth who want a change from the monotony of city life are eager to associate themselves with Charaka now.
Charaka Utsava: Every year during January, Kavi-Kavya Trust conducts a cultural festival called Charaka Utsava, wherein artists from all over India participate. This festival goes on for three days. During the festival, "Kayaka" awards are given to employees on the basis of individual and group performance, disposition, attendance, productivity and quality. Charaka Utsava is purely a rural cultural festival and is conducted in several parts of Sagar taluk at a time. Folk teams are invited to perform in different villages.
Dasimayya Awards: Desi National Award, renamed as 'Dasimayya National Award,' has been one of the most prestigious awards for handloom weaving in India. It is given to organisations and individuals who have made remarkable achievements in handloom weaving.
Prasanna - the brain behind Charaka
Prasanna (born 1951), is a theatre director and playwright. He is one of the pioneers of modern Kannada theatre. He graduated from National School of Drama (NSD) and founded Samudaya Theatre Group. He served as the Director of Rangayana. He has directed Girish Karnad's Tughlaq, Gandhi, Life of Galileo, Thayi (Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children), Acharya Tartuf, Shakuntalam, Fujiyama, Kadadida Neeru, Hamlet, etc. Some of his dramas are: Uli, Seema Paar, Dangeya Munchina Dinagalu, Ondu Lokada Kathe, Haddu Meerida Haadi, Jangamada Baduku. He has also directed documentary films. He has been awarded the B.V. Karanth award, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
Prasanna went on a fast in 2007 demanding national theatre status for all the 18 scheduled language theatres and inclusion of theatre training in the school curriculum.
'Desi,’ redefining fashion
Desi, meaning both native and Developing Ecologically Sustainable Industry, is the marketing wing of Charaka organisation. Though the influx of western lifestyle and garments had cloaked the usage of native handloom products, Desi has created a craze among the urbanites about khadi and handloom products with its indigenous designs including Hase, thus redefining fashion. The Desi outlets sell not only handloom and naturally dyed sarees, kurtas, chudidhar materials, stoles etc., but also bed linen and other fabrics.
“Kambli,” the classic handloom woollen blanket, will also see a revival under the Desi brand. It also has a unit that makes bags, cus-hion covers and other accessories. The quality handloom products bear the “Handloom Mark,” guaranteeing that the article is hand-wo-ven. The response from people for Desi goods has been tremen-dous and the organisation registered a turnover of Rs. 2.5 crore last year.
With a view to support the weavers and artisans, Desi has opened a chain of outlets in various parts of Karnataka:
At Bangalore: Desi Office at No.54, 3rd Cross, SBM Colony, BSK 1st Stage; No.27, Patalamma Temple Street, near South End Circle, Basavanagudi; No.93, 'Kavitha', Seetha Circle, BSK 1st Stage; Desi - Saree Shop, No.264/25-1, 1st Floor, 16th Main, BSK 1st Stage, 2nd Block, Srinivasanagar; No.60/1, 5th Main, Malleswaram.
At Dharwad: 'Sanagamitra', Yelakki Shettar Colony,1st Main, Hubli Road.
At Shimoga: 1st Floor, Meenakshi Bhavan, B.H. Road.
At Mysore: Near Shanthi Sagar Complex, Panchamantra Road, Kuvempunagar.
Land of Neenasam
Heggodu is a village in the Western Ghat region near Sagara in Shimoga district. It is a step away from Bheemanakone, the birth place of Charaka. It is renowned around the world for its Ninasam (Sri Neelakanteshwara Natya Sangha), a theater school started by celebrated dramatist K.V. Subbanna in the year 1949.
Kuntagodu Vibhuthi Subbanna (1932 - 2005) was an acclaimed dramatist and writer in Kannada. In 1991, he was awarded Ramon Magsaysay award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts. He was also awarded Padma Shri during 2004-2005. Ninasam is currently headed by playwright and dramatist K.V. Akshara, son of Subbanna.
Hase Chittara
Hase is a traditional folk art of Malenadu. This art is not common to all communities; it is traditionally drawn by Edigas. This art is usually drawn on walls of houses during festivals, mainly marriages and on a particular full moon night during the month of October (or a fortnight before Deepavali). This full moon night is known as Bhumi Hunnime. For colours, Hase artists use rice flour, turmeric, different coloured mud and other natural ingredients.
At Charaka, for files and letter pouches, these Hase drawings are being used, as also for glass paintings. By training rural women in brochures printing, making greeting cards, screen printing and Hase drawings, Charaka has ensured that this folk art gets carried over to the next generation as well.

OF STATUES & CIRCLES...: BASAVESHWARA STATUE COMPLETES ONE YEAR

Basaveshwara Circle in Mysore. Pic by Hampa Nagaraj

It is a year since Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa inaugurated the statue of Saint Basavanna, built at a total cost of Rs. 64 lakh at the Gun House Circle in city. To coincide with the Basava Jayanthi celebrations tomorrow, here we publish a brief history about how the project that was started a decade ago took shape and now the great saint with a serene carriage beckons the theists and atheists alike to embrace the philosophy of Vachanas.
About 10 years ago, the followers of Basavanna under the guidance of Suttur Seer Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji, with an ambition to spread the ideals of Basavanna among the uninitiated in the mainstream society, decided to install a statue of the saint in city.
To oversee the work of building a dome and installing the Basaveshwara statue, the Seer constituted a Committee. But the project did not take off for nine years due to various reasons. Later, when former Mayor Dakshinamurthy was elected as the President of the Federation of Basava Balagas, he took interest in breathing life to the dormant project. Thus the work on the statue began earnestly.
Dakshinamurthy, speaking to SOM about the project, said earlier they had approached Siddharamaiah, who was then the Deputy Chief Minister, for the necessary funds to construct the mantapa, dome and statue. However, his promise to release Rs. 20 lakh was not met with, he said and added that they had also approached late M.P. Prakash when he was the Dy.CM, who too had promised Rs.20 lakh, which in turn did not see fruition.
Later, when Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) Managing Director Ashok Kheny was approached for the funds, he said he would not only sponsor the construction of the mantapa, dome and statue but also would take up the responsibility to see that the work was completed in an efficient manner. At the end, the statue and its mantapa along with the dome was built at a cost of around Rs. 52 lakh. Again Kheny spent another Rs. 12 lakh for specially illuminating the mantapa.
Dakshinamurthy says that Suttur Seer was very specific about the nature and form of the statue. As most statues of Basavanna were warrior-like in nature and seen riding on a horse adorned with a sword, the Seer directed the Committee to sculpt a statue which portrayed the peaceful nature of the saint, with a manuscript of Vachanas in his hand, preaching the true Sharana philosophy.
As per the Seer's wish, the statue was sculpted by Jagannath, a sculptor from Bidadi near Bangalore and the dome and mantapa were constructed by Annahalli Ramesh. The construction work was completed in 2010.
The imposing statue of Sri Basaveshwara, installed in front of JSS Mahavidyapeetha in the heart of the city, was unveiled on the occasion of Basava Jayanthi celebrations last year by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa in the presence of then District-in- Charge Minister Suresh Kumar, Ashok Kheny and others.
Mysore is the only district among the surrounding districts of Chamarajanagar, Kodagu, Mandya, Hassan and Chikkamagalur to have the saint's statue. Basaveshwara was a great social reformer and philosopher.

ಕ್ರಿಕೆಟ್‌ಗೋಸ್ಕರ ಬೀದಿಗಿಳಿಯುವ ಜನ, ಭ್ರಷ್ಟಾಚಾರದ ವಿರುದ್ದ ಇಳಿಯಲಾರರೇ?

"ನಾನು ಹೊಸ ಪಾಸ್‌ಪೋರ್ಟ್‌ಗೆ ಅರ್ಜಿ ಹಾಕಿದ್ದೆ. ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಏನೇನೋ ಕಾರಣ ಹೇಳಿ ಹನ್ನೊಂದು ಸಲ ತಿರುಗಿಸಿದರು. ಆಮೇಲೆ ಲಂಚ ಕೇಳಿದರು. ಕೊಡದಿದ್ದರೆ ಕೆಲಸ ಆಗುತ್ತಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ, ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ಕೊಡಲೇಬೇಕಾಯಿತು;" "ನಾನು ರಸ್ತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬೈಕ್ ಓಡಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿರುವಾಗ ಮೂವರು ಪೋಲಿಸರು ಅಡ್ಡಗಟ್ಟಿ ಬೈಕ್‌ಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಪಟ್ಟ   ಕಾಗದಪತ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿದರು. ನನ್ನ ಗೆಳೆಯನ ಬೈಕ್ ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಅವನ ಹೆಸರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಕಾಗದಪತ್ರಗಳಿದ್ದವು. ಈಗಲೇ ಕೇಸ್ ಹಾಕುತ್ತೇವೆ, ಎರಡು ಸಾವಿರ ರೂ. ದಂಡ ತೆರಬೇಕಾಗುತ್ತದೆ ಎಂದು ಹೆದರಿಸಿದರು. ಆಮೇಲೆ ತಪ್ಪಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕಾದರೆ, ಐನೂರು ರೂ. ಕೊಡು ಎಂದರು. ಇನ್ನೇನು ಮಾಡಲಿ? ಗಡಿಬಿಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿದ್ದ ನನಗೆ ದುಡ್ಡು ಕೊಡದೆ ವಿಧಿಯಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ರಸ್ತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ದರೋಡೆ ಮಾಡುವವರನ್ನು ಹೊಡೆಯಬಹುದು, ಆದರೆ ಪೋಲಿಸರನ್ನು ಹೊಡೆಯಲು ಆಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲವಲ್ಲ?" ಎಂದು ಜೋಧ್‌ಪುರ ಹಾಗೂ ಕಲ್ಕತ್ತಾದ ಜನ ಅಸಹಾಯಕತೆ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಪಡಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ.
ಇನ್ನು ನಮ್ಮ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನಿಂದ ಒಬ್ಬರು, "ಅಂತರರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಡ್ರೈವಿಂಗ್ ಲೈಸನ್ಸ್‌ಗೆ ಅರ್ಜಿ ಹಾಕಲು ಹೋದರೆ ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಯೊಬ್ಬರು 2,500 ರೂ. ಲಂಚ ಕೇಳಿದರು. ನನಗೆ ನಿಧಾನವಾಗಿ ಲೈಸೆನ್ಸ್‌ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿದರೆ ಸಾಕು, ದುಡ್ಡು ಕೊಡುವುದಿಲ್ಲ ಅಂದಿದ್ದಕ್ಕೆ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಡ್ರೈವಿಂಗ್ ಟೆಸ್ಟ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ ಫೇಲ್ ಆಗಬಹುದು, ದುಡ್ಡು ಕೊಟ್ಟುಬಿಡಿ ಎಂದರು. ಆಮೇಲೆ ಸಾವಿರದ ಐನೂರು ರೂ. ಕೊಡಲೇ ಬೇಕಾಯಿತು" ಅಂದರೆ ಇನ್ನೊಬ್ಬರು, "ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಸರಕಾರದಲ್ಲಿ ಉದ್ಯೋಗಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದ ನನ್ನ ತಂದೆ ತೀರಿಹೋದ ಆರು ತಿಂಗಳಾದ ಮೇಲೂ ಅವರ ಬಾಕಿ ಪೆನ್ಶನ್ ಹಣವನ್ನು ಕೊಟ್ಟಿಲ್ಲ. ಸಂಬಂಧಪಟ್ಟ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಯ ಹತ್ತಿರ ಅಲೆದೂ ಅಲೆದೂ ಸಾಕಾಯಿತು. ಕೇಳಿದರೆ ನಾನು ಸಹಾಯ ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇನೆ, ಆದರೆ ಲಂಚ ಕೊಡಬೇಕೆನ್ನುತ್ತಾರೆ. ನಮ್ಮಂತಹ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ ಜನ ಅವರು ಹೇಳಿದ ಹಾಗೆ ಕೇಳದೆ ಇನ್ನೇನು ಮಾಡಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯ?" ಎಂದು ತಮ್ಮ ಅಳಲು ತೋಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾರೆ.
ಮೇಲೆ ಕೊಟ್ಟಂತಹ ನಿದರ್ಶನಗಳ ತರಹದ ಅನುಭವಗಳು ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಒಂದಲ್ಲ ಒಂದು ಹಂತದಲ್ಲಿ ಆಗಿರುತ್ತವೆ. ಭ್ರಷ್ಟಾಚಾರದ ಕಥೆಗಳು ಸಣ್ಣ ಪ್ರಮಾಣದಲ್ಲೇ ಆಗಿರಬಹುದು, ಇಲ್ಲಾ ಕೋಟ್ಯಾಂತರ ರೂಪಾಯಿಗಳನ್ನೊಳಗೊಂಡ 2ಜಿ ಹಗರಣ, ಕಾಮನ್‌ವೆಲ್ತ್ ಗೇಮ್ಸ್‌, ಆದರ್ಶ ಸೊಸೈಟಿ, ಸತ್ಯಂ, ಐಪಿಎಲ್‌ನಂತಹ ಬೃಹತ್ ಪ್ರಮಾಣದ ಕಥೆಗಳೇ ಆಗಿರಬಹುದು. ಆದರೆ ಒಂದೇ ಸಮಾಧಾನದ ವಿಷಯವೆಂದರೆ ಸಣ್ಣ ಪ್ರಮಾಣದ ಭ್ರಷ್ಟಾಚಾರದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಕೋಪ ಇಟ್ಟುಕೊಂಡೂ ಅಸಹಾಯಕರಾಗಿ ಸುಮ್ಮನಿದ್ದ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ ಜನರಲ್ಲಿ ಈಗ ಅಸಹನೆ ಶುರುವಾಗಿದೆ.
ಫೇಸ್‌ಬುಕ್‌, ಟ್ವಿಟ್ಟರ್, ಆರ್ಕುಟ್‌ನಂತಹ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಸಂಪರ್ಕಜಾಲಗಳನ್ನು ಉಪಯೋಗಿಸುವವರಿಗೆಲ್ಲ ಈ ಒಂದು ತಿಂಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ಸಂದೇಶ ತಲುಪಿರುತ್ತದೆ- ಭ್ರಷ್ಟಾಚಾರ ತೊಲಗಿಸಲು ಜನ ಲೋಕಪಾಲ ಮಸೂದೆಯನ್ನು ಜಾರಿಗೆ ತರುವಂತೆ ಒತ್ತಾಯಿಸಿ ಹಿರಿಯ ಗಾಂಧಿವಾದಿ ಅಣ್ಣಾ ಹಜಾರೆ ಏಪ್ರಿಲ್ ಐದರಿಂದ ಅನಿರ್ಧಿಷ್ಟಾವಧಿಯ ಉಪವಾಸ ಸತ್ಯಾಗ್ರಹ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಅದನ್ನು ನಿಮ್ಮ ಊರುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ, ಪಟ್ಟಣಗಳಲ್ಲಿ, ಮನೆಗಳಲ್ಲಾದರೂ ಸರಿ, ನೀವೂ ಬೆಂಬಲಿಸಿ, ನಿಮ್ಮ ಕೈಲಾದ ಮಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ನೀವೂ ಉಪವಾಸ ಮಾಡಿ ಈ ಸತ್ಯಾಗ್ರಹದಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಿ ಎಂದು. ಅಣ್ಣಾ ಹಜಾರೆಗೆ ಬೆಂಬಲವಾಗಿ ನಿಲ್ಲಲು ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಕಡೆ ಸಮಾಜ ಸೇವಕರು, ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ ಜನರು ಬದ್ಧರಾಗಿ ನಿಂತಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಹಜಾರೆ ಉಪವಾಸ ಸತ್ಯಾಗ್ರಹ ಆರಂಭಿಸುವ ಜಂತರ್ ಮಂತರ್‌ಗೆ ಬರಲಾಗದಿದ್ದರೆ ಪರವಾಗಿಲ್ಲ, ನಿಮ್ಮ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ, ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುವ ಸ್ಥಳಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಆ ಒಂದು ದಿನವಾದರೂ ಉಪವಾಸ ಮಾಡಿ ಎನ್ನುತ್ತಿದಾರೆ ಆ ಆಂದೋಲನದ ಹರಿಕಾರರಾದ ಕಿರಣ್ ಬೇಡಿ ಮತ್ತು ಅರವಿಂದ ಕೇಜ್ರೀವಾಲ್.
ಅಣ್ಣಾ ಹಜಾರೆ ಎಂದು ಜನರಿಂದ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯಿಂದ ಕರೆಯಲ್ಪಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ಕಿಸನ್ ಬಾಬುರಾವ್ ಹಜಾರೆ ಉಪವಾಸ ಸತ್ಯಾಗ್ರಹ ಮಾಡಿ ಸೋತ ಉದಾಹರಣೆಗಳಿಲ್ಲ. ಹಜಾರೆ ಉಪವಾಸಕ್ಕೆ ಕೂತಾಗಲೆಲ್ಲ ನಮ್ಮ ಸರಕಾರಗಳು ನಡುಗಿವೆ. ಮಹಾರಾಷ್ಟ್ರದ ಆರು ಭ್ರಷ್ಟ ಮಂತ್ರಿಗಳನ್ನು ಕಿತ್ತೊಗೆಯಲಾಗಿದೆ, ನಾನೂರು ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳು ಕೆಲಸ ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ, ಮಹಾರಾಷ್ಟ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಹಕ್ಕು ಕಾಯಿದೆ ಜಾರಿಗೆ ಬಂದಿದೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಕೇಂದ್ರೀಯ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಹಕ್ಕು ಕಾಯಿದೆಯ ತಿದ್ದುಪಡಿ ಮಾಡುವ ನಿರ್ಧಾರವನ್ನು ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಸರ್ಕಾರ ವಾಪಾಸು ಪಡೆದುಕೊಂಡಿದೆ.
ಭಾರತದಂತಹ ಯಾರಿಗೆ ಏನಾದರೂ ಡೋಂಟ್ ಕೇರ್ ಮನೋಭಾವನೆ ಇರುವ ದೇಶದಲ್ಲೇ ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿಗಳ ಬೆವರಿಳಿಸಿರುವ ಎಪ್ಪತ್ತೈದು ವರ್ಷದ ಹಜಾರೆ ಕೇವಲ ಒಬ್ಬ ಬಡ ಕಾರ್ಮಿಕನ ಮಗ. ಮಿಲಿಟರಿಯಲ್ಲಿದ್ದು ಬಂದ ಮೇಲೆ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ವಿವೇಕಾನಂದರ ಪುಸ್ತಕವೊಂದನ್ನು ಓದಿ ಪ್ರಭಾವಿತರಾದ ಹಜಾರೆ ತನ್ನ ಊರನ್ನು ಉದ್ದಾರ ಮಾಡಲು ಯತ್ನಿಸಿದರು, ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಯಶಸ್ವಿಯೂ ಆದರು. ತನ್ನ ಊರಿಗೆ ಶಾಲೆ ಮಂಜೂರು ಮಾಡಲು ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಒಪ್ಪದಿದ್ದಾಗ ಹಜಾರೆ ಉಪವಾಸ ಶುರುಮಾಡಿದರು ಮತ್ತು ತನ್ನ ಯತ್ನದಲ್ಲಿ ಯಶಸ್ವಿಯಾದರು. ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಶುರುವಾದ ಹಜಾರೆ ಯಶೋಗಾಥೆ ಪರಿಸರ ಸಂರಕ್ಷಣೆ, ಕುಡಿತದ ನಿರ್ಮೂಲನೆಯಂತಹ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಪಿಡುಗುಗಳನ್ನು ನಿವಾರಿಸುವಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಈಗ ಭ್ರಷ್ಟಾಚಾರದ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಹೋರಾಟದವರೆಗೆ ಬಂದು ನಿಂತಿದೆ.
ಪ್ರಧಾನಿ ಮನಮೋಹನ್ ಸಿಂಗ್ ಕೇವಲ ರಿಮೋಟ್ ಕಂಟ್ರೋಲ್ ಎನ್ನುವ ಹಜಾರೆ, ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಲೋಕಪಾಲ ಮಸೂದೆ ಭ್ರಷ್ಟ ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿಗಳನ್ನು, ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳನ್ನು ಶಿಕ್ಷಿಸುವ ಬದಲಾಗಿ ರಕ್ಷಿಸುವ ಉದ್ದೇಶದಿಂದ ತಯಾರಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ ಎನ್ನುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಲೋಕಪಾಲ ಮಸೂದೆಯಡಿ ಲೋಕಪಾಲರಿಗೆ ಯಾವುದೇ ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರ ಕ್ರಮ ಕೈಗೊಳ್ಳುವ ಅಧಿಕಾರ ಇರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ, ಬರಿ ಸಲಹೆ ಕೊಡಬಹುದಷ್ಟೆ. ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಮಸೂದೆಯಡಿ ಲೋಕಪಾಲರಿಗೆ ಅಧಿಕಾರವಿರುವುದು ಕೇವಲ ರ್ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿಗಳ ಮೇಲೆ ತನಿಖೆ ನಡೆಸಲು, ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳ ಮೇಲಲ್ಲ. ಜೊತೆಗೆ ತಪ್ಪಿತಸ್ಥರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಸುದ್ದಿ ಕೊಡುವವರಿಗೆ (Whistleblowers) ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾವುದೇ ರಕ್ಷಣೆಯಿಲ್ಲ. ಅದರ ಬದಲಾಗಿ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಲೋಕಾಯುಕ್ತ ಸಂತೋಷ್ ಹೆಗ್ಡೆ, ಸುಪ್ರೀಂ ಕೋರ್ಟ್ ವಕೀಲ ಪ್ರಶಾಂತ್ ಭೂಷಣ್ ಹಾಗೂ ಸಮಾಜ ಸೇವಕ ಅರವಿಂದ ಕೇಜ್ರೀವಾಲ್ ಜಂಟಿಯಾಗಿ ತಯಾರಿಸಿರುವ ಜನ ಲೋಕಪಾಲ ಮಸೂದೆ ಭ್ರಷ್ಟ ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿಗಳು ಹಾಗೂ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳು ಇಬ್ಬರ ಮೇಲೂ ಸೂಕ್ತ ಕ್ರಮ ಕೈಗೊಳ್ಳಲು ಲೋಕಪಾಲರಿಗೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ ಅಧಿಕಾರ ಕೊಡುತ್ತದೆ, ಅದರಿಂದ ಸರ್ಕಾರದಲ್ಲಿ ಪಾರದರ್ಶಕತೆ ತರಲೂ ಅನುಕೂಲವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಲೋಕಪಾಲರ, ಲೋಕಾಯುಕ್ತರ ನೇಮಕಾತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿಗಳು ತಲೆ ಹಾಕುವಂತಿಲ್ಲ, ಎನ್ನುತ್ತಾರೆ.
ಅವರು ಹೇಳೋದರಲ್ಲೂ ಅರ್ಥವಿದೆ. ಹಲ್ಲಿಲ್ಲದ ಹುಲಿಗೆ ಬೇಟೆ ಹಿಡಿದು ಕೊಟ್ಟರೇನು ಉಪಯೋಗ? ಈಗ ಸರ್ಕಾರ ತರಲು ಹೊರಟಿರುವುದೂ ಅಂತಹುದೇ ಒಂದು ಮಸೂದೆ. ಮೊದಲೇ ಸಿಬಿಐ, ಕೇಂದ್ರ ವಿಚಕ್ಷಣಾ ದಳಗಳಂತಹ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಗಳು ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿಗಳ ಹಿಡಿತದಲ್ಲಿವೆ, ಅವುಗಳಿಂದ ಭ್ರಷ್ಟಾಚಾರದ ಪಾರದರ್ಶಕ ವಿಚಾರಣೆ ಸಾಧ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ ಎನ್ನುವ ಆರೋಪ ಹೊತ್ತಿರುವಾಗ, ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಯನ್ನು ಹುಟ್ಟುಹಾಕಿ ಅದರ ಚುಕ್ಕಾಣಿ ಹಿಡಿಯುವ ಲೋಕಪಾಲರಿಗೆ ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರ ಅಧಿಕಾರ ಕೊಡದಿದ್ದರೆ ತಪ್ಪು ಮಾಡಿದವರನ್ನು ಹಿಡಿದೂ, ಶಿಕ್ಷೆ ಕೊಡಲು ಅಧಿಕಾರವಿಲ್ಲದ ನಮ್ಮ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಲೋಕಾಯುಕ್ತ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಯ ತರವೇ ಅದೂ ಹತ್ತರಿಂದ-ಐದು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡಿ ಸಂಬಳ ಎಣಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಒಂದು ಸರ್ಕಾರಿ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಯಾಗಿ ಮಾರ್ಪಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಚುನಾವಣಾ ಆಯೋಗವನ್ನು ರಾತ್ರೋರಾತ್ರಿ ಬದಲಿಸಿದ ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿಗಳ ನಿದ್ದ್ಗೆಡಿಸಿದ ಟಿ.ಎನ್. ಶೇಷನ್, ಸರ್ಕಾರ ತನ್ನ ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ಅಡ್ಡ ಬಂತೆಂದು ಭ್ರಷ್ಟ ಐಎ‌ಎಸ್, ಐಪಿಎಸ್ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳ ಹೆಸರುಗಳನ್ನು ಕೇಂದ್ರ ವಿಚಕ್ಷಣಾ ದಳದ ವೆಬ್‌ಸೈಟ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸಿದ ಅಲ್ಲಿವರೆಗೆ ಅಸ್ಥಿತ್ವದಲ್ಲಿರುವುದರ ಅರಿವೇ ಇರದ ವಿಚಕ್ಷಣಾ ದಳದ ಎನ್. ವಿಟ್ಟಲ್, ತನ್ನ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡಲು ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿಗಳ ಒಪ್ಪಿಗೆಯ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿ ಧೀರೂಭಾಯಿ ಅಂಬಾನಿ ಮನೆಯ ಮೇಲೆ ದಾಳಿ ಮಾಡಿದ ಸಿಬಿಐ ಡೈರೆಕ್ಟರ್ ಆಗಿದ್ದ ತ್ರಿನಾಥ್ ಮಿಶ್ರಾ ಇಂಥ ದಕ್ಷ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳಿದ್ದ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಗಳು ಈಗ ಪೂರ್ತಿಯಾಗಿ ಬದಲಾಗಿವೆ. ಈಗ ಲೋಕಪಾಲ ಮಸೂದೆ ತಂದರೆ, ಅದಕ್ಕೂ ಇದೇ ಗತಿ. ದಕ್ಷ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳಿರುವವರೆಗೂ ಯಾವ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಯಾದರೂ ಪ್ರಾಮಾಣಿಕವಾಗಿಯೇ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಈಗಿರುವ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಗಳನ್ನೇ ಶುಚಿಗೊಳಿಸಿ ಅವುಗಳ ಅಧಿಕಾರ ವ್ಯಾಪ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಸಿದರೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ನಮ್ಮ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ ಸರಿಯಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.
ಜೈನ್ ಹವಾಲಾ ಹಗರಣವನ್ನು ೧೯೯೫ರಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಳಕಿಗೆ ತಂದ ಪತ್ರಕರ್ತ ವಿನೀತ್ ನರೇನ್‌ರನ್ನು ಮೊನ್ನೆ ಜನವರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದ 'ಭ್ರಷ್ಟಾಚಾರದ ವಿರುದ್ದ ನಡಿಗೆ' ಆಂದೋಲನದಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾಕೆ ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಲಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ಯಾರೋ ಕೇಳಿದಾಗ ಅವರು ಕೊಟ್ಟ ಉತ್ತರ, "ಎಷ್ಟು ಆಂದೋಲನಗಳು ನಡೆದರೂ ನಮ್ಮ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ ಸರಿಯಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಅದಕ್ಕೇ ನಡಿಗೆ ನಡೆಯುವ ಸ್ಥಳಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಿ ವಾಪಾಸು ಬಂದೆ."
ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷೆ ಸೋನಿಯಾ ಗಾಂಧಿಯವರ ಕಚೇರಿಯಲ್ಲೇ ಪಕ್ಷದ ಟಿಕೆಟುಗಳು ಮಾರಾಟವಾಗುತ್ತಿವೆ ಎಂದು ಕೇರಳ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಹಿರಿಯ ನಾಯಕ ಮಾಜಿ ಆರೋಗ್ಯ ಸಚಿವ ಕೆ. ರಾಮಚಂದ್ರನ್ ಆರೋಪ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್‌ನ 'ಕಾಸಿಗಾಗಿ ಓಟು' ಹಗರಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಳೆದ ವರ್ಷ ಪದ್ಮಭೂಷಣ ಗೌರವ ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸಿದ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯ ಹೆಸರೂ ಕೇಳಿಬರುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಭಾರತೀಯ ಸ್ಟೇಟ್ ಬ್ಯಾಂಕ್‌ಗೆ ಸುಮಾರು 41 ಕೋಟಿ ರೂಪಾಯಿ ವಂಚಿಸಿದ ಪ್ರಕರಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿಬಿಐಯಿಂದ ಬಂಧನಕ್ಕೊಳಗಾಗಿದ್ದ ಅನಿವಾಸಿ ಭಾರತೀಯ ಸಂತಾ ಸಿಂಗ್ ಛತ್ವಾಲ್ ಕ್ರಿಮಿನಲ್ ಕೇಸು ಎದುರಿಸಿದವರು. ಇಂತಹ ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನ ಎಲ್ಲಿಯವರೆಗೆ ಸಫಲವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ? ಆ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನದ ನಿಜವಾದ ಉದ್ದೇಶವಾದರೂ ಏನು?
ಆದರೂ ಇಂತಹ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳ ನಡುವೆಯೂ ನಾವು ಅಣ್ಣಾ ಹಜಾರೆಗೆ ಬೆಂಬಲ ಸೂಚಿಸಬೇಕು, ಉಪವಾಸ ಮಾಡಿ ಅಥವಾ ದಿನನಿತ್ಯದ ಭ್ರಷ್ಟಾಚಾರಗಳ ವಿರುದ್ದ ಪ್ರತಿಭಟಿಸಿ. ಈಜಿಪ್ಟ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ ಸರಕಾರವನ್ನೇ ಬೀಳಿಸಿದ ಸಾಮೂಹಿಕ ಕ್ರಾಂತಿ ಕೂಡ ಫೇಸ್‌ಬುಕ್‌ನ ಒಂದು ಸಣ್ಣ ಸಂದೇಶದಿಂದಲೇ ಶುರುವಾಯಿತು ಎನ್ನುವುದನ್ನು ನಾವು ಮರೆಯಬಾರದು. ಜನರ ಅಸಹನೆ ಒಂದು ಆಂದೋಲನವಾಗಿ ಮಾರ್ಪಟ್ಟರೆ ಅದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಚಳುವಳಿಯ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ. ಕ್ರಿಕೆಟ್‌ಗೋಸ್ಕರ ಬೀದಿಗಿಳಿಯುವ ಜನ, ಭ್ರಷ್ಟಾಚಾರದ ವಿರುದ್ದ ಇಳಿಯಲಾರರೇ?

TAGORE'S GORA LEADS US TOWARDS CONTEMPLATION

Pic. by Hampa Nagaraj

"Why should a man, except as a means of livelihood, desire to act on the stage when he has the whole world to act in, is not clear to me," mused British playwright George Bernard Shaw. He should, however, have seen the play 'Gora' by Rangayana artistes for answer.

Intense in its storyline and character portrayal, the experimental play is based on a novel of the same name by Rabindranath Tagore, which was considered an epic by its own strength.

This year's Bahuroopi theatre festival became a stage where 'Gora' stood up from within the confines of the pages of the book and spoke to the audience — of himself, his principles, his vision and his truth.

Rangayana's veteran artistes, with years of practice of metamorphosing into the characters they are enacting, took up the challenge of portraying a difficult story set in Bengal during the days of British Raj.

'Gora' brings out the tumultuous atmosphere that prevailed in those days as Indians tried to both accept liberal ideas and refused to let go of old customs and traditions. It was a transition period and the Bengali society was divided into the liberal thinkers who formed the Brahmo Samaj and the traditional orthodox Hindus.

Rangayana's Prashanth Hiremath, the protagonist who portrayed Gora in the play, fills the entire stage with his towering personality as both an overzealous Hindu who hates vehemently all things outside Hindu tradition and yet is humane in his attitude.

It is natural that all forms of the society have their own contradictions and hypocrisies. The Brahmin family to which Gora 'belongs' and Poresh Babu's family which follows Brahmo Samaj are continuously at crosshairs because of their conflicting viewpoints. The story is woven with sub-stories, inter-plots on freedom struggle not just against the British but also within oneself. But though the characters openly defy Anglo-rule, they cannot find a way out of their inner conflicts.

Gora, who is a strong advocate of Hinduism and a natural leader, in time becomes an aggressive, arrogant, self-opinionated person who thrusts his opinions on others and expects them to follow. But occasionally he lets us take a peep into his heart where he is intensely patriotic and strongly wishes for an ideal India where the downtrodden are upheld by humanity irrespective of caste, creed and colour.

His stubbornness in upholding his orthodox beliefs and confusion about his blooming love towards Poresh Babu's daughter Sucharita conflict each other. But it finally resolves itself when he comes to know the truth about his identity — that he is the son of an Irish couple and not of Brahmin parents, as he believed.

The moment that steals the show comes when Gora accepts his origins and discards not only his religious symbols including the sacred thread and unknots his tuft, but also his fanaticism towards Hinduism, especially Brahminism and becomes a true human and, more importantly, free.

The play, though beautifully staged, is at times dragging due to numerous vociferous monologues by Gora which seems preachy and at such times, even the booming voice of Prashanth Hiremath fails to hold the attention of the audience.

Saroja Hegde, Pramila Bengre, Nandini, Krishnaprasad and other artistes take the play to its logical end through their effective depiction of the characters of a British India.

Tagore advocates the freedom of expression lacked by women of those days through the characters of Sucharita and Lolita. The play also comes out as a strong voice against the atrocities committed by the British against our farmers, mostly unnoticed and uncared for by the high class Indian society. Though a difficult story which especially is uncontemporary, Gora convinces us that the purpose of theatre is not just to entertain and educate, but also leading us towards contemplation.

Making Mysore University safe for women

The paths of knowledge and intellect in Manasagangotri, where once advocates of literary, art and science trod upon, are slowly turning into mere roads where all the noble ideas of the architects of the University have turned into mere dust. The Mysore University is caught in accusations of sexual harassment and casteism. Though harassment to women students is not new in the Varsity, it is shocking that a woman research student went to the extent of attempting suicide allegedly unable to bear the mental torment meted out to her by her Professor and Research Guide.
Only last year, a Journalism Professor of the University who faced sexual harassment charges was transferred back into his parent department after mere warning and a comment on service register. If he is going to serve the same department till retirement, such comments and warning will do no good and will only help in convincing the guilty that his actions will go unpunished, encouraging him to commit more such actions.
Out of the 26 cases of sexual harassment registered with the Women Harassment Complaints Committee of the University, not even one case has seen its logical end; with none of the guilty being punished or booked. Such uncaring attitude of the University in letting off the guilty easily naturally causes fear and hesitation in the victims of sexual harassment, to come forward and complain. The other important matter that is being overlooked by the University authorities in such cases is victim protection. As there is rarely any protection given to the victims of sexual harassments, the women fear retribution.
A group of women students in the Sociology Department of the Delhi University conducted a study on sexual harassment in 1996. The results were shocking - about 92 per cent of women interviewed, reported of being sexually harassed during their campus life. The landmark Vishaka judgement of the Supreme Court not only identified the consequences of "sexual" harassment on the individual victim, but also recognised its debilitating effects on the entire communtiy.
A Professor was beaten up by students in the Government Agriculture College, Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh yesterday on molestation charges. At a place where a teacher is seen as akin to parents and god, a situation should not arise where students take up the matter of punishing the guilty into their own hands.
Hence, the solution to sexual harassment in Universities should not only be creating awareness in girl students about the need to come out bravely and speak up against the harassment they suffered, but also creation of an 'autonomous' committee which foresees such complaints and acts without pressure from within the University or outside. This will not only bring the guilty, whether it is the accuser or the accused, to book, but also create a sense of safety in the students.
Above all, a knowledge centre such as a University should be a safe place for a woman, who enthusiastically comes in pursuit of knowledge. Just advocating girl education on stage and through various schemes and failing to create a safe place for women at the centres of education will result in defeating the very concept of education.

Home is where the heart lies: A singular government sanctuary for kids

Someone once said that we worry about what a child may become tomorrow, but we forget that he is someone today. There are some children who have been abandoned by the world, who have no loved ones to think of fulfilling their dreams — of the present and the future.
They are orphans with no families, sometimes separated due to various circumstances or forced to leave their homes or have no one to turn to. As a result, they wander in the streets, work when they can, eat when they find something edible and sleep on street sides when they get tired.
Such children who are found alone or helpless are brought by the public, Police or sent by the court to Children's Homes (Balamandira) run by the Department of Women and Child Development [At present, N.R. Vijay, who is the Deputy Director of the Department, heads the overall management of the institutions].
Mysore city has two such Homes, one each for boys and girls. When I visited the Children's Home for Girls situated on Lalitha Mahal Road, it was a pleasant change from the pre-conceived notion of a government-run institution.
The mansion, which houses the Girls Home, is called Chikkaramane as it belonged to the Maharajas' family. The building is a heritage one, built around 1915 as a residence for E.W. Fritchley, the architect and consulting engineer who designed Lalitha Mahal Palace. At present, it houses 79 girls between 6 and 18 years of age.

Pic.by M.S. Apuurva

The Home was actually started in 1958 to give shelter to children whose parents died in war, says Rangamani, a Probation Officer. Later it was modified to include the children of single  parents  and broken families,  orphans, run-aways and neglected children. Some parents also bring their children when they are no longer in a position to look after them. The family members can visit the children whenever they wish.
The Child Welfare Committee (CWC), working under the Department of Women and Child Development, decides who should be admitted to the Home after verifying the child's background like the presence or    absence of a family, financial and emotional condition of the family and thus their need to stay in the Home. Anybody can bring the child they find crying on the road-side or lost and wandering.
Home enquiry
A Home enquiry is conducted twice weekly — on Tuesdays and Fridays— where it will be decided if the new child should be kept at the Home or sent somewhere else. Before the enactment of Ju-venile Justice Act 2000, children could only be sent here through Observation Homes or transferred from Homes in other districts or States and the Children's Homes did not have the freedom to admit children directly.
After 18 years, the parents of the child (if any) will take them home. If the children do not have any family, they will be sent to the State Home where they will either be trained in desired vocational courses or aided in getting jobs. Girls are even married off with full expense paid by the government.
Rangamani cites an example of a girl married off by the officials recently at the State Home in city. She recollects another happily married former inmate who came to visit the Home with her child. Most of the girls, who have lived at the Home, have now gone on to become higher officials in government departments apart from taking up the job of nurses, teachers etc.
Girls who have committed crimes are extremely rare here, and for that matter anywhere. Underage brides, that is those who have married before 18 years, are also sent here. Children who have been sent to the Home by the court will be in safe custody till the case ends and then their fate is decided.
The Home
Those who expect disorder and chaos in a government institution are in for a disappointment as the large two-storeyed Balamandira is well-maintained under the supervision of Superintendent Geethalakshmi. Apart from the occasional peeping cockroach, the kitchen, rooms and bathrooms are hygienically maintained. HOPCOMS provides vegetables every day, says Hemavathi, a Teacher who looks after the kids' education. About 25 litres of milk and curds are   fed to satiate the children's appetite while books donated by visitors feed their curious minds along with TV and games.
Academics & other activities
With a view to give an opportunity for children at the Home to mingle with other children, they are being sent to a school in Kurubarahalli and the People's Park College. Two of them are even studying BBM course. Teachers provide tuitions to the kids at the Home itself every morning and evening before and after regular school.
One of the girls who bagged distinction in the exams was awarded cash prize recently by the Chief Minister. Not only academically, the kids at the Home also excel in extra-curricular activities. Some kids have donned theatre colours in the Maya Kudure play and another drama staged at Shravanabelagola. They have also taken part in the Bala Vikasa Academy's Prathi-bha Karanji contests and won many prizes. They have actively participated in the Dharwad festival and Shimoga's Sahyadri festival. They are being trained by the staff themselves.
The children have also taken part in Himalayan trekking expedition. The kids are taken occasionally on excursions, especially during Children's Day when celebrations are conducted for a week. Rangamani says buses for the tours are sometimes provided by donors. Earlier, the Police used to provide vehicles for tours.
Rehabilitation
As a means of rehabilitating the girls, computer training has been started along with tailoring and other courses. Earlier, JSS Jan Shikshana Sansthan provided training in various courses including cooking, mehendi designs, embroidery in greeting cards etc. There are several instances of girls setting up their own business like tailoring after they go out of the Home.
Counselling
Psychologists and social  workers provide twice-a-week counselling to new entrants. However, the Home needs permanent psychiatrists as the  psyche of a child who is away from parents and family is fragile. Most children who come here are from troubled backgrounds like broken families. They need constant psychological monitoring as they tend to get depressed.
The posts of psychologists, psychiatrists and staff nurse are lying vacant. Doctors come for frequent health check-up. But it is surprising that doctors were, until very recently, being given only Rs.125 honorarium per month.
Rangamani narrates an incident of a girl who was transferred in an extremely unhealthy condition to the Home from Bangalore. She was found to be very fragile and under-weight. When she was admitted to hospital, it was found that she was suffering from tuberculosis and would have died if left untreated. After a lengthy treatment, she is now a healthy girl studying in high school and had recently taken part in Himalayan trekking.
At a time when private institutions create a lot of hype about the social service and humanitarian works they take up occasionally, it is commendable that there is a government institution which is silently parenting these children, who are in no position to help themselves.
Home for Boys
The Home for Boys is located in JP Nagar. As it is being run since its inception in rented buildings, there is a constant shifting from one building to another, with no adequate rooming facilities for the more than 50 boys and staff.
Though the government has granted land for the Boys' Home in Vijayanagar, fund for the construction of the building is yet to be released and before that, the Home may have to be shifted to another building once again.
The boys, who live in cram-ped quarters amidst the din of vehicular movement, find it hard to study. They go to nearby Nachanahallipalya School with two boys going to college. The facilities for the children and the admission procedures are similar to that of Girls' Home. The boys get additional computer and ITI training.
It is difficult to comprehend the psychology of children, which can never be predicted. They sometimes run away from the school during lunch break for no reason and get caught, says Probation Officer Sudha adding that the kids have to be gently convinced that running away is not an option. Both mentally depressed and normal children are being counselled regularly here.
Many boys from the Boys' Home are pursuing higher education and secured good jobs. One is even working abroad after doing BE and MBA.
The children who run away from the Home not only end up wandering the streets but also get caught in the vicious net of child traffickers, who sell them to hotel owners and sex workers. According to a survey by a newspaper in Bangalore in 2009, children are sold every morning in Bangalore for about Rs.1,200 each, which may have increased by now.
Today's need is to protect children from such dangers, apart from hunger, home-lessness and lack of love at home, which are the causative factors that make the kids try to escape.
[As per the law, no outsider is allowed to take photographs of the children in the Homes.]

Lingambudhi: A Dying Lake?

Mysore is known not only for its culture royale, but also for its sleepy little nooks and corners around the city which often allures those who wish to break away from the daily grind and relax. We have the Chamundi Hill which retains its enigma even when thousands of tourists step on it, parks, lakes and solitary roads paved with lush green trees. Karanji lake, well-known for its shaded ambience and Kukkarahalli lake, for its winged guests, are the only two out of the five major lakes in city that have seen development till now.
The oft-heard but elusive Lingambudhi lake has come under spotlight now with the announcement by the government that it will be restored and the 20-acre park around it developed on the lines of Lalbagh in Bangalore.
For those who wish to visit Lingambudhi Lake and have failed to locate it, the lake is situated in the midst of Ramakrishna Nagar and Srirampura. Spread over an area of 260 acres, it is the biggest and oldest lake in Mysore.
History
Said to be built in 1828 by Krishnaraja Wadiyar III for Sri Mahalingeshwara Temple nearby and named after his wife Lingajammanni, the lake served as a village tank on the outskirts of the then Mysore. Its water was used for irrigation, drinking, for washing clothes and also for religious worship by the people of Lingambudhi Palya.
Bird haven
The lake was once frequented by bird-watchers and nature enthusiasts for its wide species of birds and bio-diversity. The lake area had numerous breeding grounds for migratory birds which were undisturbed by human activity. It was recognized as one of the 446 important bird breeding areas in India by Birdlife International. Nearly 250 species of birds visited the lake earlier including a few endangered species such as the Spot-billed Pelican (Near Threatened), Indian Darter, Pin-tailed Duck, Shoveler, White-rumped Vulture (Critically Endangered), Greater Spotted Eagle (Vulnerable) and Eastern Imperial Eagle (Vulnerable) etc. along with 49 species of butterflies.
However, in recent years, the number of birds arriving here from many countries during winter and summer seasons has declined as water dries up in summer and the remaining water is contaminated with sewage from surrounding areas.  In the year 2000, a large number of birds died at the lake due to unchecked sewage flow.
It is an irony that after the death of birds, the district administration chalked out various programmes like turning the lake into a bird sanctuary, creating a green buffer zone around the lake, complete diversion of waste water and treatment before letting it into the lake etc., which have remained empty promises after a decade. It was discovered then that toxins causing Avian Botulism [which causes paralysis in birds and kills them] was present in the water of the lake. But even now, after 10 years, no proactive measure has been taken.  
According to Kukkarahalli Lake Protection Committee Convenor K.M. Jayaramaiah, the lake which was mainly used for providing drinking water to the citizens of the surrounding areas earlier, became redundant when electricity was obtained for the city in 1910 and Cauvery water and borewell water could be pumped to the homes.
He warned that the water level of the lake is receding due to leakage and if it is left unchecked, it would have a devastating effect on the marine life and aquatic birds that nest on the lake's banks. Also, experts fear that human activity through the development of the Botanical Garden may lead to birds shifting their habitats from the lake area.
Park
The lake has 20 acres of park area which is in a dilapidated state with no maintenance from the Forest Department under which it comes. A portion of the foreshore area of the lake has been developed into the park for recreational purposes with walking paths and two paragolas (shelters with circular seating arrangements), stone benches, watchmen shed, two watch towers etc.
Lingambudhi lake and its environs are reported to be host to more than 150 species of flora. The foreshore vegetation comprises of more than 75 species of medicinal plants along with trees such as eucalyptus, sandalwood, gooseberry, Singapore Cherry, Tamarind and Gobli.
There is a pillared and carved structure with steps going down upto the water margin, built as part of the lake bund in 1828 AD that was used by the women folk of the erstwhile royal family for bathing in the lake waters and as a place to rest and enjoy the serene beauty of the lake and its environs.
Now, as there is a proposal to develop a Lalbagh-type garden here, it is yet to be seen whether the park will be revitalized soon or the project will stagnate as it happened with the restoration of Kukkarahalli Lake, which is on death bed due to unbridled sewage water flow into the lake; putting to waste the crores of rupees grant provided by the government.
A slow death
Now the lake is facing a slow death with growing urbanization. The lake area too has shrunk in size owing to site allotment and housing schemes of HUDCO and MUDA. [The first layout initiated was Kuvempunagar Stage-I in 1983 at a distance of 3.5 km from the lake. By 1989, two more layouts -- Ramakrishnanagar and Vivekanandanagar had been formed within a one km radius of the lake in the erstwhile village of Dattagalli]. It has become a dumping yard of urban waste in the form of sewage water from the surrounding Ramakrishna Nagar, Dattagalli I Block and Srirampura etc. There are two tertiary storm water drains emptying into the lake along with smaller channels which were built to carry rain water. But they only carry sewage water into the lake now. According to a survey by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), the pollution levels in Lingambudhi and Dalvoy lakes have reached alarming proportions; if Dalvoy lake is the most polluted in Mysore, Lingambudhi comes second. The pollution has been found to be four times more than the permissible limits.
The weed and blue-green algae which are covering the lake surface in alarming proportions [see picture] are suffocating the fish and other aquatic animals in the lake by creating BOD [Biological Oxygen Demand], says Jayaramaiah.
Preservation
The management techniques for lakes which are both capable of restoring urban water bodies and making them environment-friendly are quite challenging. The urgent priority of the Forest Department should be to protect the land around the lake through suitable fencing amd preventing contamination of water.
Only two lakes, Karanji and Kukkarahalli Lakes were restored under the Asian Development Bank (ADB) grants during the year 2003-2004. Out of Rs. 6 crore, over Rs. 3.5 crore had to be returned to ADB as the local authorities for lacked sustained efforts towards restoration. However, even after ‘restoration,’ the Kukkarahalli lake is still on a dying path with sewage water continuing to trickle into the lake from surrounding areas. Now the lake restoration should be planned as ecological security zones to improve urban eco-system.
The renovated park should have playground for children and facilities for exercise along with ticketing system to regulate the visitors ad curb illegal activities, said Jayaramaiah. He added that foreshore area management is crucial for lake development and that rain water should be let in instead of sewage to rejuvenate the lake through a natural process.
DCF Sukumar, when contacted, said the plans to restore Lingambudhi lake and upgrade the park are afoot and that it will take some months before finalizing the plans and starting the work.

Fighting corruption?

It is a sad day for our country when we will have to sit as mute spectators watching the news unfold on TV screen that a person who stood up to fight against crime and corruption is brutally burnt alive. Does not our blood boil? Why are we like this? How can we forget that Yashwant Sonawane, an Additional DC, was burnt alive by the oil mafia? How to forget the death of Shanmugam Manjunath, an Engineer in the Indian Oil Corporation, who was shot dead near Lucknow for investigating adulterated fuel. How did we manage to forget Satyendra Dubey who was killed for fighting corruption in highway project at Bihar. It is true that public memory is very short. We talk about it, discuss it, write about it and forget it. That is the extent of our public participation in fighting corruption. Because we know that once we raise our voices, we too may meet the same fate. Observing Anti-Corruption Day is meaningless and futile. It frustrates me that people talk 'high and dry' about corruption and call the public to wake up and fight corruption. After alighting from the stage, they go back to paying bribes to all and sundry to get their works done. It is frustrating to know we cannot do anything. I read today about the illegal money hoarding of the Gandhi family and Sonia Gandhi. And again I felt frustrated that we are helpless. Tell me what to do?

BEHIND THE LENS WITH SATHYU: "Theatre should be continuous

He is a celebrated name in the Indian cinema and theatre. A reference to Mysore Srinivas Sathyu or M.S. Sathyu, as he is famously called, brings to one's mind the flowing white beard, ever-vigilant eyes and a quick smile. Mysore's own filmmaker, Sathyu has indulged in almost all creative arenas of filmdom and theatre including direction, writing, acting and stage designing.
Now 80-years-old, Sathyu has been dabbling with black, white and 'silver' on and off for decades. Though he has directed many films and plays, he is easily recognised through Garam Hawa (1973), which won him the Padma Shri. His other ventures include films Bara (1980), Chithegu Chinthe, Haqeeqat (1964) and Train to Pakistan and the recent art film Ijjodu.
The theatre doyen was in city recently along with ace cinematographer G.S. Bhaskar for a four-day workshop on 'Visual Design in Theatre and Cinema' at Dhvanyaloka, Bogadi Road, organised under the joint auspices of Mysore Film Society and Bangalore's LACE Films. In a tete-a-tete with me, Sathyu dwells on the impact of theatre and films on the public.

M.S. Sathyu. Pic.by M.S. Apuurva

Shwetha: You are actively involved in theatre. There was a time when Bangalore was well-known for theatre activities. But theatre is not as dynamic now as it was earlier.
M.S. Sathyu: It is not true. Lots of theatre activities are happening at present in Karnataka and Maharashtra, but only some amount in Delhi. However, theatre activity in Kolkata is quite bad and it has become seasonal. In Delhi, the National School of Drama (NSD) and Sangeet Natak Academy organise theatre festivals. As they are government sponsored, there is no entry fee. Hence, the Delhi audience has lost the habit of buying tickets. I think theatre can survive only if the audience buy tickets.
However, what is happening in Rangashankara in Banga-lore is laudable. They are in their 6th year and stage plays everyday except on Mondays. The public do not bother about what play is being staged. They just come and watch them. The entry ticket cost some Rs. 49 earlier but has become Rs. 80 now. And Rs. 80 is not too much when we consider watching movies in multiplexes which cost us much more.
Theatre should be continuous. It should not be restricted to weekend or seasonal plays. If plays are staged everyday, people will start coming.
Shwetha: At Rangayana, they stage weekend plays, most of them old. Experimentation in theatre has become rare. Is it the same in Bangalore ?
Sathyu: There is a lot of experimentation in Bangalore, with many new groups coming up. Of course, there are problems in Rangayana. I think things will take a better turn now that Halemane [Lingadevaru Hale-mane] has come in as the Director. However, it was only during the time of Prasanna that lots of innovations and improvements happened. Starting weekend plays was Prasanna's idea. There is every facility in Rangayana — well-equipped theatre, funds etc. They can do any number of plays.
In Mysore, except Rangayana, there is no other good theatre. It is difficult for amateurs and small theatre groups to hire theatre and stage plays. Hence, instead of keeping it idle, they should hire it out to other theatre groups.
Shwetha: Any new plays coming up in Indian theatre? Either Indian or western?
Sathyu: Yes. There are a lot of new plays coming up, like in Marathi...
Shwetha: What about Kannada?
Sathyu: In Kannada, Suresh Heblikar and Girish Karnad are writing plays. There are some young writers also.
Shwetha: Cinemas influence people, their life and the way they think. The present day films lack any message. And art films with such messages are inaccessible to public…
Sathyu: This has been a problem for long time. Only a small section of the audience is interested in good movies. Most people do not come as they are not glitzy and glamorous. We don't need a large audience for art films because each film is targeted at a certain kind of audience.
Shwetha: Should more importance be given to mainstream films or art films?
Sathyu: Both kinds of films should be there, basically, to entertain the mass. It is a commercially viable venture. Running a theatre costs a lot of money. And the money has to come from the audience. It means the film should be popular and attract people. Along with such popular cinema, there should be some issue-based films too.
Shwetha: But art films are restricted to awards and they never come to mainstream.
Sathyu: It's true. I myself have not been able to show my films here because nobody in Mysore wanted to buy them. It has been two years since I made Ijjodu. There is no theatre to show it. We have to show it here [in the workshop]. I screened it for two weeks in Bangalore and also in Mangalore and Udupi. I held seminars in Mangalore colleges and even 50% concession was given to students. This is how we should create an avenue for the youth; by tapping young talents at the University level. Sporadic theatre does not create avenues.
Shwetha: You have worked with Chetan Anand. How was he as a Director ?
Sathyu: He was a sensitive film-maker; didn't make too intellectual or too commercial films.
Shwetha: Don't you think if you give publicity to art films before they are released, people would come to see them?
Sathyu: They never get released in the first place [laughs]. Publicity too costs money. I couldn't make a film for 12 years.
Shwetha: When you brand it as an art film, it is common that people will not come because they think it is boring.
Sathyu: Those who really want to see the film will come.
Shwetha: Tell us about Garam Hawa.
Sathyu: History is very important for us and Garam Hawa reminds us of that history which today's youth need to know about. I made the film 25 years after Independence. Ten years later, Tamas was made. Khamosh Pani and Khuda Ke Liye, two films by Pakistani Directors, are also very good.
Shwetha: Aren't modern films too loud; in terms of colour, costumes or story? They lack a silence.
Sathyu: Yes, they lack the beauty of silence.
Shwetha: What is the role of media in promoting theatre?
Sathyu: The media should present write-ups from time to time. For cinema or theatre to grow, previews are more important than reviews!