A matter of mercy: Ambari jumbo to join Savari last

Mysore, Sept. 1 (KK&KMC)- A preliminary meeting to discuss the preparations for Dasara-2010 and assimilate suggestions from senior journalists of the city was held under the chairmanship of District In-Charge Minister S. Suresh Kumar at the DC’s office here this morning.

Respite for Ambari (howdah) elephant: Based on the suggestions, it was decided to include the caparisoned Ambari elephant in the procession at the concluding part of the procession, thus avoiding it the painful wait of more than two hours, before the Jumboo Savari procession which will be held on Oct. 17.

In fact, during the days of the Maharajas, this was the practice, the meeting was told by senior journalist Krishna Vattam. He reminded the meeting that this way cruelty to the pachyderm could be avoided instead of making it wait for more than two hours carrying the 750-kg golden howdah.

Rehearsals:The meeting decided to conduct a rehearsal of the Jumboo Savari within the Palace premises extending it to the nearby Statue Square a day earlier (Oct. 16) and also conduct two rehearsals of the Torchlight Parade in Bannimantap on Oct. 15 and 16.

The purpose of the rehearsals, apart from attaining perfection, is to reduce the crowd on the final day, as local residents who would have witnessed the rehearsals, would not feel like participating in the final event too.

Moreover, special programmes will be held as part of Yuva Dasara at the Open Air Theatre in Manasagangothri to prevent people gathering at a single venue, explained Deputy Commissioner Harsha Gupta, who is In-Charge Officer of the Dasara.

No overlapping: This Dasara, care will be taken to ensure that the various programmes related to Dasara do not overlap and to facilitate this, cultural programmes will be held in the night too at different venues like the Palace, Kalamandira, Jaganmohan Palace and Open Air Theatre.

Yuva Dasara:Inter-college and inter-University cultural and fine arts competitions will be held during Yuva Dasara at the Open Air Theatre from Oct. 8 to 15.

Grameena Dasara:Taluk level competitions in cultural and folk arts will be held and sports like kite-flying, marathon and other rural sports will be encouraged.

Mysore Thaali meal: All the hotels in the city will be directed by the District Administration to serve Mysore Thaali meal at Rs. 10 per plate. It was suggested that Mysore Pak be compulsorily included in the Thaali.

The Aahara Mela (Food Fair), which used to be held at the CADA office all these years, will be held at two more venues from this year — at the Open Air Theatre and the Town Hall—to make the event more popular.

Cost-cutting: This Dasara, the practice of presenting bouquets and garlands to each of the dignitary on the dais, including the members of various Dasara Committees, will be discontinued and the money thus saved will be used for charity, the DC said.

A common pass that will allow entry to various tourist places and Dasara venues in city, will be issued at affordable prices, for the convenience of the tourists.

In order to prevent the duplication of themes of the tableaus of various districts and government departments, a video-conferencing of all the DCs will be held, during which the themes will be discussed and finalised.

As part of the Mahila and Mak-kala Dasara, magic shows will be held and children will be taken on tours to various tourist places in and around Mysore in buses. Adventure sports will also be held.

City Police Commissioner Sunil Agarwal, Additional DC Dr. C.G. Betsurmath, MCC Commissioner K.S. Raikar, ZP Ceo Sathyavathi and other senior officers were present.

Flex banners banned

Mysore, Sept. 1 (KMC&KK)-The practice of political parties and others displaying huge flex banners at vantage points in city was severely criticised by most of the senior journalists, who attended the Dasara preliminary meeting at DC’s office today.

Accordingly, the District In-Charge Minister Suresh Kumar directed the District Administration to ban all such banners during the Dasara. "In places where they cannot be avoided, Dasara celebration banners will have only the picture of Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa," said the Minister and directed the officials not to include even his picture.

Citing an amusing anecdote, Suresh Kumar recalled that during his visit to the house of the bereaved parents of Maj. Sandeep Unnikrishnan in Bangalore, who was killed in the Mumbai terror attack, he noticed several flex banners displayed all along the length of the road, paying homage to the martyr.

"I noticed that the picture of the person paying homage was larger than life-size while martyr Sandeep’s small picture was tucked away in a corner. It made me wonder who was paying homage to whom," the Minister said.

Commissioner holds negotiations with farmers, land owners

Mysore, Sept. 1 (MRS&RK)- The farmers, owning cultivable lands around Mysore city, today agreed to surrender their lands to MUDA for formation of residential layouts if they get 50% of the sites formed in the layouts.

Initially they opposed acquisition of their lands as they mainly depended on agriculture for their livelihood. They expressed their views at the meeting called by MUDA at N.R. Choultry here to convince the farmers and land owners to surrender their lands on their own to overcome the hurdle of denotification.

About 200 persons participated in the meeting. The farmers suggested the MUDA to acquire the lands of those who hold GPAs as they were Realtors.

Incidentally, some persons, who are not farmers and own lands and exservicemen were also present in the meeting. MUDA Commissioner P.C. Jayanna heard their views after explaining the 'Gujarat model' of city development, which ensures 40 percent of sites to the farmers and land-owners after developing their lands as layouts.

After listening to the views of the farmers, Jayanna promised that their suggestion would be forwarded to the Government.

He recalled that farmers in Tumkur also demanded 50% of sites and their demand was pending with the Government.

After explaining the scheme and its benefits to those who surrender lands, Jayanna wanted to leave the venue to attend a meeting called by the District In-charge Minister at the DC's office. He said his officers would listen to their views.

The farmers, however, were not prepared to allow him to leave. They urged him to listen to their views. They threatened to boycott the meeting if he leaves.

Some of the farmers even tried to touch his feet with a request not to leave the meeting. With no option, Jayanna remained in the meeting. The farmers' contention was that they were not landlords and had no surplus lands to spare. They possessed small land holdings of one or two acres and they need them for their livelihood.

Mysore, Sept. 1 (KMC&MTY)-The convicts and under- trials of the Mysore Central Jail now have the golden opportunity of getting educated and obtaining academic degrees while in jail.

The Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), following a long-standing demand from some of the convicts, has decided to start a Study Centre in the jail, for which a spot survey has been conducted.

The jail has a total of 1,040 inmates of which 540 are convicts and 500 are undertrials. They include 100 women inmates.

The number of inmates keen to obtain degrees is well above 70, according to jail sources.

Earlier, the jail inmates seeking to pursue their education had to first obtain the permission of the Jail Superintendent and then approach the University for admission. The matter had become a major security risk for the Police too, as they had to accompany the inmates for the contact classes, exams and other activities held at the University.

The jail authorities have also initiated entertainment programmes, spiritual discourses and other activities to keep them engaged and mentally reform them.

Women inmates are being trained in producing silk garments and embroidery, thanks to the initiative of Prof. P.V. Nanjaraje Urs, through his organisation Anthahakarana.

The Jail Superintendent T.H. Lakshminarayan told Star of Mysore that Prof. Urs had volunteered to provide classrooms within the jail premises for the KSOU to establish its study centre. He said that the Bangalore University had already established such a study centre in the Bangalore jail.

"A memorandum of agreement will be signed soon with the KSOU Vice-Chancellor Prof. K.S. Rangappa and the Study Centre is likely to be symbolically inaugurated on Gandhi Jayanthi (Oct. 2)," he said.

Then a prisoner, now Prison Superintendent

Mysore, Sept. 1 (MRS)- Now a prisoner can become a person to keep vigil over the prisoners. This kind of a 'miracle' has been possible at the Central Jail in city.

He had spent 4 years (2003-07) in the prison as an under-trial and yesterday he took over as the in-charge Superintendent of the same Prison.

He is Jayasimha, who was arrested in 2003 for his alleged role in the infamous stamp paper scam involving Telgi.

Jayasimha was the Principal of Prison Training Institute in the premises of the Jail at the time of his arrest, and consequently he was suspended.

The Supreme Court granted him bail in 2007. His suspension was revoked in 2009.

Now he has been reinstated as the Principal of the same Institute and has taken over as the in-charge Superintendent of the Central Jail in place of Lakshminarayan who has gone on leave.

Bylukuppe, Sept. 1 (JP&MRS)- "We do not demand freedom, let the Chinese government give us greater autonomy," said Samdhong Rinpoche, Prime Minister of Tibetan government-in-exile.

In an informal chat with Star of Mysore yesterday, the Rinpoche said that the Tibetan government-in-exile had been unable to convey its demand to Chinese Government just for greater autonomy as the government was not prepared to listen.

"Even in UN we do not have voice as we have no status... The UN considers our country as a part of China," he regretted.

He thanked the Indian government for providing a home to Tibetans. "But it is not our home. Tibet is our home. We are trying to tell the Chinese government that we want to return to our home provided we get greater autonomy," he added.

The Prime Minister said that the Parliament session in Bylukuppe will discuss this issue among other issues.

'India is our home, but it is not our home'

Bylukuppe, Sept. 1 (JP)- Tenzin Choden, Member of Parliament for the greater Tibetan diaspora in USA, was in the Tibetan Settlement of Bylukuppe , Periyapatna Taluk, Mysore district, yesterday to take part in the First National General Assembly of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile here.

The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile Assembly commenced its session on Aug. 26 and concluded yesterday with the Dalai Lama addressing the meeting at the Sera Jey Monastery’s main prayer hall at around 3 pm.

Speaking to SOM, Tenzin Choden, who lives in California for the major part of the year, said, "We are in a situation where we need to see where Tibetans are placed 10 or 20 years from now. As our Holiness Dalai Lama has said, 'India is our home but it is not our home.' We are grateful to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and the Karnataka Government for having created a home for us. This was done in the spirit of compassion for Tibetan people. We are very thankful for that. But there is a homeland that is ours , that is now under the occupation of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). We are now saying that, as His Holiness has said earlier, we will give up our demand for freedom and all we ask in return is greater autonomy."

SOM: Perhaps China’s thinking is that any move to grant greater autonomy will lead to a resurgence of freedom movement, because how do you define greater autonomy?

Choden: When we say ‘greater autonomy’ what we are saying is that we want our culture, our traditions and our way of life to be preserved. You must have read that the identity of the Tibetan people in Tibet has been obliterated. Maybe the Communist way of life is a good thing but let us have the freedom to keep our Tibetan identity.

SOM: Are not Tibetans who have stayed back happy? The PRC’s handout show smiling Tibetans in their Mao’s suits busy at work.

Choden: No, Mao suits are passé. No, it is a serious matter. Tibetans are mistrusted. They do not have basic rights. They are treated worse than second class citizens. They deserve better.

SOM: So many of them make their way across the border and enter India illegally. It’s not that they are received with open hands. A blind eye is turned… so what does future hold for Tibetans and Tibet?

Choden: His Holiness has prescribed the Middle Way of Freedom. We reiterate that we do not make the demand for freedom but seek autonomy for our basic rights and for the preservation of our culture.

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Dalai Lama is "Wish-Fulfillment Jewel"

Bylukuppe, Sept. 1 (JP)-Pema Gyatso, who served as a soldier in Rashtriya Rifles for 20 years and saw action in J&K as well as the North East, now has a general store in Lama Camp-1 at Bylukuppe, the largest Tibetan settlement with more than 30,000 Tibetans, monks and nuns living in the 14 Lama Camps spread over Bylukuppe.

Pema along with his wife and son were among the thousands of Tibetans who had lined the roads leading to the huge Sera Jey Monastery awaiting the visit of the Dalai Lama’s motorcade.

Talking to SOM after the motorcade had passed and life was back to a semblance of normalcy, Pema said, "His Holiness is God. Pray to him with faith, with mind and heart and all wishes come true."

Pema was typical of the several elderly Tibetans who considered even the body of the Dalai Lama to be imbued with mystical powers so much so that they feel even looking at His body is enough to remove their problems.

New Delhi, Sept.1 (MRS)- Congress Supremo Sonia Gandhi will be re-elected as the party President on Sept. 21 as hers will be the only nomination paper being filed today.

Sonia Gandhi will fill her nomination papers before the AICC(I) Returning Officer Oscar Fern-andes at the party office.

The election process commenced on Aug. 30. Sept. 3 is the last date to file nominations.

Scrutiny of nomination papers will be done on Sept. 4. Last date for withdrawal of nominations is Sept. 10.

If no other nomination is filed on Sept. 3, the last date, the unanimous election of Sonia Gandhi will become certain on Sept. 10, the last date for withdrawal of nominations.

The election of Sonia Gandhi will be announced in the AICC (I) session to be held on Sept. 21 at Mumbai. Polling will not be held as there will be no other contestant.

She will assume office the same day. The High Command decided to hold AICC(I) Session in Mumbai where the first session of the party was held 150 years ago (28th Dec. 1885). This is the first time in 150-year history of Congress that a person is being elected to the post of President.

Mysore, Sept. 1 (KK&KMC)- This is a classic example of how public money is wasted in the name of development, owing to lack of co-ordination between the bureaucrats of various departments and false-prestige among the elected representatives.

A bridge constructed barely five years ago and in good condition was demolished and literally flown down the drain to replace it with another new one, while another bridge nearby, needing repairs, has been overlooked.

The bridge in question was in Medar Block, across Poornaiah Canal. It was built in 2005 at a cost of Rs. 20 lakh, when Bharathi was the Mayor.

Now, under JNNURM scheme, this bridge and storm water drain was totally demolished and washed down the drain, to make way for a new construction.

Ironically, another bridge on the road to Jawa Factory in Yadavagiri, which is in urgent need of repairs, has been ignored by the authorities concerned.

For whose benefit are these projects undertaken — the contractor, the bureaucrat or the elected representative?

When those who are supposed to question the misdoings are themselves having their fingers in the pie, what else can the tax-payer do but to curse the system?

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Traffic offenders outsmart cops

Mysore, Sept. 1 (RK&KMC)- Though Police are smart, they always get outsmarted by the offenders. The Police invented the wheel-clamping method to bring to book the drivers of four-wheelers who flouted traffic rules by parking their vehicles in the no-parking zone or in a haphazard manner. But a couple of drivers have proven that this method is not fool-proof, by escaping in the ticketed vehicle and the clamp!

What these offenders did not realise is that instead of paying the Rs. 200 fine for wrong parking, they end up with a non-bailable arrest warrant and a theft case, attracting at least three years’ imprisonment. The cost of the clamp is about Rs. 2,000.

The latest offender is the driver of an auto (KL-10, 8012). On Aug. 21, at around 1 pm, the auto was found parked in a no-parking zone near Kannika Parameshwari temple on Ashoka Road. ASI Mahadevappa of Devaraja Traffic Police Station, after looking around for the driver and attempting to bring him to the vehicle by whistling several times, had no other go but to fix the wheel-clamp.

He then waited at the Police Station for the driver. When the ASI did not hear from the driver till about 4.30 pm, he grew suspicious and went to the spot only to find that the vehicle was missing. On enquiring with the people nearby, he learnt that the auto driver had replaced the clamped wheel with the stepney (spare-tyre) and fled.

A similar incident had occurred from in front of Shanthala bar in Shivarampet wherein the driver of an Indica car (KA-05, C-7988) had replaced the wheel lock with a stepney and escaped. Though the Police have traced the car in Bangalore, they are yet to locate the driver who is still at large.

In the case of the auto, the Police, who have registered a case, have not yet traced the auto, which they suspect, might be hidden in a garage.

Mysore, Sept. 1 (MRS&RK)- About 150 residents of HUDCO Layout in Kuvempunagar this morning staged a demonstration in front of the branch office of Vani Vilas Water Works (VVWW) protesting against non-supply of water since the last four days.

Leading the residents, former MLA M.K. Somashekhar locked the branch office sending a couple of employees out. The residents including women carrying empty vessels chanted slogans against the City Corporation and the Government.

They alleged that they were facing a lot of hardships following non-supply of water and their appeals had fallen on deaf ears.

Somashekhar wondered why there should be water problem when KRS had plenty of water following good rains. He urged the auth-orities to supply borewell water if they cannot supply KRS water.

Water Works Asst. Engineer Suresh rushed to the spot only to be mobbed by the angry residents. Suresh explained that there was disruption in water supply as work on replacing pipelines for JUSCO project was in progress. He, however, claimed there was no scarcity of water. The officer promised to supply water daily in tankers to the area.

Two JUSCO Executives were also at the spot. Activists Achar, Manjunath, Gunashekhar, Harish, Rajeswari, Rajalaxmi, Padma, Prema and Suvarnamma took part.

Mysore, Sept. 1 (MRS)- Tourism in India has been badly affected due to the scare of dengue fever and floods in several parts of the country.

The governments of Malaysia and Australia have advised their citizens not to visit India as it is unsafe from health point of view.

The scare will also affect the Commonwealth Games beginning in October. Tour operators in Delhi are worried following cancellation of bookings from many countries including European countries.

They were hopeful of getting a good number of sports-lovers from foreign countries.

Following the killer floods in Kashmir, some northern States and in Karnataka, the tourists are thinking otherwise. The foreign tour operators are diverting their clients to 'safer' countries skipping India.

Foreign tour operators either cancel their bookings to India or advise their Indian counterparts to 'keep the package pending.'

This situation is likely to affect the tourist inflow to Mysore during Dasara as well. According to a local travel agent, he had received instructions from his Delhi counterparts to cancel some of the bookings.

"The Delhi operators had promised us to send Commonwealth guests to Mysore and Bangalore. Now they have backed out," he added.

This situation will greatly affect hotel industry in the country including Mysore and Bangalore.

The media coverage on dengue and floods has scared the tourists, he added.

Mysore, Sept. 1 (KMC) Hostels for the students of Vokkaliga community will be established in all the districts of the State, for which the State Government would provide the required sites, announced Transport Minister R. Ashok. He was speaking after inaugurating the first anniversary celebration of Negila Bhagya monthly magazine brought out by Negilayogi Trust, at Jaganmohan Palace auditorium in city yesterday.

If the Vokkaliga Associations in various districts come forward to construct hostels for the benefit of Vokkaliga students, the State Government would extend aid by providing the required land, the Minister said and expressed his commitment for the community's development.

Progressive farmer Mirle Prakash, Star of Mysore Chief Reporter S.T. Ravikumar, probationary IAS officers D.K. Ravi and Dr. M.V. Venkatesh were felicitated on the occasion.

MLA S.R. Mahesh, MLC Sandesh Nagaraj, Mayor Sandesh Swamy, Deputy Mayor Pushpalatha Jagannath, KHB Chairman G.T. Devegowda, KEA Chairman B.P. Manjunath, Karnataka Janapada Parishat President Dr. G. Narayana, former Mayor Vasu, Trust President Dr. H.B. Rajashekhar and others were present.

Karnataka Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri is seen, discussing with the chairperson, Britania Nutrition Foundation (also MD and CEO, Britania Industries Limited) ms Vinita Bali,in New Delhi today before inauguration of "2nd BNF symposium India`s malnutrition; Combating the Hard core" organised by Britania Nutrition Foundation at hotel Ashok. The Foundation is planning to adopt a village in Karnataka under its Nutrition programme. Karnataka’s Additional Representative in Delhi Bykere Nagesh, Former Secretary to government of India with Domain Expertise on Malnutrition, Dr. Veena Rao and the Member-Secretary Planning Commission, Sudha Pillai are also seen in the picture.