Report and
Photographs by Sunil Gonsalves,
Mangalore.
Annual
Day Celebrated:
Sri
Devi College of social Work celebrated their second annual day
this past week in the college premises at Ballalbagh. It was
presided by Mr. K. Janardhan. Sri Sadananda Shetty, President
of Sri Devi education trust was the chief guest. Smt. Padmini
S. Pai, Sri Manohar Prasad, eminent journalist, Sri Ratan Rai
and Others were present.
Bandh
by College students:
In response to the call given by Students Federation of India
(SFI), college students in the city boycotted classes on the
18th of January and observed a bandh, to protest
against the policies of the central and state governments as
regards the educational sector. The Governments’ plan to privatize
education and to increase the tuition fees has come in for several
criticisms from various student groups. The students picketed
the office of the DC in the afternoon.
Decision to cut
Grant for Higher education condemned:
The
principals of colleges affiliated to Mangalore University and
the representatives of the managing committees of the various
educational institutions have condemned the proposal of the
Government to reduce the grant for higher education by 15 %.
At a meeting held this week, they have called upon the government
to drop the proposed reduction of grants in the best interests
of the students.
PM
Visits Mangalore
The
Prime Minster Sri Atal Bihari Vajapayee arrived at Mangalore
this week. He was welcomed at the Mangalore Air terminus by
The chief Minster Sri S. M. Krishna,
the governor Ms. V.S. Ramadevi with a bouquet of flowers. Sri.
Basavaraj Patil Sedam, BJP Karnataka state Unit leader, Sri.
V. Dhanajaya Kumar,
The union Minister of state
for textiles, Sri. Ramanatha Rai, Minister in charge Dakshina
Kannada District, Smt. Sundari, Mayor Mangalore city corporation,
Sri. Bashir Baikampadi deputy Mayor . Sri Yogish Bhat MLA, Sri
Abhayachandra MLA, Sri Kapil Mohan DC, Mangalore, Sri Seemanth
Singh SP, Mangalore and others were also present at the airport.
He was accompanied by Sri. Ananth Kumar Union Minister tourism
and culture, sri. Murali Manohar Joshi Union Minister for Human
resourse development and Ms. Umabharathi Union Minister of state
for sports and youth welfare.
PM
Visits Udupi
He
then proceeded to Udupi to inaugurate “Rajangana” the Auditorium
attached to the Sri Krishna Temple of udupi which has been constructed
at a cost of rupees One crore. Blessing
the gathering on the occasion, Paryaya Pejawara Vishwesha Thirtha
Swamiji said,
Rajangana
will be a cultural centre. He appreciated the contributions
made by the Prime Minister Vajpayee to the nation and blessed
him.
Delivering
the keynote address, the prime Minister Sri. Atal Bihari Vajpayee
said that The
rich and diverse cultural heritage of India is protecting its
unity and these resources of the nation should be fully utilised
for the
development
of the nation, He said, contributions of Pejawara Seer in the
field of social justice are commendable. He recalled that, people’s
love for the country became evident during Kargil war.
Speaking
on the occasion, Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna said,
Pejawara Seer has served the society for more than half a decade
and played major role in bringing the downtrodden class to the
mainstream of the society.
Union HRD Minister Murali Manohar Joshi said that the Pejawara
Seer was a great saint and appreciated his will power. Presiding
over the function, Karnataka Governor V S Ramadevi said, religious
centres and Mutts should be the guiding spirits to the well
being of the society.
Union
Ministers Ananthkumar, Uma Bharathi, Dhananjaya Kumar, State
Minister incharge of the district Motamma, Udupi MP Vinayakumar
Sorake and others were present on the occasion.
Protest
Planned:
In
continuance of the resolution passed at the general meeting
of the CITU, an All India level protest has been planned on
the 24th of January 2001. this was conveyed by the
District CITU unit in a press release. At the general meeting
held at Hyderabad this past December, the CITU pledged to be
more sensitive to the problems of labourers, farmers and the
common man.
Beach
festival organized in Mangalore:
The
Beach Festival organized, as a part of the Karavali Utsav was
a major success going by the sea of people who thronged the
venue. Kudroli Ganesh a renowned magician undertook a very risky
feat, which was the Indian Houdini (maya Jadoo) which was witnessed
by more than 50000 people gathered there. Ganesh was bound with
chains from head to toe and Sri Yogish Bhat MLA locked the chains,
which were inspected by Sri B. A. Moideen, Former Education
Minister Government of Karnataka, Sri Kapil Mohan DC, Sri. Thejomaya
Commissioner MUDA and others. He was the led into a box, which
was sealed and carried high up into the air by a crane where
it was set on fire by dousing petrol. As people watched with
bated breath as the box exploded into a ball of fire and wondered
whether Ganesh would live to see another day…he appeared in
the horizon unscathed and unfazed rowing a boat.
George
Fernandes Visits Fr. Muller’s Hospital:
The
union Defense Minister Sri. George Fernandes inaugurated the
newly constructed Mother and childcare ward at the Fr. Muller’s
Hospital at Kankandy this past week. He appreciated the medical
care rendered by the hospital to the people of Mangalore as
well as visited the patients in the hospital. The director of
The Fr. Muller’s institutions, Rev. Dr. Baptist Menezes, welcomed
him.
Protest
Rally By Muslim league:
The
district Muslim League held a rally at the DC’s office to protest
against the Victimization of Muslims by communal forces in the
district. At this rally the President of the District Muslim
League Unit Sri. Jainul, flayed the ineffectiveness of the district
administration in providing adequate protection to the Muslims
and their places of worship, from the intolerant communal forces
and this was evident by the increasing number of attacks on
Muslims on false pretenses and digging up their cremation grounds.
Sri C.Ahmed Jamal, Sri Kareem, Sri Fayaz, Sri Bijili
Hasan and others of the Muslim league were also present at the
rally.
