96 Buddha’s Most Powerful Positive Own Words
you have Calm, Quiet, Alert and Attentive Mind!-Thank farm friends,
amidst so much slimywet and so much heaviness, we are wishing you all a
bright and buoyant spring season!
winter has quickly flowed into a dizzying,familiar state of spring
ruckus.Spring racket.Spring merry mayhem.Daffodils have just begun to
bloom and snow clouds are in the sky.Farm shares for the season sold
quicker than expected which has feeling all-the-more-so appreciative for
the support and enthusiasm of farm community and eager and excited for
this new growing season. Here’s what have been up to lately, mostly
photos.
beds are greening up, up, UP, albeit slowly. The lettuce is having a
tough go of things, with pressure from house sparrows.
in bok choy to fill gaps in spinach beds where germination was
uneven.Ittybitty carrot seedlings will come up in the newest/western
beds. The arugula looks amazing, fared the cold temperatures with a
smile, and is almost harvestable – this is grown from seed saved last
summer.
north wall of the greenhouse has to be been getting some early spring
attention this year – be cobbing! Cob is a mix of clay, sand,straw and
water. A bit like adobe, but not formed in bricks. The greenhouse uses
strawbales as insulation on the tall north wall and an interior cob wall
(about 6-8″ thick) as thermal mass. The beautiful red-orange of the cob
comes from the local clay/silt that outcrops around Spearfish,the
Permio-Triassic Spearfish Formation.Deposited before the uplift back
when this place look more like the Heleh wetlands of Iran. Which is
especially lovely to consider as the sky is about to dump a boatload.
eggplant: grow three varieties of eggplant this year, Tsakoniki,
Diamond, and Long Purple. (Share members, these should be familiar to
you, these are varieties grown in the past and do well here.) Diamond
started to germinate. Diamond, also known as Almaz (Алмаз). is an
eggplant variety originally bred in Ukraine, developed at the Donetskaya
Vegetable Experiment Station. It was brought to the US in 1993 by the
co-founder of Seed Savers Exchange, Kent Whealy. The two taller rows of
Long Purple adjacent to the Diamonds are from our own seed crop – they
germinated about a week earlier, almost as though they remembered this
place and were ready. Last year we tried to save Diamond for seed, but
deer got in and made a hearty feast with the row of large yellowing
fruit. Try again this year.
blocks with seeds and tiny germinating precious beings are filling
shelves in the greenhouse. Of special note: 1. the majority of the seeds
planting are ones grown and saved, these are varieties we’re familiar
with and they’re familiar with us, this place, the light and the soil. I
very quickly lose all ability to communicate just how spectacular this
is. If you will, please imagine a flock of flamingoes taking off from
the mangroves . 2. additionally! now growing seed from local seed
grower/gardener friends as well! YEAH! Couer de Bouef and Woodle Orange.
Excited about this because these are regionally adapted/ing varieties,
grown by friends with good taste, and seeds from friends are the coolest
thing. 3. The super dooper low temperatures last week (eeps! 10
degrees!?) had scurrying to cover beds in the greenhouse and bring in
the most tender things that wouldn’t make it through those low temps.
(Cold weather temps in the greenhouse a generally 10-15 degrees warmer
than outside). This means that the floor of our basement, our dining
table with wings extended, and an additional giant foldy table set up in
the living room are hosting a whole lot of little things that would
really rather being getting more light. For a brief while, the kitchen
floor became my new place for potting-up, making a good stand-in for our
greenhouse work bench. The dogs were very deliberate with their puppy
footing and rabble rousing – no seed tray disasters.
March, helped out with the annual Spearfish Seed Swap. The public
library host a community seed exchange box, shared carrot stories with
kiddos, and pulled together all their most excellent gardening resources
for display and check-out, local seed stewards shared their seed
stories online, and finest ice cream shop make another incredibly
delicious seed-themed ice cream flavor in celebration of, celebration
with the Seed Swap – crispy crunchy dark chocolatey seed bombs tossed in
a milk chocolate ice cream. Oh maaaan. And as part of the Seed Swap
seed merriment, got muddy making wild flower earth dumplings (aka seed
bombs) with all sorts of folks excited about creating more pollinator
habitat and forage in our community.
the spirit of celebrating gardens and life, seeds and pollinators,
community and community action, put together a zine as an introduction
to earth dumplings. You’d like your very own copy of the Earth Dumpling
zine, here you go. And here are some easy instructions for how to fold
it up, with many thanks to artist Ashley Topacio.
lastly: while warming up in the greenhouse after moving wet, slimy
occultation tarps and a whole lot of heavy sand bags in the field on a
cold and blustery afternoon. Springtime in a nutshell.
farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail,
sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways.”
reaps a harvest in the Autumn.” You’ll love collection of spring quotes
celebrating life and change.
farming came about from a moral race to the bottom, with corporations
vying against each other to produce more and bigger animals with less
care at lower cost.”
is a matter of dirt and dung. It is not the kind of thing we look to to
find the meaning of human life. It is too ordinary, too inescapably a
part of life to be interesting. We know that it has to be done, but see
no reason to pay much attention to it. But it is just because farming is
inescapably a part of human life that it may provide a clue to what is
most basically human, and so a clue to our place within the cosmos.”
farm is a manipulative creature. There is no such thing as finished.
Work comes in a stream and has no end. There are only the things that
must be done now and things that can be done later. The threat the farm
has got on you, the one that keeps you running from can until can’t is
this: do it now, or some living thing will wilt or suffer or die. Its
blackmail, really.”
is the greatest and fundamentally the most important of our industries.
The cities are but the branches of the tree of national life, the roots
of which go deeply into the land. We all flourish or decline with the
farmer.”
is respecting the basics of nature in action and ensuring that they
continue.”
do think that there is a big difference between family farms and
agri-business, and one of the distressing things that I think has
occurred is with consolidation of farm lands. You’ve seen large
agri-businesses benefit from enormous profits from existing farm
programs, and I think we should be focusing most of those programs on
those family farmers.” – Barack Obama
is the noblest of all alchemy; for it turns earth, and even manure,
into gold, conferring upon its cultivator the additional reward of
health.”
goal of any farmer, after producing enough to feed his own family, has
always been to find the best place to sell the year’s crop.”
love the idea of farm to table and farmer’s markets. I enjoy a meal
more if I know I’m eating something that’s good quality and good for
me.”
I help a farmer, I don’t differentiate between them based on their
region, as farmers have no borders. I want to live like a world citizen
and react like a human being.” – Prakash Raj
don’t, you don’t take it personally. Not my problem; I just kept
planting. Just like a farmer.”
was the first occupation of man, and as it embraces the whole earth, it
is the foundation of all other industries.”
ingredients trump recipes every time; farmers and ranchers who coax the
best from the earth can make any of us appear to be a great cook.”
farmers deserve praise, not condemnation; and their efficiency should
be cause for gratitude, not something for which they are penalized.” —
John F. Kennedy
need farmers, more than any other profession. If lawyers, politicians,
bankers, university academics or salesmen were to somehow disappear
tomorrow, I think the world would muddle through pretty well. Some
things might even get better. But if farmers were to vanish, most of us
would be dead within a year.”
wait for good or bad weather, you harvest, but working is something you
always need to do.”
person who is growing a garden, if he is growing it organically, is
improving a piece of the world. He is producing something to eat, which
makes him somewhat independent of the grocery business, but he is also
enlarging, for himself, the meaning of food and the pleasure of eating.”
are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of
supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat
comes from the furnace.”
1946. That is not very long ago. Until then, where was all the food?
Dear folks, the food was in homes, gardens, local fields, and forests.
It was near kitchens, near tables, near bedsides. It was in the pantry,
the cellar, the backyard.”
fields are black and ploughed, and they lie like a great fan before us,
with their furrows gathered in some hand beyond the sky, spreading
forth from that hand, opening wide apart as they come toward us, like
black pleats that sparkle with thin, green spangles.”
in the country, on a little farm in southern Georgia, I am building a
quiet life of resistance. I am a radical peasant, and every day I take
out my little hammer, and I keep building.”
soil is the great connector of lives, the source and destination of
all. It is the healer and restorer and resurrector, by which disease
passes into health, age into youth, death into life. Without proper care
for it we can have no community, because without proper care for it we
can have no life.”
grandfather used to say that once in your life you need a doctor, a
lawyer, a policeman and a preacher, but every day, three times a day,
you need a farmer.”
has become essential to life; the forest, the lake, and the ocean
cannot sustain the increasing family of man; population declines with a
declining cultivation, and nations have ceased to be with the extinction
of their agriculture.” So grow your own food like vegetables and fruits
not only in pots but all over the world as the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka
did to overcome hunger the worst kind of illness as said by the Buddha.
not give up your authority and follow blindly the will of others. Find
out for yourself what is truth, what is real. Discover that there are
virtuous things. Once you have discovered for yourself embrace the good.
am a disabled person with multiple disabilities who is currently
working on entering into a nunnery to become an ordained nun. Obviously,
I have many things to say about this topic but, for the m…
After 60 Years of
Because Of
Wrong and Erratic Economic Policies of the Ruling Castes/Tribes with their Allies in the Centre and some States formed with the monetary or otherwise help of big capitalist powers and for this very reason, these parties, after coming to power, as a “return gift” to them formulated their “Economic Policies” in subservience of these capitalists, fully ignoring the interests and welfare of general public.
BSP believes in doing rather than saying
Through
The Master Key of the Political Power
And
Principles & Policies” and also its style of functioning
For the Gain and Welfare of All Sections of the Society
Through justice to all, besides giving impetus and dynamism to the issue of Development
constituting separate Welfare Departments
giving new meaning when 25,000 villages, having predominantly Original Inhabitants of Jambudvipa i.e. the Great Prabuddha Bharath (SC/STs) population, were selected for
Now called as
Baba Saheb Dr. Ambedkar U.P. Gramsabha Samagra Vikas Yojana (Gramsabha Integrated Development Scheme.). and ambitious “Urban Integrated Development Scheme” has been formulated in the name of Manyawar Shri Kanshi Ram Ji for development of small cities and towns
The homeless and poor people were allotted vacant land, besides possession has also been ensured to landless poor for the purpose of farming/agriculture on that land. About 20 lakh poor people have so far been benefited from this decision of the government in the State, and this work is still continuously in progress.
Unprecedented and historic decision to provide with more than one lakh permanent government jobs in rural areas for the Valmiki community of Scheduled Castes. By this decision, all the 1.08 lakh revenue village of Uttar Pradesh will have at least one Sarkari Safai Karmachari
the first time in the country, took a policy decision to grant Doubled amount of scholarship to the children of persons belonging to poor Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and also to poor children of Other Backward Classes and Religious Minorities, especially to the poor children belonging to Muslim community, distributed to students immediately after their admission.
free coaching to ensure their admissions in the prestigious institutions and for high-grade prestigious jobs like IAS, IPS. PCS etc.
Along with the above facilities, for the first time in the State, 25% of the State budget has been allocated separately for the welfare and development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the State.
in order to infuse the sense of security among the people belonging to Bahujan Samaj, a policy of reservation has been introduced for the first time in the postings at the police stations in each and every district. Under the new provision, police officers belonging to SC/STs, for the first time in the country, will be getting 25 percent of such posts of police station will go to the people belonging to OBCs and 5 percent to officers from Religious Minorities (Muslims) in all the districts of the State. This system of governance is still continuing in the State with a slight modification.
Apart from economic development of Muslims, the safety and security of their lives and Religion has also been fully ensured. In addition, our government was first in the country ensuring government jobs to economically weaker Muslims by including them in category of other Backward Classes (OBCs) and issuing government order facilitating release of caste certificates accordingly.
New Positive Reservation Initiatives”
In The Interest of Sarv Samaj
i.e.Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes (OBC), Religious Minorities and Upper caste, for it is more than evident that the benefit of reservation, which was provided on account of the untiring efforts of Param Pujya Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimarao Ambedka
r, to the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Castes (OBCs) in the Government jobs under the Constitution of India, was not reaching fully to the dire needy people because of anti-reservation attitude of the Congress, BJP and their supporting parties.various Government Departments and Institutions are being handed over to the Private Sectors for the past several years on the pretext of poor economic condition of the government, without ensuring provision of the same kind of reservation in the privatised firm/sector at any level. And, if this current state of affairs/practice of handing over the government departments and Institutions to Private Sector continues, a day will come when the constitutional facility of reservation will cease to exist
The people belonging to Scheduled Castes (SCs) & Schedule Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) will be happy to know that throughout the country, it is only the Government of my aprty, the BSP in Uttar Pradesh which was fulfilled these tasks, which are as follows:
· Public-Private-Partnership (P.P.P.) is the main component of “all inclusive” realistic and practical economic policy of my government in Uttar Pradesh.
· All the Schemes/projects/industries with partnership with state government, the State Government would have a maximum partnership of 49 percent of 11 percent.
· The provision of job reservation in enterprises developed on Public-Private Partnership model will continue in the proportion and manner as the State Government has been providing quota which is in the government jobs 21 percent for Scheduled Castes, 02 percent for Scheduled Tribes and 27 percent for Other Backward Classes.
· The interests of employees will be fully safeguarded in the projects/enterprises established under PPP model.
· Now along with this, the Uttar Pradesh Government of my party has applied the policy of “Sarvjan Hitai –Sarvjan Sukhai” (Progress and Prosperity for all) also in the area of the reservation. In pursuance of this policy, our government has taken historical initiative to provide the benefits of reservation to all the poor and needy people belonging to all castes and the implementation of this new system has already been taken up in the right earnest in Uttar Pradesh. This step has been taken for the first time in the country.
· Under it, if the services rendered by the Govt. Departments, Corporations, Authorities, Councils and other Semi-government institutions or the maintenance of their establishment are substituted by outsourcing, then the contract to be executed for the said purpose would include the provision of providing 21 percent of jobs created through this out sourcing to the persons of Scheduled Castes, 2 percent to the persons belonging to Scheduled Tribes and 27 percent to Other Backward Classes.
· In the Industrial Units, Educational Institutions, Infrastructure/Service Sector Projects, Disinvested Units are being set up in which the private sector is provided land, subsidy, state aid or assets by the Government or any of its government departments, then as per the “voluntary” and “mutual agreement”, the employers have to provide 10 percent of the total jobs created in the projects to the persons of Scheduled Castes, 10 percent to Other Backward Classes, including Backwards of Religious Minorities and 10 percent to the economically weaker persons of the Upper Castes
· Over 30 thousand posts of backlog have so far been filled by my part’s government in Uttar Pradesh. Recruitment on remaining posts is in progress.
· Besides, it is to be clear in mind that the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (prevention of atrocities) Act, 1989, has been enacted by the Government of India, hence a central act, and no State Government can make any alternation in this Act nor repeal it. The State Government of Uttar Pradesh has ensured strict enforcement of this law.
· My Government has done everything possible regarding implementation of reservation policy.
· The Government of
· We have also urged the Government of
· But for that matter, I would like to fully assure the people of upper castes that the day the government of our party come to power at the centre, they will be given the benefit of reservation, similar to the pattern which has been introduced by us in Uttar Pradesh and this will be done without their asking for it, and will also make all positive efforts for the eradication of their poverty and un-employment. And, you all know very well about the style of functioning of my party that whatever we say, we do the same. In other words, there is no difference in our party’s saying and doing.
· Besides, Adequate additional reservation should also be provided to such persons of Scheduled Castes who were converted to Muslim or Christian religion, but maintaining the present share of quota of prescribed reservation for the Scheduled Castes. For this, necessary amendment should be made in the Constitution to relax the total limit of 50 percent reservation as laid down by Hon. Supreme Court and this amendment will be included in the 9th schedule of the Constitution so that this arrangement becomes a permanent feature.
So far as the matter of providing Social Security to the people is concerned, my party’s government in Uttar Pradesh is very serious and sensitive over the issue… That is why immediately after assumption of power my government increased to double the amount of pension to old age persons and farmers from Rs.150 to Rs.300. And also the number of beneficiaries was raised to 24 lakh from 20 lakh, for which sum of Rs. 1410 crores has been earmarked in the budget.
Similarly, labourers , who belong to the poorest and weaker section of the society and mostly fall under the category of farming labour, were not being cared properly as they belong to unorganized sector, but my government has raised their daily remuneration wage to Rs.100 from a megre of Rs.58, which they were getting previously.
And, over the issue of plight of farmers and farming becoming less remunerative day by day and thereby ultimately affecting our self-reliance on food, my party is in full sympathy with the farming community. It is beyond any doubt that the governments of the Congress, the BJP and their supporting parties during their rule in the past 60 years have done a criminal act of ignoring farm and farmers. In the course of promotion of heavy industries, there was a criminal neglect of farm sectors and farmers’ requirements.
This is also a tragedy that in the course of developing heavy industries particularly in the tribal areas, where the native people were deprived even from the fourth class jobs, adding more burden on their life to ensure protection of the interests of tribals & farmers.
Besides, my government has taken a stand that the Self-esteem and Self-respect of the unemployed youth will not be ridiculed every month by providing them meager ‘unemployment allowance’. Instead, our party wants them to live with pride, as they would instead be provided permanent jobs, with the creation of job opportunities, for which Regional Rural Employment Centre will be established.
And education is another area that has been accorded top most priority by my government in Uttar Pradesh. It is with this reason a decision was taken without any delay to recruit 88,000 teachers to help improve the standards of education. The process of recruitment of such a large number teachers in just one go is on.
In addition of all these, my government has paid attention in according full respect and honour to Sants, Gurus and Mahapurush born in Bahujan Samaj at different period of times such as Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj, Narayana Guru, Periar Ramaswamy, Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and more recently Manyawar Shri Kanshi Ram Ji. A number of new Districts, Universities, Memorials, Museums and other important public places and institutions have been named and erected in their name to perpetuate the memory of their hard-faught struggles.
And in this connection, you all know very well that no government, be it the government of the Congress, the BJP or their supporting parties, ever gave proper respect and regards to the Sants, Gurus and Mahapurush born in the Bahujan Samaj.
And regrettably, the castiest mentality of these political parties still persists. . The biggest proof of it is that the Congress party, ruling at the centre did not even declare one or two days holiday nor they ordered flying of national flag half mast in the mourning of Manyawar Shri Kanshi Ram Ji, the creator and founder of the BSP movement.. And the BJP and other opposition parties remained a mute spectator to all this.
In brief, the lesson to our people of all this happenings is that if the people belonging to Bahujan Samaj and those of Savarn Samaj (upper castes) living in your state of Karnataka want to create an atmosphere like that of Uttar Pradesh for leading a life full of self-esteem, respect and dignity, they will also have to capture the “Master Key of political power” in their hands by ensuring good results in the general election being held in your State.
Therefore keeping all these factual propositions in mind, I earnestly “APPEAL” to the supporters of the BSP to follow the above mentioned suggestions in order to make an all out effort to achieve party’s goal of capturing power in order to get rid of their poverty, helplessness, backwardness, unemployment, injustice and exploitation by making your own government in your State, following the true path shown to you by your messiah Baba Saheb Dr. Ambedkar on the basis of exercise of franchise based on the concept of “One Man-One Vote” given to you by Baba Saheb himself and thus fulfill the unfinished task of Manyawar Shri. Kanshi Ram Ji.
In other words, you should understand your Messiah’s message properly and utilize the right to vote wisely to help yourself so that you could form a government of your own party in your State which will in real terms help improve your socio-economic condition as well as of education, besides ensuring a civilized self-esteem life to you. In the meantime, this could be also help improve the economic condition of the Upper castes people.
But to create such an atmosphere in your State, you have to acquire the “Master Key of Political Power” in your hands, like people have done in the Stae of Uttar Pradesh and you will have show good result in the coming Assembly elections in your State. And to achieve this great goal of success in the assembly election, you will have to be cautious and alert from various nasty tricks and Saam-Daam-Dand-bhed like nefarious designs of the opposition parties during the elections, because these parties can go to any extent to damage our party.
And I want to warn you that these opposition parties will go all out and will make all efforts to sabotage the voting of Savarn Samaj inn favour of BSP and for this purpose , these parties will propagate our “Ideology and Principles” in a wrong, vicious and twisted manner among these sections of society.
Therefore, I consider it important to explain the ideology and principles of B.S.P. I would also like to clarify here that the ideology and principles of our party “are not against any caste or creed”. B.S.P. wants to change the unequal social order of this country based on “caste” and wants to establish here a “Samatamulak Samaj Vyavastha” ( A Social Order based on Equality), which is in the interest of this country and Sarv Samaj.
For this, we have to change the Jaatwadi (casteist)mentality of Savarn (High Castes) Hindus and on the basis of Samajik Bhaichara (Social Brotherhood) we have to take them also along with us and only then “Samtamulak Samaj Vyavastha” can be established in this country in accordance with the thinking of the architect of Indian Constitution, Baba Saheb Dr. Ambedkar and only after that Sarv Samaj will be unified and disparities or casteism in the society will be completely eradicated forever.
Along with this, they will get full opportunity to move in every walk of life. The members of our party should always remain cautious from different kind of rumours, which may be spread by opposition parties during elections.
Apart from the above, I also appeal to all of you – “Beware that your vote is invaluable. No vote should be allowed to be purchased. No vote should be allowed to be looted. No vote should be left out from being cast and no selfish person should misuse your vote on account of defrauding or misleading you in the name of caste, money, religion or emotions.
Hence, to save democracy you have to give power into hands of right person to safeguard the interests of your KARNATAKA State, so that you may formulate the policy of :Sarvajan Hitai – Sarvjan Sukhai” in all the areas and make the poor and unemployed persons of Bahujan Samaj and Savarn Samaj happy.”
In the end, keeping in view all the above mentioned observations, I “Appeal” to the supporters and well wishers of my party that you should not be misled by any alluring promises of Election Manifestoes of opposition parties and that you should follow the appeal of B.S.P. which is your own party, to make the candidates of B.S.P. victorious in the General Assembly Elections of KARNATAKA by pressing the button against “Elephant” (Haathi), the election symbol of B.S.P. I hope and expect that you will accept my “Appeal” and act accordingly.
Km Mayawati
National President,
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
Online edition of India’s National Newspaper
Novel way to seek votes
Special Correspondent
Bangalore: Restrictions imposed by the Election Commission and crunch in funds have forced candidates to employ innovative methods to catch the attention of voters.
In some constituencies, the Bahujan Samaj Party has taken objection to the restrictions on using an elephant, which is the party’s symbol, for campaigning.
Jan Seva Manch to back BSP
BANGALORE: The Jan Seva Manch, a Statewide network of grassroots-level social workers, has announced its support to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) .
Jan Seva Manch president L.V. Saptharshi told journalists here on Saturday that the manch had a membership of over one lakh.
Welcoming the support of the Jan Seva Manch, BSP general secretary Veer Singh said “no political party can hope to form a government without the help of the BSP”.
Dial 155212 for your polling booth
Special Correspondent
The helpline will function from
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
It has a common number throughout the State
Bangalore: All that the voter has to do is to state his or her name and the pin code of the residential area in the Assembly constituency by calling the helpline. The person who receives your telephone call will inform you the exact address of the polling booth within 45 seconds.
Announcing the setting up of the election helpline by the State Election Commission in collaboration with the Karnataka State Beverages Corporation at its office, Chief Electoral Officer M.N. Vidyashankar said that this had been done with a view to assisting the voters, who could have confusion owing to delimitation of constituencies in finding their polling booths.
Instead of searching for the polling booths on the day of exercising their franchise in a hurry, he said that the voters could contact the helpline. This facility is available to all voters through out the State on a common number 155212.
For Bangalore Urban and Bangalore Rural Districts, in order to make a clear distinction, owing to the same STD code, a suffix (1) for Bangalore Urban and (2) for Bangalore Rural is attached to 155212, i.e.1552121 for Bangalore Urban and 1552122 for Bangalore Rural district.
Mr. Vidyashankar said that a 15-desk helpline has been established for the 28 constituencies. It would work from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. which may extend by two hours on May 8 and 9 and in the morning hours on May 9. All the districts have helplines with the common number 155212 established in the respective district election offices.
He clarified that the voters need not have to worry to show their voter ID cards and could vote by showing one of the 19 alternative ID cards, including senior citizen cards and the ID cards given to the employees by the town municipal and city municipal councils where they are working. Even if one member of the family has an ID card, he or she could take the other voters to the booth.
This constituency comprises Padmanabhanagar ward, Ganesha Mandira ward and Yediyur wards. Although the area from which the constituency derives its name is regarded a developed area where land rates are sky high, a closer look at the constituency profile shows that its many pockets are woefully lacking in even basic infrastructure.
Even people in prime locations complain that but for the main roads, most stretches are in a bad state. There are no adequate lung spaces in the area, which is thickly populated, they say.
The constituency also has many lower middle class and slum areas which are a picture of neglect without even basic amenities and access to healthcare. Places like Katriguppe, Ilyasnagar, Kaverinagar, Hittamandu and Umar Bagh are typical examples of this. Mosquito and dog menace is rampant here.
BSP candidate Balakrishna Atri, a retired Wing Commander, say there is a great deal of resentment in these pockets about “the Health Minister who did not come to their aid.” This discontent, they believe, may also play a role in the way votes swing.
Over a lakh security men to be deployed
Staff Correspondent
MYSORE: The process of procuring 225 companies of security personnel from the neighbouring States for the elections is on and each company will comprise over 100 personnel.
Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel had also been requisitioned.
Director-General of Police R. Srikumar told mediapersons here on Sunday that more than one lakh security personnel, including 15,000 Home Guards and forest guards, would be deployed.
Out of the 225 companies, a majority of them had arrived and the remaining ones would come on Monday.
Steps under way to ensure free, fair polls
Staff Reporter
Bangalore: There are 483 hyper-sensitive and 195 sensitive polling booths among the 793 polling booths covering four Assembly constituencies in Bangalore Rural district.
Besides deploying of Central Reserve Police Force personnel and micro-observers in such booths, arrangements had been made for video recording of the polling process, said District Election Officer and Deputy Commissioner S. Selvakumar. As many as 20 cases of violation of the model code of conduct had been registered in the district.
Of these, eight were criminal offences. As many as 47 vehicles which were being used illegally during the campaign had been seized, he said.
Licence
Meanwhile, Bangalore Urban district Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer M.A. Sadiq has suspended licences of 34 liquor shops in Bangalore city for violation the poll code and breaching of the conditions of licence. The State Labour Department has directed the managements of factories, industrial units, shops, commercial and other establishments to declare holiday on the day of elections (May 10, 16 and 22) in their respective regions to enable the workers exercise their franchise.
48 candidates to fight it out in Chikmagalur
| The district will go to the polls on May 16 |
CHIKMAGALUR: There are 48 candidates in the fray after 20 persons withdrew their nomination papers from the five Assembly constituencies in Chikmagalur district which will go to the polls on May 16.
The candidates contesting from Chikmagalur constituency include C.T. Ravi (Bharatiya Janata Party), K.B. Mallikarjuna (Congress), S.L. Bhoje Gowda (Janata Dal-Secular), M.K. Prasanna Kumar (Bahujan Samaj Party), Shivaji Naik (Samajwadi Party), B. Amjad (Communist Party of India), K.C. Dharmesh (Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist) and J.B. Umesh Chandra (Rashtriya Hindustan Sena).
Candidates in the fray from Mudigere include B.N. Chandrappa (Congress), H.K. Kalaiah (JD-S), M.P. Kumaraswamy (BJP), B.B. Ningaiah (BSP), Sathi Sundaresh (CPI) and C. Basavaraju (CPI-ML). There are seven candidates in the fray from Sringeri constituency: H.T. Rajendra (JD-S), D.N. Jeevaraj (BJP), D.B. Chandre Gowda (Congress), M.R. Ravishankar (BSP), B.S. Nagesh (CPI-ML) and B.M. Sripad (Rashtriya Hindustan Sena).
Candidates left in the fray from Tarikere constituency include D.S. Suresh (BJP), T.V. Shivashankarappa (Congress), H.H. Onkarappa (JD-S), Lokpal (Janata Dal-United), R. Lingaraju (BSP), A.B. Rajkumar (Samajwadi Party) and A.S. Eswarappa (Suvarna Yuga). In Kadur constituency, K.M. Krishnamurthy, who won the last three elections as the JD(S) candidate, has been fielded by the Congress this time. Others in the fray are Y.S.V. Datta (JD-S), Y.C. Viswanath (BJP), S. Shivakumar (BSP), B. Hemanth Kumar (Suvarna Yuga) and Jagadish (Sarvodaya Party).
Two independent candidates each are contesting from Chikmagalur, Mudigere and Kadur constituencies, one from Sringeri and eight from Tarikere constituency.
Eleven election observers appointed in Tumkur district
Staff Correspondent
TUMKUR: The Election Commission of India has posted observers for all the eleven Assembly constituencies in Tumkur district.
They include G.S. Bokani (C.N. Halli), mobile phone number 9480609468; Neeraja (Tiptur), 9980579880; Manojkumar Srivastava (Turuvekere), 9480559546; Rajhans Upadhyay (Kunigal), 9845636689; Rabiranjan Mallick (Tumkur City), 9480542313; Ravneet Kaur (Tumkur Rural), 9480542312; Shashishekhara Sharma (Koratagere); 9731329819; Vijay Sunavane (Gubbi), 97313 34587; Y.B. Kerur (Sira), 9731949443; K.L. Meena (Pavagada), 9415182888, and Mahaveer Singh (Madhugiri), 9741080186.
They will stay in the Government Inspection Bungalows at the respective headquarters. The public may contact them either in person or over phone on any poll-related matter, and may lodge complaints regarding any irregularities in the election process or violation of the model code of conduct.
Three expenditure observers have also been posted. Arunkumar will be in charge of C.N. Halli, Tiptur, Turuvekere and Gubbi. His phone numbers are 2253140 and 9980643633. Girish Kumar Maheswari will be the expenditure observer for Kunigal, Tumkur City, Tumkur Rural and Tumkur segments. He will be available on phone numbers 2284242 and 9480542314. Madhu Mahajan, who will be in charge of Koratagere, Sira, Pavagada, Madhugiri and Tumkur, may be contacted on 2284343 or 9449742942.
Liquor seized
Special Correspondent
BANGALORE: The Excise Enforcement and Lottery Prohibition Wing on Friday raided Hullur village in Chitradurga Rural police station limits and seized liquor bottles valued at Rs. 90,000 that were being transported in an autorickshaw.
Four persons — Anjana Murthy, Vittal and two persons with the name Devarraj — were arrested.
In another series of raids conducted in Bidar district, the wing seized liquor valued at Rs. 2,95,000. Three persons have been arrested in this connection.
‘We will penalise people who sell votes’
Firoz Rozindar
| Stree Shakti groups in Chitradurga district send a strong message to candidates |
Reward for identifying people accepting money
Concern over distribution of liquor
A warning: Members of Stree Shakti groups at Arehalli village of Holalkere taluk.
Chitradurga: “We will impose fine on anyone who is found to have accepted money for casting their vote.” This is one of the strong rules being framed by the women members of 14 Stree Shakti self-help groups of Arehalli village of Holalkere taluk.
Several women of this small village, located about 40 km from Chitradurga, have joined hands to ensure that no candidate lures them to get their vote in the coming Assembly elections.
They have decided to prevent all the vote-seekers from tempting the villagers with saris, liquor or money. The groups have also decided to give Rs. 2,000 as a reward to the person who informs them about anyone who has taken money.
“Since voting is our right and duty, we do not want our votes to be misused by any MLA aspirant who offers some worldly material,” said Nagaratnamma, member of Sri Kukkudeshwari Stree Shakti group.
The women are mainly concerned about political parties distributing liquor during campaign. Some 10 months ago, several women of groups had taken initiative to totally ban the sale of liquor in the village.
“We were disgusted with drinking habits of many men of the village. Even after banning of liquor by the Government, they somehow managed to get cheap toddy to drink. They were not only wasting their earnings but also used to beat their wives in inebriated condition,” said M.G. Saraswati of Bhavani Stree Shakti Group.
Boramma, another member, said they had convened a meeting with the representatives of various candidates to appraise them about their decision.
“We hope that the candidates and people here will oblige us. However, in the event of their failure to do so, we will also go to the extent of locking the polling station on the election day”, she said.
Congress rebel’s claim puts leaders of Kuruba community in a fix
K.N. Venkatasubba Rao and B.S. Ramesh
| He talks of having the blessings of Siddaramaiah |
Narendra Swamy is contesting as an
independent candidate
Sangha wants Siddaramaiah to clarify on
the claim
Bangalore: The reported claim of Congress rebel P.M. Narendra Swamy in Malavalli constituency during the election campaigning that he enjoys the blessings of former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has created confusion among voters and put the Kuruba community leaders in a fix.
Mr. Narendra Swamy is contesting as an independent candidate from Malavalli (Scheduled Castes) with “Coconut” as his election symbol.
According to a section of voters, Mr. Narendra Swamy has the blessings of Mr. Siddaramaiah.There are also rumours that Mr. Siddaramaiah convened a secret meeting of the community in a village near Malavalli recently and asked them to vote for Mr. Narendra Swamy.
Many workers of the Congress agree that Mr. Narendra Swamy enjoys the blessings of their party leader. However, they claim that it will not damage the prospects of the party’s official candidate Y.S. Siddaraju. However, Mr. Siddaraju told The Hindu that no credence should be given to the rumour. “It is a canard spread by vested interests to mislead the community. I will win by a margin of 15,000 votes,” he said.
The BJP candidate Mahadevaiah, who defected from the Congress recently, said that vested interests were planting stories to create anxiety among candidates. “The real fight is between Mr. Narendra Swamy and the BJP. Even if Mr. Narendra Swamy manages to garner Kuruba votes, it will only damage the Congress, JD (S) and JD (U),” he asserted.
Meanwhile, leaders of the Kuruba community in the constituency admitted that they were disturbed by the alleged secret meeting held by their leader.
A leader of the Malavalli Taluk Kurubara Sangha, who did not want to be named, said on Saturday at Malavalli that the sangha had decided to urge Mr. Siddaramaiah to clarify his position.
“Mr. Siddaramaiah is expected to visit our constituency shortly for electioneering. The sangha will request him to clarify on the issue,” he said.
Chamarajpet: a blot on Bangalore’s landscape
Chamarajpet - N P Swamy BSP
K.V. Subramanya and M. Raghuram
It has the most underdeveloped slums
Of the 2.14 lakh voters, nearly 85,000 are Muslims
BANGALORE: The Chamarajpet Assembly Constituency, which hogged the limelight during the 2004 Assembly elections with the then Chief Minister S.M. Krishna entering the poll fray from there, is apparently Bangalore’s eyesore.
Some of the most underdeveloped slums in the Garden City — Padarayanapura, Old Guddadahalli, Bakshi Garden, Anjanappa Garden, Royapuram and Jagjivanramnagar — are part of the constituency. Deprived of basic civic amenities, the people in these slums are living in almost subhuman conditions.
Besides, several communally sensitive areas of Bangalore, which had witnessed large-scale communal violence in the past, are also located in this constituency. Of the 2.14 lakh electorate in the constituency, nearly 85,000 voters are from the Muslim community and they are likely to play a decisive role.
Padarayanapura and Jagjivanramnagar wards, which were earlier in the Binnypet constituency, Chamarajpet, K.R Market and Azadnagar wards constitute the new Chamarajpet constituency.
The former Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan of Janata Dal (Secular), who won from Chamarajpet in the byelection necessitated by Mr. S.M. Krishna’s resignation as MLA, is seeking re-election. Pitted against him are Sayeed Ahmed (Congress) and V.S. Shamasunder (BJP). Both of them have made Mr. Khan’s “failure” in ensuring basic amenities to the public as their major poll plank.
Clogged drains, sewage water flowing on the potholed roads, swarm of mosquitoes, thatched dwellings without power connection, school dropout children loitering on the streets — this was the scene at Bakshi Garden when this correspondent visited the locality on Friday. The scenario is no different in other slums.
According to Mr. Sayeed Ahmed, nearly 70 per cent of the areas in the constituency do not have proper power connections and drinking water is a luxury for the residents of many slums.
Mr. Sayeed Ahmed told The Hindu that thousands of people were yet to get BPL cards and title deeds. Several people are facing health problems because of unhygienic conditions in the slums. He blamed Mr. Khan for the civic woes. He promises that, if elected, he would ensure better drinking water and power supply and improve hospital facilities. Mr. Shamasunder is in total agreement with his Congress’ rival’s views on the poor civic amenities in the constituency. The BJP candidate said that in almost all the slums, sewage was getting mixed with drinking water supplied through the BWSSB pipes.
“I am appalled by the conditions in the slums, which are unfit for human habitation,” he remarked while accusing Mr. Khan and the former Binnypet legislator V. Somanna for the situation.
He said the law and order situation in Chamarajpet had deteriorated ever since Mr. Khan was elected MLA in the 2005 byelection.
Mr. Shamasunder is assuring the voters that he would solve the civic problems and improve the facilities at Victoria and Vani Vilas hospitals, which are situated in the constituency.
Denying these charges, Mr. Khan said he had worked hard to meet every requirement of his constituency, particularly the basic amenities. “It is a normal practice with political parties to level such allegations against their opponents,” he remarked.
Mr. Khan said huge amount had been spent on drinking water supply schemes and drainage improvement. When the slum development programmes were about to be taken up, the BJP brought down the H.D. Kumaraswamy Government, he said.
Development at a standstill
T.S. Ranganna
Dasarahalli, divided by NH 4, is predominantly rural
Developed pockets have no civic amenities
Bangalore: Dasarahalli Assembly constituency has not seen any development worth the name despite the existence of a city municipal council since 1995. There were some efforts to lay roads, provide streetlights and drains and to improve water supply by drilling borewells. But those efforts came to a standstill after 2003.
The constituency, comprising Chikkabanavara, Jalahalli Circle, T.V.S. Circle, Kammagondanahalli, Nelagedaranahalli and Srigandhada Kaval, is divided by National Highway No. 4 and is predominantly rural. Though there are developed pockets with commercial buildings and layouts, they have hardly any civic amenities. The residents have not benefited much after Dasarahalli was brought under the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike a year ago.
Syed Asgar, who works in an automobile workshop, and R. Tayappa of Chokkasandra slum are fed up with the fact that no infrastructure has been created even though it had a municipal council for ten years.
Many localities with stinking open drains joining the nearby lakes have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
According to an senior official who served in the CMC, there is hardly any work going on in the area, and the BBMP is only ensuring the maintenance of existing facilities. There are no proper roads, footpaths, storm-water drains or sewers. Though water pipelines were laid in some localities two years ago, nobody gets clean water. During the rainy season, the entire area gets waterlogged. Pedestrians and motorists find it difficult to get about because of huge potholes, according to P. Gangadhara and G. Lakshmana, who live near the Chokkasandra tank.
Abdul Samad and Prasannakumar Setty, fruit vendors at Jalahalli Circle and Old Masjid Road respectively, said that no relief was provided to the residents even though the CMC was headed by K.C. Ashok and Andanappa, candidates of the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) respectively for some years. Their woes have been compounded by the widening of a 6-km stretch of the National Highway.
They accused the contractor of putting vendors as well as those doing business in permanent shops to hardship by digging up both sides of the road. Pedestrians find it difficult to cross the road.
Rs. 41,000 cash seized from BJP youth leader
Staff Reporter
| It is a conspiracy hatched by the Congress: M.G. Balakrishna |
BANGALORE: The Magadi Road Police on Sunday seized Rs. 41,000 in cash from BJP Yuva Morcha’s city unit vice-president, M.G. Balakrishna, which was allegedly kept for distribution among voters in a slum.
They have registered a case in this regard.
The seizure followed tension at Chamundi Slum, near Rajajinagar 6th Block, in the afternoon with Congress workers alleging that BJP workers had distributed money.
However, the police intervened and brought the situation under control. The police have registered the case under Section 171 (e) of the Indian Penal Code.
Meanwhile, Mr. Balakrishna lodged a complaint with the Magadi Road Police saying Congress workers had damaged his car.
BJP leaders also said that the seized money was meant for Mr. Balakrishna’s personal use.
In a statement, Mr. Balakrishna said that it was a conspiracy hatched by the Congress candidate.
He said he was preparing voter slip for the Rama Mandira ward at the house of his party worker Dharman when the Congress candidate G. Padmavathi’s son and his associates forcibly entered the house and manhandled him.
They also snatched the cash from his pocket and threw the currency notes all over the house, Mr. Balakrishna said.
He claimed that part of the money was personal and the rest was meant for payment towards printing expenses of the party literature.
Arrested
Meanwhile, the MICO Layout Police on Sunday arrested four persons on the charge of preparing fake voters’ identity cards and seized a laptop and other material.
The names of the arrested were given as Raghavendra, occupant of the house, his employees, Suresh and Shivakumar, and an autorickshaw driver, Dinesh, according to the police.
The police said they raided Raghavendra’s house located at Balajinagar in BTM Layout on specific information and found out that the accused were preparing to fake the cards. The police said they also seized campaign literature belonging to the BJP from the house.
Rs. 500 for a vote?
Staff Reporter
BANGALORE: What is the cost of your vote? Going by the “rate” in Bommanahalli constituency, each vote could fetch Rs. 500 if you “pledge” your voter photo identity card.
According to some voters who have been allegedly approached by agents of political parties, Rs. 250 is being given as advance amount and their identity cards being taken away for “safe keeping”.
A day before the election, the identity cards would be returned to them along with Rs. 250 not before taking an oath from the voters that they would vote for that particular candidate who has paid him.
While a number of voters in Devara Chikkanahalli have “pledged” their cards already, some educated voters have chased away the “agents” who have approached them, says S.T. Arasu, president of the Krishna Layout Residents Welfare Association.
Decking for elections
Nina C George
Poll accessories and election materials that have hit the market are nothing less than stylish, chic and innovative, Metrolife finds out…
The Election Commission might have drawn up strict guidelines to prevent campaigning and electioneering from becoming a meaningless ostentation and an assault on one’s visual and aural sensibilities but the candidates think otherwise.
Pendants, caps, broaches, pens, rings and sarees have been manufactured by every political party to woo voters and grab attention. Sarees — the material for which is imported from Surat — painted or woven with symbols of Bharatiya Janata Party, JD(S) and Congress are already dotting the landscape. Some of the accessories have been made to order from Mumbai as well. The candidates and their close knit supporters wear these accessories that cost anywhere between Rs 200 to Rs 1000.
Feng Shui turtles, Laughing Buddhas and idols double up as gifts which candidates and supporters have ordered to be distributed among friends and supporters. These are believed to bring good luck and ward off evil eyes.
S V Bharat of Smart Visions in Vijayanagar says he manufactures these accessories according to the orders he gets from party offices. He says that new candidates who have no prior experience in electioneering choose to wear and buy these accessories.
We don’t price them too heavily lest they don’t sell. This time round the orders are much less because of the strictures imposed by the Election Commission but we do get orders for Feng Shui turtles and Laughing Buddhas,” says Bharat.
Gurunath in Rajajinagar manufactures and designs attractive election accessories only during elections. It fetches him a lot of moolah and good publicity as well.
Shawls, stoles and sarees are ordered from Surat and designed here. This is a new trend, Ananth avers and adds, “these accessories highlight the party and definitely attract attention. We always need to give the people something new and innovative to fall back upon.”
Whatever people may say, these election accessories have caught the fancy of the ordinary people who don’t mind wearing them.
Double trouble
What’s in the name? This question, however, matters very much in Bangalore South. Here in this constituency two contestants have got the name which is ubiquitous across Karnataka. The JD (S) and BSP have fielded candidates with names Manjunath.
The only difference is in the initials. The JD (S) has fielded C Manjunath and R Manjunath is contesting on BSP ticket.
The JD(S) candidate is worried with the namesake fielded by the BSP. In this constituency, C Manjunath’s position is considered to be quite strong, who is ready to give a tough battle to the BJP candidate M Krishnappa. The dilemma among electorate on the D-Day may cost C Manjunath’s prospects.
EXPECTATIONS
Voters seek amenities
Bangalore, dhns: Voters pushed several demands before their would-be representatives in Vidhana Soudha during ‘Candidate-Voters’ Meet’ at Konanakunte on Sunday.
The event was organised by the Konanakunte Kshemabhivruddhi Sanghagala Okkuta at Soudamini Kalyana Mantapa, where the organisers tabled a long list of demands before the candidates contesting from Bangalore South constituency. Of the 10 candidates contesting election from this constituency only two - BJP’s M Krishnappa and BSP’s R Manjunath - could turn up for the event. The compere of the function B S Srinivas requested the candidates if they are elected they should look into the problems of Konanakunte area. He said potable water, proper roads, good educational institutions, hospitals are required.
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|