August 2022 – Page 5 – Karnataka First

Governor, minister felicitate freedom fighter H V Nagabhushan Rao at home

As part of the commemoration of Quit India movement, State Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot and Higher Education Minister Dr C N Narayan visited the residence of freedom fighter H V Nagabhushan Rao at his residence in Malleswarm in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

A very happy, Nagabhushan Rao recalled the part played by him in the freedom struggle and undergoing jail term twice.

Speaking to media persons after felicitating the freedom fighter in his assembly constituency, Dr Narayan said patriotism and love for the country must be part of all Indians. The BJP governments at the Centre and in the State want to rekindle the spirit of nationalism in all citizens, he said pointing out that the Narendra Modi has relaxed most of the restrictions on hoisting national tricolour by the citizens.

Dr Narayan took the occasion to criticize Congress Opposition leader in the Assembly Siddaramaiah for finding fault with the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign and termed it as a political drama. “If one cannot perform good deeds, let them remain silent instead finding faults,’’ he said.

Konkani Natak Sabha’s 58th singing competition held in Mangaluru, Udupi

Konkani Natak Sabha (KNS) held its 58th singing competition as part of its annual competitions on Sunday August 7.

The audition round in Udupi was held at St Mary’s CBSE English School. Fr Rocky D’Cunha, president of KNS welcomed the gathering while Fr Charles Menezes, parish priest of Udupi church, inaugurated the competition.

Fr Joachim D’Souza, former president of KNS, Liston D’Souza, vice president of KNS, Floyd D’Mello, general secretary of KNS, Praveen Rodrigues, assistant secretary of KNS, and Fr Johnson Lawrence Sequeira, principal of St Mary’s CBSE School, were the dignitaries on the dais.

The total number of participants was 36. The judges were Jude Fernandes and Sylvia Burnis.

Cletus Lobo, Melwyn D Almeida, Diana D’Souza and Shanthi Dias assisted in the competition.

The vote of thanks was rendered by Floyd D’Mello.

The audition round in Mangaluru took place at Don Bosco Hall.

The following participants have been qualified for the second round which will be held on September 25 at Don Bosco Hall here:

Bengaluru International Short Film Festival: Short films, big impact

With 250 short films selected from over 90 countries, the ongoing Bengaluru International Short Film Festival 2022 offers two new categories on women-centric movies, and disabilities.

Brevity, experimentation and different varieties of storytelling in the visual medium often grips the audience quicker. Bengalureans are watching some of the best films in the 12th edition of the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival (BISFF) which will continue till August 14.

The festival is dedicated to master filmmaker Satyajit Ray to celebrate the Oscar-winning director’s birth centenary, as the poster of Pather Panchali pays homage to his legacy. More than 3,000 submissions poured in for the prestigious festival from across 90 countries, of which around 250 films have been shortlisted. Among the directors, 23 per cent are women.

The platform has been coveted by young and amateur filmmakers to make a mark in the hearts and minds of discerning audiences, and more importantly, mingle with the achievers of the field, to absorb constructive criticism and feedback. BISFF has come a long way in identifying and nurturing young and talented filmmakers. “It’s been a good reception.

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NGO to bring ‘Nammoora Kathe’ back for students

A non-government organisation (NGO) working on heritage conservation and awareness is set to revive its programme ‘Nammoora Kathe’, for students of city-based government schools and schools with low-fee structures, to provide up-close exposure to the history and heritage of Bengaluru.

With this programme, the NGO, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) plans to educate city kids on the history of Bengaluru, its origin, geographical influence and growth as a city.

It also plans to provide a comprehensive understanding of other dimensions of the city, including planning, natural and cultural heritage, and local traditions.

It is planned to introduce all these aspects which are not prescribed in textbooks, and with this, the NGO’s idea is to complement the social science syllabus in an enticing, fun, and engaging way for students, with field trips to heritage sites and through games, including jigsaw puzzles.

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Kittel’s kin invited for Haveri Sahitya Sammelana

Three-day sammelana starts on November 11

The 86th Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana (All-India Kannada literary meet) is scheduled to be held at Haveri from November 11 to 13 and will be chaired by poet Doddarange Gowda.

A descendent of Ferdinand Kittel (1832-1903), the much-respected lexicographer of Kannada, who lives in Germany, and Chandra Arya, Canadian MP, from Karnataka, who spoke in Kannada in Parliament, have been invited to participate in the conference.

The organisers are trying to make this a “dust-free and plastic-free” event.

Two-year break

Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the 86th sammelana was not held for the last two years, though the place and the person to chair it had been announced by the Kannada Sahitya Parishath (KSP).

KSP president Mahesh Joshi told The Hindu that the event will be inaugurated on November 11, which also happens to be Kanakadasa Jayanti. November 12 is second Saturday and November 13 is Sunday, which will make it convenient for people to participate, he said.

“Extensive discussions will be held in the conference on many issues, including the issue of closure of Kannada schools,’’ he explained. Speaking on the draft of the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Bill, 2022, he emphasised the need to speed up its implementation.

86 books

“We are publishing 86 Kannada books through KSP and 37 books are related to Haveri district’s art, literature, and culture. In addition of this, we will honour and felicitate 86 people who have worked for the development of Kannada and Karnataka,’’ he said.

“We have already formed overseas units and we will try to involve them in this conference,” Mr. Joshi revealed.

HAL developing AI-driven long-endurance drone for vigil over China border

State-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is working on an AI-driven multi-role, advanced and long-endurance drone for strategic missions in high-altitude areas including along the frontiers with China, people familiar with the development said on Sunday.

The rotary-wing drone will have the capability to carry a load of 40 kgs, including missiles and sensors, and it is being developed considering the requirement of the armed forces to keep a strong vigil over the mountainous areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), they said.

The HAL has set a target of conducting the maiden test-flying of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by the middle of next year and plans to produce 60 such platforms in the first phase of the project, the people in the know told PTI.

They said the operating system of the long-endurance drone will feature applications of Artificial Intelligence and the armed forces will be able to use it for multiple purposes including transporting essential supplies.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

RT-PCR detection kit for human monkeypox virus released

Company obtained manufacturing licence from CDSCO and is awaiting clinical validation of kit, which uses gold-standard Taqman chemistry-based RT-PCR method.

A human monkeypox virus (MPXV) multiplex RT-PCR detection kit was released by Minister for IT and BT and Science and Technology C.N. Ashwath Narayan on Friday.

Developed by NeoDx Biotech Labs, the MPXV kit is designed for specific detection of the Central African (Congo Basin) and West African Monkeypox virus clades. The kit uses gold-standard Taqman chemistry-based RT-PCR method.

The company has obtained the manufacturing test licence from Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, and is waiting for clinical validation of the kit, according to a press release.

The kit was released on the occasion of the foundation-laying ceremony for the “Research and Training Unit for Rare Diseases” held at the Centre for Human Genetics (CHG) in Bengaluru.

The CHG, under the guidance of the founding Director, Professor H. Sharat Chandra, for the past 20 years, has been providing high quality genetic services to patients with rare diseases from all over Karnataka and other states, the release said.

Meenakshi Bhat, Associate Director at CHG said nearly 35,000 families with genetic disorders have been diagnosed and counselled in the past 15 years. “The genetic laboratories at CHG provide diagnostic testing in around 5,000 patients per year. The majority of these patients are from government hospitals in Karnataka and these services are provided free to BPL and other eligible patient families and at cost to others,” she said.

The Research and Training Unit for Rare Diseases is an extension of the present CHG building. This 40,000 sq. ft extension will have three floors in which comprehensive genetic counselling facilities for around 2,500 families with rare disorders will be evaluated annually, she said.

A martyrdom saga that lives on ballads, continues to inspire Kannadigas

Sangolli Rayanna’s martyrdom stories continue to inspire crores of Kannadigas with every child given examples of his bravery against the British. The giant banyan tree from where Sangolli and his revolutionary associates were hanged serves as a memorial to the martyrs and kindles the spirit of patriotism among the youth.

The tree also forms an integral part of school excursions to inculcate a sense of patriotism in the little hearts. Not just a railway station in Bengaluru, every city in the state has a junction or memorial named after him.

Born on August 15, 1796, in Sangolli village of Belagavi district, Rayanna hailed from the Kuruba (shepherd) community and inherited the valour and loyalty from ancestors to the Kittur kingdom.

Folk tales describe him as a 7-foot-tall warrior who brought shivers to the hearts of his enemies, particularly the East India Company. He rose to become the commander-in-chief of the army of Kittur led by an equally heroic Rani Chennamma.

Sangolli was upset over the British policy of expansion and their treacherous ways of capturing powers from Indians. After the defeat of the Kittur Army by the British forces, he raised a guerilla force to fight the British and successfully defeated them on several occasions.

His guerrilla Army moved from place to place, setting the government offices afire. Led by Sangolli Rayanna, his force attacked the British army, plundered and looted treasuries and helped the locals.

Sangolli had become a nightmare for the British and his heroics against the British were celebrated by the local people making him a legendary figure.

The British did defeat him in an open battle, but they were never able to face his guerrilla warfare and incurred humiliating defeats. Desperate to put an end to Sangolli Rayanna, the British caught hold of his uncle Lakshmana and hatched a plan to nab the rebel.

Later, they caught Sangolli while he was taking a bath. The folk songs describe that even then Sangolli kept asking his uncle to pass on the sword, he left him on the banks of the river and handed it to the British soldiers.

Karnataka Farmer Grows 700 Different Types of Exotic Fruits in His Farm

Anil Balanja, a farmer in Karnataka, has been growing exotic fruits from 40 different nations on his land for the past 20 years.

Anil Balanja, a native of Karnataka, grew up seeing his father grow several jackfruit and mango varieties. He always knew he wanted to be a farmer, and at the age of 19, he began by sowing areca, coconut, and rubber.

The youngster made the decision to emulate his father five years ago. On his farm, he grew a variety of exotic fruits that are uncommonly grown in the nation. This includes foods like avocados, Malaysian santol, Indonesian kepel, and many others.

Currently, Anil’s farm in the Dakshina-Kannada district is flourishing with over 700 exotic fruit types gathered from 40 different nations. Each fruit’s seeds are obtained from nurseries and his international pals.

Additionally, he maintains a thorough record of every fruit, including its scientific name, therapeutic properties, ideal growing temperature, and kind of soil. To continue growing the fruits he collected, he now owns and operates his own nursery.

krishijagran.com

Mangalorean Sydneysiders to celebrate 15 years anniversary on Sep 4

The Mangalorean Catholic Association of Sydney, popularly known as MCAS is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. The 15th anniversary celebrations will be held at Good Shepherd Parish and School, Plumpton on Sunday September 4.

The first Mangalorean Catholics arrived in Sydney in the 60s. There was a big influx in the 80-90 decades. MCAS founder Stanley D’Cruz along with adequate support from like-minded families organised an historic picnic with over 100 participants on 19 November 2006, at the Centennial Park in Homebush. They promoted the values and advantages of an official association, which led to the birth of MCAS in May 2007. It was hoped that the formation of MCAS would help in the spreading and enrichment of the culture, tradition, values and other aspects of the community.

MCAS vision is to provide a platform to bring Mangalurean Catholics together to promote and sustain Mangalurean culture, values and tradition. Its mission is to bring together through celebrations of faith and fellowship in traditional culture.

Numerous Mangalurean Catholic families in Sydney are multi ethnic, they have married spouses from Sri Lankan, Tamilian, Malayalee, Anglo Saxon, Goan, Punjabi, Gujarati, Ukraine, European, backgrounds etc. MCAS, as per government guidelines showcases the benefits of cultural diversity to promote social cohesion. Presently the community members work in the fields of education, banking, IT services, health, construction, government services etc and have participated to a great extent to the economic prosperity of NSW for the past 60 years or so.

Some of the popular events MCAS organises are the Monthi Fest, Lenten pilgrimage, popular Bollywood event, ManGo Cup cricket tournament, annual picnic etc. Charity has always been a hallmark of MCAS. Since inception, MCAS has donated to the Mangalore diocese, African Mission, Poor Sisters of St Claire, Infant Jesus Orphanage, Mukta Trust, White Doves etc. In 2021, MCAS through a Covid fundraiser helped 24 students in Mangaluru whose breadwinner parent died due to Covid, with assistance from the Catholic Association of South Kanara (CASK). In September 2021, MCAS organised a zoom homage meeting for the late Oscar Fernandes, eminent Mangalurean in the Indian government. This meeting was addressed by Cardinal Oswald Gracious and many other eminent Mangalureans. MCAS was also active during the past two Covid years.

Several eminent Mangalureans have been hosted by MCAS during the past many years. These include Bishop Aloysius D’Souza, late Oscar Fernandes, late Octavia Albuquerque, women’s leader, Francis Colaco, retired inspector general of police in Karnataka and Andhra states, Brig Gerry Gonsalves president KCA, Bengaluru, Fr Swebert D’Silva SJ and Fr Praveen Martis SJ, principals St Aloysius College, and Sr Olivia AC, retired principal St Agnes College.