Category Archives: Leaders

Padma Shri Samuel Paul: He worked for clean public governance

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders

By KRS Murthy

In the passing away of Padma Shri Samuel Paul, India has lost a quiet and unassuming leader and builder of institutions. Throughout his professional career as a teacher, researcher and institution builder, he searched for ways to make the world socially and economically more just, and worked actively for a better and cleaner public life.

My wife Nirmala and I first met Paul, then director of IIM-Ahmedabad, in 1973, when he was visiting Harvard Business School in Harvard University , where we were both doing our doctoral studies. Paul had come to recruit faculty . After we joined IIMA, we had an opportunity to see Paul in action.Although some considered him quiet and reserved, we could see beneath the exterior a caring and affectionate person. His style was one of informing and involving all stakeholders -students, faculty, industry, board and society.

Paul later went to the US where he worked with Kennedy School of Government in Harvard University and the World Bank. He continued to focus on disparities in social and economic development and the role of public policy and governance in bridging them. It might have been during that period that he began to recognize the need for active involvement of citizens in governance and delivery of public services.

I moved to Bengaluru as director, IIMBangalore, in 1991. Paul’s decision, around that time, to settle in Bengaluru, gave us another opportunity to work closely with him. Paul, I think, felt as sured involving colleagues and alumni of IIMA in his missionary work. I think he expected IIMA competence and profes sional and decent behavior in any role. In addition to others, he involved me, and PP Madappa, another distinguished alumnus of IIMA, in his early experiment with the idea of a Citizen’s Report Card (CRC) on public services. The idea was to get a sys tematic feedback of citizens on the quality of public services such as water and electricity , into policy-making and imple mentation of decisions at higher levels.

The experiment was a great success and senior civil ser vants involved Paul in finding out how CRC could help. The ex periment brought national and international attention to Ben galuru, with the Indian govern ment, World Bank and the Asian Development Bank tak ing note of it as a useful innovation in pub lic governance. Paul proceeded to set up the Public Affairs Centre, a non-profit society committed to improving public account ability and good governance. One of the earliest to recognize the impact that the cancer of corruption would have on public life, he held a seminar with leading think ers to find ways in which it can be curbed.

He published several books on corruption and on holding the state to account.

Paul continued his professional com mitment till the very end of his life. He is no more with us, but his concern for better public governance, which he lived through his quiet and exemplary profes sional life, will continue to inspire us.

(The writer was a close associate of Samuel Paul and also former chairman of ISEC, Bengaluru)

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Bengaluru / TNN / October 29th, 2015

Preventing privatisation of water

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders

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Kshitij Urs has spent the past two decades reminding society and the government that water belongs to the people

With rivers dying and lakes becoming bowls of sewage, water is being prophesised as the centre of the next great power struggle.

Amidst grave concerns, Kshitij Urs has spent the past two decades reminding society and the government that water belongs to the people. “Water, to me, has historically been a source of power. Because of this, it is also a source of discrimination. If one were to look at urban deprivation, lack of access to water is as important as food or education,” he said.

Privatisation

The battle for water started in 2004 when he accessed a government agreement with an NGO to “manufacture consent” among the people on water privatisation.

“We realised that this was a new era of public participation where consensus was going to be manufactured. We needed a State-level mobilisation of opinion on the actual impact of the move,” said Mr. Urs who then co-founded the Campaign against Water Privatisation.

Through a sustained campaign that focussed on the commoditisation of water over three years, the State government backed off from the reform. However, the ‘war’ is far from won. “They have tried their hand at Hubbali and Mysuru where opposition to the move resulted in water coming back to the municipality…In Bengaluru, we are seeing privatisation in other forms, such as Unaccounted Flow of Water project, where operations of water supply is being given to private companies,” said Mr. Urs.

Since 2007, the organisation has transformed into People’s Campaign for Right to Water (PCRW), which strives for the protection of water bodies. Their legal action has seen encroachments on Sarakki lake being removed – a development that set off anti-encroachment drives on lakes across the city.

The advocacy by PCRW was also crucial for drafting of the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority Act, which will see all lakes coming under one body, he said.

Trained as a medical doctor, Mr. Urs’ interest in social justice and deprivation started in 1993 when he met two sisters — one 10 and another 12-year-old — while volunteering at an NGO. “They were diagnosed with HIV. Deprivation had pushed them from a slum in Banashankari to prostitution in Bombay…Nothing in my upbringing had prepared me for this,” he said.

The ‘awakening’ saw him delve into the social sector with a masters in development studies from London followed by a Ph.D from National Law School of India University in the water sector.

Projects working on

Democratisation of water sources

Empowering local communities to raise issues relating to lakes

Following up implementation of Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority Act

Suggestions to government

Understand social conservation of water

Involve local communities in managing water sources

Suggestions to citizens

Understand the importance of traditional wisdom to secure inter-generational rights of water

Demand protection of lakes, tanks

Get involved in policy making

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Mohit M. Rao / Bengaluru – October 27th, 2015

Kittur Chennamma’s victory over British celebrated

Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All

The 192nd anniversary of the victory of Kittur queen Chennamma against the British was celebrated in a simple manner in view of farm suicides and drought, here on Friday.

The programme was organised by Veerashaiva Sanghatana Samiti. Gurusiddha Rajayogindra Swami of Moorusavir Mutt and others garlanded a statue of Rani Chennamma.

Recalling the fight of the queen against the British, the swami said that the courage and valour of Rani Chennamma should motivate us to face any odds in our life and called on farmers not to lose hope. President of the samiti, Viranna Kallur, Channabasappa Dharawadshettra, C.H. Gobbi, and P.M. Hooli were present.

In a programme held by the Basava Parisara Samrakshana Samiti, tributes were paid to the Kittur queen. Releasing pamphlets against the use of crackers during the forthcoming Deepavali festival, president of Karnatak Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ramesh Patil, said that the State government should take steps to celebrate the occasion annually.

President of Basava Parisara Samrakshana Samiti S.V. Pattanashetti, and secretary Suresh D. Horakeri were present.

Meanwhile, in a programme related to Dasara celebrations by Moorusavir Mutt, Gurusiddha Rajayogindra Swami and the former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar gave away compensation cheques to the family members of six farmers who committed suicide in Hubballi taluk.

The mutt had decided to celebrate Dasara in a simple manner this year in the wake of farmers’ suicides and utilise the amount saved by cancelling the grand procession to give compensation to the farmers’ families.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Hubballi – October 24th, 2015

Mysuru MP Pratap Simha performs sky diving

Leaders
Mysuru MP Pratap Simha diving from a height of over 10,000 feet during a sky diving event at the Mysuru airport on Monday. Photo: M.A.Sriram
Mysuru MP Pratap Simha diving from a height of over 10,000 feet during a sky diving event at the Mysuru airport on Monday. Photo: M.A.Sriram

Mysuru MP Pratap Simha on Monday took a daring jump from a height of about 13,000 feet as part of his maiden sky diving at the Mysuru airport.

“When I boarded the four-seater Cessna aircraft and reached the desired height for the jump, it was a bit scary. But, when I took the plunge and floated in the air, it turned out to be my lifetime experience. The dive was beyond belief and enormously thrilling,” the BJP MP told The Hindu, after the dive.

This was the 38-year-old first-time MP’s maiden attempt in sky diving. Accompanied by an instructor from the United States, Mr. Simha took the jump, which was conducted by Su Kakini Enterprises Private Limited, the country’s only certified agency for sky diving.

The agency is holding sky diving at the airport since April this year.

Incidentally, Mr. Simha is one of the few MPs in the country to perform sky diving. “I am the first MP in the 16th Lok Sabha to perform this adventure,” he claimed.

Mr. Simha jumped from the sky around 8:45 am and was airborne for over 10-15 minutes before reaching the ground. “I was falling at a speed of 220 km but never felt it,” he said.

With Mysuru possessing ideal weather, the MP said efforts will be made to promote Mysuru as a sky diving hub and thereby boost tourism in a big way.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Shankar Bennur / Mysuru – September 28th, 2015

Wadiyar wins wealth tax case after a 38-year-long battle

Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Leaders

Issue was valuation of vacant land around Bangalore Palace

Nearly two years after his death, the then scion of the Mysore royal family Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar has finally won the legal battle, which lasted 38 years, over the valuation of vacant lands around the Bangalore Palace for the assessment of wealth tax between 1977 and 1986.

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The Supreme Court, in its September 21 verdict, held that total market value of the vacant land, which came under the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976 will have to be considered as Rs. 2 lakh, which was the maximum compensation payable while taking over the land under the ULCR Act, for computation of wealth tax. The tax authorities had assumed the value of the land in the range between Rs. 13 crore and Rs. 31 crore during the period (between 1977 and 1986) for calculating the wealth tax.

The Supreme Court did not agree with the claim of the tax authorities and the Karnataka High Court’s 2005 finding that value of the vacant land had to be estimated to be the price, which in the opinion of the wealth tax officer, the land would fetch if sold, hypothetically, in the open market on the valuation date even though the land was notified under the ULCR Act during the assessment period.

There was no dispute with regard to valuation of residential, non-residential structures and appurtenant land thereto as Wadiyar had paid the wealth tax accepting the valuation for them. The dispute was only with regard valuation of vacant land that was notified under the ULCR Act.

A Bench, comprising Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman, wondered how one could assume the hypothetical sale for the valuation purpose when the land was under the clutches of the ULCR Act and the authorities had already determined the maximum compensation of Rs. 2 lakh for the entire land.

‘Ordinary way’

Stating that it was not oblivious of those buyers who purchased “disputed properties” for higher rates by taking risks, the apex court said it had to consider only “ordinary way” of the presumptuous sale and conduct of a reasonable person, who would not offer more than Rs. 2 lakh when knowing well about the compensation.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by KrishnaPrasad / Bengaluru – September 26th, 2015

Nominated as Advisory Panel Member of Finance Ministry

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All

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Mysuru :

The Ministry of Finance, Department of Economic Affairs (Currency and Coinage Division), New Delhi, has nominated Star of Mysore columnist Prof. A.V. Narasimha Murthy (AVN), former Head, Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, University of Mysore, as a member of its newly-constituted Advisory Committee.

The Committee will advise the government on various matters including the shape, size, weight, metal, face value of the money, cost of production of the coins, etc.

Prof. AVN is an expert in ancient Indian coinage and has written many books on the subject. He was the Chairman of the Numismatic Society of India (Varanasi) and General Secretary of South Indian Numismatic Society (Chennai) and has been honoured with many awards for his contribution to Indian coinage.

Currently the Chairman of BVB, Mysuru, Prof. AVN was recently honoured with the title Karnataka Puratatva Ratna by Chief Minister Siddharamaiah.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Tuesday – September 15th, 2015

Son of Mysuru shines as The Indian Hero — Narayan Rise !

Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders

Swami Vivekananda was never tired of repeating his clarion call to the youth of India, ‘You are the master of your own destiny.’ Many social reformers too have given similar calls to the youth to dream and work diligently to improve their social, academic, economic and political conditions despite being oppressed under adverse social conditions. Some listen to these spiritual and social reformers, pursue their exhortation and succeed.

Top : Narayan with wife Jayamma, son Jayaramu, daughter-in-law Shwetha (extreme left) and grandson Amith. Below : Narayan (extreme left) with his political mentor Siddharamaiah.
Top :
Narayan with wife Jayamma, son Jayaramu, daughter-in-law Shwetha (extreme left) and grandson Amith.
Below :
Narayan (extreme left) with his political mentor Siddharamaiah.

One such person to succeed in our city, I do not know if inspired by such noble souls, is Narayan, who was the Mayor of our city (in 2000-01) and now, at age 60, is the Chairman of the Karnataka State Safai Karmachari Commission.

Born into a community which, under our enlightened and secular Constitution, is called Scheduled Caste of Madiga community in Karnataka, Narayan’s parents lived in a slum and worked as Safai Karmacharis, manual workers, that included manual scavenging work as well.

As a child, he lived with his parents and six siblings in an atmosphere and milieu that would not even allow one to dream for a better future. Poverty and hunger haunted him. Poverty forever degrades a person, never enables nor ennobles one unless made of a sterner stuff. Narayan apparently was made of a sterner stuff. He decided to change the course of his destiny.

Beginning as a manual scavenger at Mysuru Railway Station for about eight months, by age 16 he managed to study ending up as a class X drop-out. He got a job in the famous Ideal Jawa motorcycle factory of Farrokh Irani, a liberal, generous industrialist of our city. Many underprivileged had benefited from Farrokh Irani’s egalitarian approach to an enterprise and Narayan was certainly one such beneficiary.

From a paltry salary of Rs. 180 a month he got from the Railways for doing that dirty job, he got a decent, dignified salary of Rs. 1,800 a month at Jawa factory. Of course, in between these two jobs he had worked as a domestic help and also at the silk factory to supplement income.

From 1978 when he became a permanent employee at Jawa, he never looked back. It was a turning point in his life made possible by people who belonged to the upper class with a heart. The popular english weekly ‘The Week’ of Aug. 30, 2015 has written about him in its ‘The Indian Hero’ column under the headline “Clean sweep — One man’s inspiring journey from a manual scavenger to a Mayor and more” where Narayan has expressed his experience as a domestic help that shows his employer in poor light. May be the meaning of domestic work is different to different persons.

Nevertheless, for Narayan that was a springboard to get into Ideal Jawa that changed his life forever, for better. The service at the upper-caste house seemed better than the one Railways offered him. More than that the upper-caste family head kept his word and got Narayan the job in the factory.

Be that as it may, what is most admirable in Narayan was that despite a respectable salary in his pocket, he did not forget to help his fellow-men, the Safai Karmacharis. Whenever there were attempts to evacuate his fellow-men from their slums without showing them an alternative place, he would protest and take the lead to meet politicians and officials to get help. He was even imprisoned about four times, he says. That was when he came close to Vedanta Hemmige, MLA of Janata Parivar who made him the Director of Karnataka Slum Development Board when Ramakrishna Hegde was the Chief Minister. Later he became close to Siddharamaiah, then of Janata Parivar and thereafter never looked back. As a politician he rose to become the Mayor of Mysore City in 2001-2002. And now he has risen higher as the Chairman of Karnataka Safai Karmachari Commission drawing a salary of Rs. 1 lakh a month, riding an air-conditioned Toyota Innova car, functioning from an air-conditioned office in Bengaluru.

The Commission is a quasi-judicial body, not an implementing agency. Narayan has persuaded the Chief Minister Siddharamaiah to set up a Development Board for the over-all development of Safai Karmachari in Karnataka whose number, according to Narayan, is over 35,000. The Board is likely to be set up soon. If so, let us hope, Narayan will be its first Chairman.

‘Fame is the by-product of success,’ says the actor-poet Ayushmann Khurrana. Our Narayan is one local example where his success as a politician has brought him this fame. Let a thousand flowers bloom, like Narayan, in the garden of Safai Karmacharis and spread the fragrance of human kindness and compassion all around.

e-mail: kbg@starofmysore.com

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Abracadabra ..Abracadabra / by K.B. Ganapathy / Saturday – August 29th, 2015

Deodurg MLA laid to rest with State honours

Leaders
Thousands of people participated in the funeral procession of MLA Venkatesh Naik at Arakera village in Deodurg taluk, Raichur district, on Monday. PHOTO: SANTOSH SAGAR
Thousands of people participated in the funeral procession of MLA Venkatesh Naik at Arakera village in Deodurg taluk, Raichur district, on Monday. PHOTO: SANTOSH SAGAR

Veteran Congress leader and MLA of Deodurg constituency in Raichur district, Karnataka, A. Venkatesh Naik (79), who died in a rail accident near Penukonda in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh, at about 2.10 a.m. on Monday, was laid to rest with State honours at his native place in Deodurg taluk. As per the customs of his community, his mortal remains were buried in his land at Juttalamaradi village at 6.30 p.m. He is survived by wife, two sons and three daughters.

Venkatesh Naik’s eldest son and Raichur Lok Sabha member B.V. Naik, along with his younger brother and president of Raichur District Central Cooperative Bank Rajashekhar Naik, performed the final rites. His grandson K. Shivanagowda Naik and other family members were present.

Ministers Sharan Prakash Patil and Shivaraj Tangadagi, Koppal Lok Sabha member Sanganna Karadi, MLAs Shivaraj Patil, Hampanagowda Badarli, Hampayya Naik, Manappa Vajjal, Raja Venkatappa Naik, A.B. Malaka Reddy, MLCs N.S. Boseraju and Halappa Achar, Tungabhadra Command Area Development Authority chairman A. Vasanth Kumar, Deputy Commissioner S. Sasikanth Senthil and Superintendent of Police Chetan Singh Rathor were among the dignitaries who participated in the funeral.

Earlier, the mortal remains of the leader were kept at the Congress party office in Raichur for 30 minutes and then at his home at Arakera in Deodurg taluk for two- and-a-half hours for the public to pay their last respect. Over 10,000 people participated in the funeral procession from his home to the burial place.

Born on June 6, 1936, Venkatesh Naik entered politics through the Congress in 1968 in the local body elections. He was Gram Panchayat president twice, APMC director and Zilla Parishat member before entering national politics through the 1991 Lok Sabha polls. He represented Raichur constituency in the Lok Sabha for four times, in 1991, 1998, 1999 and 2004. He had lost the constituency to Raja Rangappa Naik of Janata Dal in 1996.

In a bitter electoral battle in the 2013 Assembly polls, Venkatesh Naik defeated his grandson K. Shivanagowda Naik, who had contested on the BJP ticket in Deodurg constituency, by a margin of 3,700 votes. He had also played an instrumental role in earning a thin-margin victory for his son and Congress candidate B.V. Naik against his grandson and BJP candidate K. Shivanagowda Naik in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in Raichur constituency.

Earlier, he had served Deodurg taluk Congress Committee president for two terms and Raichur District Congress Committee for one term.

Venkatesh Naik tasted defeat twice in his political career: in the 1996 Lok Sabha polls against Raja Rangappa Naik of Janata Dal and in the 2008 Assembly polls against K. Shivanagowda Naik who was then in the Janata Dal (Secular). He was denied the Congress ticket in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls and the Congress candidate Raja Venkatappa Naik was defeated by the BJP candidate Sanna Pakkirappa in the election.

“Venkatesh Naik was a literary enthusiast and had deeply studied Jaimini Bharata, a version of Hindu epic Mahabharata, authored by noted Kannada poet of 16 century, Lakshmisa. He spoke less and did more,” Bheemanagowda Itagi, a long-time associate of Venkatesh Naik, recalled.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Kumar Buradikatti / Raichur – August 24th, 2015

Mahatma Gandhi’s only visit to Udupi was on February 25, 1934

Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All
A bust of Gandhiji installed at the Bhujanga Park, Ajjarkad, in Udupi, where he delivered a speech in 1934.
A bust of Gandhiji installed at the Bhujanga Park, Ajjarkad, in Udupi, where he delivered a speech in 1934.

He addressed a public meeting at Ajjarkad ground

The place where Gandhiji visited and gave a speech during his only visit to Udupi on February 25, 1934, is now a park. There is a bust of Gandhiji in the midst of the park and a radio tower also stands close to it.

Vinith Rao, researcher and in-charge of Gandhian Study Centre at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College here, told The Hindu that Gandhiji had come to Udupi as part of his tour for collection of funds for the uplift of the weaker sections of society and also to promote temple entry for people of weaker sections through a consensus. Another object was to collect funds for the relief of persons affected by floods in Bihar.

Gandhiji toured the coastal region in a car. But since there were many rivers and rivulets in between, he and his car were ferried in a barge, then called ‘jungal’ and taken from one bank of the river to another. He was welcomed in Udupi at around 3.30 p.m. by philanthropist Haji Abdulla Saheb.

After inaugurating a ‘Khadi Bhandar’ at Kadabettu here, he went to the Ajjarkad ground to deliver a speech. Nearly 3,000 people attended the event as per a report in the Kannada weekly ‘Rashtra Bandhu’.

In his speech, which was reported in The Hindu on February 28, 1934, and also published in the ‘The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi’ (Volume 57), Gandhiji urged the people to create public opinion for opening temples for weaker sections.

But, he emphasised that the opinion can only be formulated by the gentlest of means. Gandhiji also pointed out in his speech that Lord Krishna had turned himself to give “darshan” to saint-composer Sri Kanakadasa at the Sri Krishna Temple here. He also emphasised on the removal of untouchability.

This speech of Gandhiji in Udupi has also been reported in the journal ‘Harijan’ dated March 9, 1934. Gandhiji received a donation of Rs. 1,240 here.

Gandhiji then left for Kundapur the same day and addressed a public meeting there also and spoke against untouchability. He participated in prayer meeting in Kundapur on February 26, 1934, which was a Monday and Gandhiji used to observe silence on that day. “On February 27, 1934, Gandhiji left Kundapur for Karwar in a steamer named ‘Dayavati,” Mr. Rao said.

Since this was the only visit of Gandhiji to Udupi, a plaque should be erected at the Bhujanga Park, where Gandhiji gave a speech. “Besides the plaque, a small museum could be constructed there with some photographs taken during Gandhiji’s visit to Udupi,” Mr. Rao said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Mangaluru / by Ganesh Prabhu / Udupi – August 15th, 2015

Centenary celebrations of Mathematics Professor

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Leaders
Late Prof. E.N.K.Viswanathan
Late Prof. E.N.K.Viswanathan

Mysuru :

The centenary of late Prof. E.N.K. Viswanathan, who was a Mathematics Professor at St. Philomena’s College, Mysuru, was celebrated in city recently.

Prof. E.N.K.V., who served the institution from 1947-1973, retired as Head of the Department of Mathematics. Some of the many disciplines he taught were geometry, algebra, trigonometry, calculus, analytical geometry, and astronomy. He also wrote a number of books on the various disciplines of mathematics.

Known to everyone as a teacher par excellence, he was also a great father to three daughters and a considerate human being to all his friends and colleagues. Prof. E.N.K. Viswanathan and his wife Vinodha Viswanathan were residents of Mysuru for over 50 years.

The centenary celebration at Dasaprakash Paradise was attended by over 125 people from far and near. Among the attendees were members of the family, students, colleagues, friends and well-wishers. Fr. Leslie Moras of St. Philomena’s College graced the function and spoke about Prof. Viswanathan. He belonged to the last batch of students taught by the Professor.

Family members, colleagues, and students spoke about Prof. Viswanathan, recollecting various facets of his personality, sharing anecdotes and sweet memories about the great teacher. They also spoke about his humble nature, honesty, integrity, and teaching skills. During the function, colleagues of the professor who had worked with him were felicitated.

One of the books written by Prof. Viswanathan, containing articles on mathematics and astronomy, was released during the function. A copy of the book was distributed to all the attendees.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Sunday – August 09th, 2015