Sunday, October 30, 2011

ಡಾ. ಪುರುಷೋತ್ತಮ ಬಿಳಿಮಲೆ ಅವರಿಗೆ ರಾಜ್ಯೊತ್ಸವ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ

ಕೆಂಪುಕೋಟೆ ಬ್ಲಾಗಿನ ಸ್ಪೂರ್ತಿ, ಬೆಂಬಲಿಗ ಡಾ. ಪುರುಷೋತ್ತಮ ಬಿಳಿಮಲೆಯವರಿಗೆ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ಇಂದು ಘೋಷಣೆ ಯಾದೊಡನೆ ನಮ್ಮ ತಂಡ ಅವರನ್ನು ಅವರ ದೆಹಲಿಯ ವಸಂತ ಕುಂಜ್ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅಭಿನಂದಿಸಿತು.
 ಆ ಕ್ಷಣಗಳ ಕೆಲವು ಚಿತ್ರಗಳು.
ಡಾ. ಪುರುಷೋತ್ತಮ ಬಿಳಿಮಲೆ ಅವರಿಗೆ ರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ಸಿಕ್ಕ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ
 ಅಭಿನಂದನೆಗಳ ಸುರಿಮಳೆ
 

ಡಾ. ಪುರುಷೋತ್ತಮ ಬಿಳಿಮಲೆ ಅವರಿಗೆ ರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ಸಿಕ್ಕ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ
ಇಂಟರ‍್ ನೆಟ್ ನಲ್ಲೂ  ಅಭಿನಂದನೆಗಳ ಸುರಿಮಳೆ
 

ಡಾ. ಪುರುಷೋತ್ತಮ ಬಿಳಿಮಲೆ ಅವರಿಗೆ ರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ಸಿಕ್ಕ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ
ಮಾಧ್ಯಮಗಳಿಗಾಗಿ ಒಂದು ಪೋಸ್

ಡಾ. ಪುರುಷೋತ್ತಮ ಬಿಳಿಮಲೆ ಅವರಿಗೆ ರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ಸಿಕ್ಕ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ
ಮಾಧ್ಯಮಗಳಿಗಾಗಿ ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಪೋಸ್
 
ನಿರ್ಲಿಪ್ತತೆ 

ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ದೊರತ ಸುದ್ದಿ ತಿಳಿದೊಡನೆ ಧಾವಿಸಿದ ಗೆಳೆಯರ ಜತೆ 


ಅಂತರ್ಜಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಭಿನಂದನೆಗಳು

ಅಭಿನಂದನೆ ಸಾರ್!

ಫೋನ್ ಕಾಲ್ ಗಳ ನಡುವೆಯೂ ನಿರಂತರ ಚಿಂತನೆ

ಮೆಸೇಜ್ ಬಂತು!

ಸಂಭ್ರಮ ... ಸಲ್ಲಾಪ

ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ದೊರತ ಸುದ್ದಿ ತಿಳಿದೊಡನೆ ಧಾವಿಸಿದ ಗೆಳೆಯರ ಜತೆ

Friday, October 28, 2011

Teen Behenein


School of Arts and Aesthetics
Jawaharlal Nehru University 
Presents
Teen Behenein
 
Directed by
Kundan Shah
Of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro Fame
 
Chief Associate Director
Shekhar Hattangadi
 
There are many tragic news stories of multiple suicides of three/four sisters in India due to dowry. This film makes three such sisters its protagonists. The film opens with them about to commit the act when they are interrupted and forced to postpone their deaths. What happens in this gratuitous period of six hours is the subject matter of the film. Without any flashbacks, the film brings out the essence of their lives which has led them to this decision. It explores all their joys and sorrows and mainly their zest for life even when death is virtually knocking at their door. They shouldn’t have died. None of these girls should have ever died. How these tragedies can be avoided is the hope and the vision of this film.
 
at the SAA Auditorium, JNU 
Tuesday, 1st November, 2011 
at 5 p.m. 
A Discussion with Shekhar Hattangadi will follow the Screening
All are Welcome

Monday, October 24, 2011

Mystic Coorg in Photos

Friday, October 21, 2011

Everest marathon conqueror : Mala Honnatti


Q. When and how did you start running?
A. Running for fun and running for fitness has been a part of my routine since time immemorial. I myself do not remember when exactly I started running.  Actually I was jogging, though not regularly, during my school days, college days, working women’s hostel days, all Sundays, holidays and many other days also .Eventually the jogging style changed to running style and I ran my first marathon on 17th Oct 1993 at Miyazaki, Japan in World Veterans Athletic Meet. Whether I am going for a marathon or not, I enjoy early morning jogging and running. While running I connect with my inner self and with nature. It is a strong dose of tranquillizer. Running 2-3 marathons in a year gives a focus and goal for my fitness regime.
Mala Honnatti

Q. Describe your training for the grueling high altitude Everest Marathon.
A. To tell you frankly, I did not had sufficient time for any specific training for this marathon. Actually the idea for Everest marathon was germinated in my mind on 31st March which was just 2 months before the race. I was taking a 2 month break from my routine job and at that time one of my mountaineering friend suggested about this marathon. I said why not? As it is, I am a trekker and mountaineer and enjoy being on the mountains and clubbing both of my passions was a good idea. I confirmed my entry for the race on 10th April and started my preparations. The scorching heat during April & May in Delhi gave me little option to do long runs. Most of my runs ( max for 90 min.) were on treadmills with inclines. I did bit of a strength training also. I was told we may take nearly double the time that we take at sea level to complete this marathon.  I knew there would be lot of walking breaks on the innumerable steep ascents and that there was no need to bother about the speed when it is difficult to walk in the high altitude. So I focused on strength, stamina, elevation and breathing efficiency rather than speed during that one month training. And I was confident of the altitude because of my experience in mountaineering.

Q. Can you tell us about the challenges of you faced while preparing for this marathon?
A. As the name suggests, the marathon starts at Everest base camp at an altitude of around 17500 ft. and runs down to a place called Namche Bazar at around 12500 ft. So the first challenge was to trek to the base camp and acclimatize to the high altitude by gradually gaining height. It is about 9 days trek with steep climbs in-between.
I reached Kathmandu on 12th May and reached Lukla on the 14th by domestic flight. Flying on the domestic flights in the mountain region is also an experience in itself where you are holding your breath and sitting on the edge of the seat. Though trekking was for 9 days, I had planned for a few extra days for acclimatization and practicing on the same route. I got 4 extra days to run up and down the mountains at higher altitude. Though most of the trekkers avail the services of the porter and guide to carry their luggage to the higher camps, I did it by myself. This is one of the valuable lessons I have learnt in mountaineering - to carry my luggage by myself or carry that much which you can manage by yourself. It is a good fitness exercise also. Luckily I did not face any altitude sickness.
The Base Camp is at the snout of Kumbhu Glassier on rough moraine and scree. You do not even get a flat place to pitch your tent and mine was supported on 3 corners. All the time snow & ice is melting and the landscape is changing. Sub zero temperature, blowing winds, lack of oxygen, loss of appetite, loss of sleep, exertion  are some of the challenges one has to face on such altitudes.

Q. Describe your race-day experience
A. The marathon was flagged off on 29th May at 7.00 am in front of Kumbhu Ice Fall. We were 104 participants (64 foreigners and 40 local Sherpas ). We had breakfast at 5.30 am and assembled at the start line at 6.30 am. After the flag off, it took me about 20 min. to come out of the moraine as I was walking on slippery snow and rocky terrain. It was snowing for about 2 hrs. You just cannot predict the weather on the mountain. I was at the midway after exactly 5 hrs. My concern was to finish the marathon in 10 hrs without any fall, injury and sickness. I did finish it but in 10hrs 21min. There were numerous steep ascents and descents, risky, slippery terrain and breathlessness because of the altitude.
I was running only on flat stretches and downhill and i was taking it easy on the uphill. One could sense the whole breathing process and at times you feel that your lungs are exploding. When I saw the tents at the finishing arena from a distance, all the reserved energy was mobilized and I picked up my pace. My two new friends, Deepa and Raj were waiting at the finish line with camera, water and a big congratulatory hug. Finally I did it!

Q. For the benefit of future aspirants, kindly tell us the total cost incurred for the Everest marathon (registration + travel cost + stay & food)
A. The whole package was priced at Rs.60000 INR by the organizers.  Air ticket from Delhi +some necessary gear like, trail running shoes, sleeping bag, down jacket, wind proof & water proof suits, warm clothing, snow sticks etc along with registration fee set me back by around Rs.80000. It helped that I already had few of the above mentioned gears with me.

Q. What were thoughts which came to your mind when you crossed the finish line?
A. The whole experience of marathon, any marathon for that matter, is a mixed emotion of anxiety, agony, ecstasy and elation. When I crossed 10hrs and realized that I had some (although very little) more distance to run, I was bit disappointed but reconciled and ran the home stretch with gusto. I was happy that I did not have any problems except the physical exertion.

Q. What exciting and exotic marathons are you planning for future?
A. Again, I would say all marathons are exciting. Yes, I am planning for few exotic marathons in 2011 & 2012.
I am running my next marathon in Sacramento on 17th July in World Masters Meet Since I will be in the in the neighborhood, I will also run San Francisco Marathon on 31st July. Then if I can manage financcially, I will do the  South Pole Marathon on 30th Nov and probably one more marathon on the mountains. In the meantime, I would be working on to improve my timing to qualify for Boston in 2013. Marathon Grand Slam is a long cherished dream which I want to realize in the next 2 years.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Thursday, October 13, 2011

India's first robotic liver transplant successful


New Delhi: In the first such surgery in India, doctors at a hospital near here have performed a robotic liver transplant to save the life of a four-year-old child. Doctors say it is only the third operation of its kind in the world.
The surgery was conducted last month at the Medanta Medicity hospital in the national capital's Gurgaon suburb in Haryana, doctors said here Thursday. 
The Da-Vinci robot was used by the doctors on Rahmatullah, 36, who donated 20 percent of his liver to his nephew Ziad, whose organ had turned cancerous and had to be removed.
"Robotic surgery is usually performed for kidney, heart and gynaecological operations. But it's use in liver transplant not only increased the precision but also reduced surgery-related troubles," said Medanta Liver Institute chairman A.S. Soin, who led the team of surgeons.
Ziad, who was living with his parents in Oman capital Muscat, was suffering from tyrosinemia, a rare genetic disorder due to which the liver is unable to digest proteins. 
"Even when Ziad developed rickets, which is one of the symptoms of this disease, the doctors were not able to diagnose his condition," said Neelam Mohan, Medanta's director of pediatric gastroenterology.
Ziad developed rickets at age of two, but his liver condition was detected much later. Ziad's father Mohd. Zakir Hussain, a pharmacist, and his mother Mehe Zabin, who are originally from Karnataka, were not able to afford the surgery in Muscat and decided to come to India.
By then, Ziad's liver had turned cancerous and hence had to completely removed. However, his parents' blood group differed from Ziad's and so his uncle Rahmatullah came forward for the liver donation. 
"The donor in a liver transplant undergoes the surgery only for saving someone's life. A robotic surgery encouraged his uncle for the donation as it has greater precision and leaves a mere three to four inch scar," Soin explained. 
The operation cost Rs.15 lakh and this was raised through charity.
The cost of robotic surgery on the donor costs nearly Rs.75,000 to 80,000 more than a normal donor surgery. Doctors, however, say the cost will come down with time as more robotic surgeries are conducted. 
"In another year or 18 months, the cost difference will come down to around Rs.25,000," said Soin. 
"It costs Rs.1 lakh just to start the robot. If three or four surgeries are conducted in a line, the cost will automatically come down," he explained.
And for Ziad and his parents, it's nothing short of a miracle.
"It is another life for Ziad," a relieved Mehe Jabin said. 
October 13, 2011 IANS

Indian language literature goes to Frankfurt Book Fair


New Delhi: In a first showcase of Indian indigenous writing, a literary panorama featuring works by over 30 language writers will be on display at the Frankfurt Book Fair in a pilot exhibition for readers and publishers from Europe, the US and other countries.
The literary panorama, initiated by the union culture ministry under the 'ILA: Indian Literature Abroad' project, will be held Oct 12-16.The project aims to carry the diversity of contemporary regional Indian literature from the grassroots to the world through source translation, which involves creation of original work directly to foreign languages in an attempt to remove dependence on English translation, a top ILA official said.Initially, the focus of translation is on six UNESCO languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
"The project requires patience and nurturing. It is (in the) long term. We want to understand the kind of Indian language books the international market likes and the market dynamics. We are looking at source language translations - like from Tamil to French," writer Namita Gokhale, the member secretary of Indian Literature Abroad project, told IANS."Translating a regional literary work first into English and then into a foreign language results in loss of textual matter," she said."Different cultures appreciate different kind of literature," she added.Gokhale heads the delegation carrying the Indian literary showcase to Frankfurt Tuesday.
A discussion, 'Romancing the Languages: Indian Literature's Journeys' will debate on the future of Indian regional language writing and its global positioning Oct 13. 
Gokhale, along with writers Urvashi Butalia, Michi Strausfeld and Prayag Shukla, will address the session.
Gokhale said "with 22 official national languages, 122 regional languages, four classical languages (Sanskrit, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu), 1,726 mother tongues and countless dialects, India can boast of a unique literary heritage".
While around 45 percent of the titles published in India are in English, it is time for the rest of the languages to reach an international audience, she said.
Regional language writing is not accessible to the rest of the world because of lack of quality translations and focused promotion, Gokhale said.
The literature has been selected under four broad categories - poems, short stories, novels and plays, a culture ministry official said.
An advisory committee is overseeing the project. The panel has noted author U.R. Ananthamurthy as chairperson and Gokhale as member-secretary.
The members include chairperson of Lalit Kala Akademi Ashok Vajpeyi, poet and Nobel nominee K. Satchidanandan, feminist writer and editor Mini Krishnan and publisher Urvashi Butalia.
"Our books should be known all over the world. The legacy of Indian language (bhasa) writing is not only rich but also has new material about people in the villages. The different facets of Indian literature have to be translated and put on the global map," noted Kannada writer and scholar U.R. Ananthamurthy told IANS from Bangalore.
Ananathamurthy, whose novels "Samskara (Samskara: A Rite for a Dead Man)" and "Bharatipura", are part of the ILA's Frankfurt panorama, said "ILA was working on several translation commissions and translation workshops to put together the second lot of titles".
Indian language books can be translated to foreign languages either by source language translation or through creative translation, Ananthamurthy said.
"Creative translation involves English as an intermediary language. First, the book is translated to English and then creatively re-written into a foreign language by an language expert.
"Translated masterpieces have to be re-translated every 10 years to keep up with the changing nature of global languages," the Kannada writer said.
The maiden ILA showcase includes language icons like Rabindranath Tagore, Rahi Masoom Raza, Ismat Chughtai, Mahashweta Devi, Maitreyi Devi, Sunil Gangopadhay, O.V. Vijayan, Dharamvir Bharati, Bhabendra Nath Saikia, Ambai (C.S. Lakshmi) and K. Satchidanandan.
"In 2006, India introduced a translation subsidy to pay foreign translators at international rates when it took a selection of books to Frankfurt Book Fair where it was the guest country. The introduction of the subsidy eventually led to the project," said publisher Urvashi Butalia.


Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS (10.10.2011)

Kannada centre of excellence to soon go live


Three years after Kannada was conferred the ‘classical tag,’ the Central government has finally agreed to the proposals sent by the State Karnataka Kannada Development Authority to set up a centre of excellence for Kannada at the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore.
The establishment of this elite Kannada centre of excellence was held back for the last three years because of an objection filed by a DMK activist, questioning the validity of the formation of the committee to award ‘classical tag’ to Kannada and Telugu.
“The CIIL will now prepare grounds for establishing centres of excellence in both Kannada and Telugu,” said chairman of the Kannada Development Authority (KDA) Mukyamantri Chandru.
The centre of excellence will take up propagation of the classical languages, research and study, and also promote and preserve the classical languages inside and outside their speech territories. The copy of the order of the ministry of human resources department of higher education in New Delhi stated that the centre of excellence will also take up documentation and digitisation of manuscripts, in addition to creating avenues for interdisciplinary research involving related studies of numismatics, epigraphy, archaeology and ancient history and explore classical music and dance forms and link classical languages and modern technology for preservation.
The centre will also take up translation of Kannada classical and modern scripts into English and other European languages.
This will open up a new gamut of activities.
“For long, the Kannada centre of excellence has remained a dream for scholars,” said Chandru. The Kannada Nudi Theru will be flagged off from Sullia on Wednesday by chief minister DV Sadananada Gowda.
Published: Wednesday, Oct 12, 2011 
Place: Mangalore | Agency: DNA

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Delhi Yuva Kannadigas in Cyclothon

Cycling for better health & environment
To promote the eco-friendly mode of travelling-bicycles-and generating awareness among the denizens of Delhi, Delhi YuvaKannadigas participated in “Hero Cycles India Cyclothon 2011”on Oct. 9th.
The 20 km GMR Amature Ride  was started from Parliament Street with over 5000 cyclists through Connaught Place, Janpath, Rajpath and Vijay Chowk before returning to the spot of origin.
Samrat, Sunman, Pradeep, Srinivas, Sachin and  Abhishek yuvakannadigas have successfully participated in the ride to spread awareness among the youth to focus on Climatic Change and growing air pollution.
This environment friendly ride was participated by around 4000 cyclists of various age groups from around the globe.
The event was held under the aegis of Cycling Federation of India (CFI) and promoting the cause of cycling and a greener environment. Among others Formula One racer Narain Karthikeyan, IOA President VK Malhotra, CFI chief PS Dhindsa, Hero Motor were present.

Few Advantages of Cycling
STAY HEALTHY & FIT
Cycling is a great way to stay healthy and fit. It helps you to prevent heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and depression. If done regularly on a moderate scale, cycling will also help you to reduce stress, sleep better, and feel better overall.
 SAVE MONEY
With rising fuel, parking, and automobile costs, using private motor vehicles are more expensive than ever. Since a large number of our daily trips are less than 5-kms, there is a substantial amount of short-distance travel to work, shopping, school, and recreation that can be taken by bicycle to save on travels costs and time.
 REDUCE EMISSIONS
Motor vehicles create a very high amount of air pollution causing carbon emissions and many respiratory diseases and other health problems. Leaving the car at home and using bicycle as an alternative transportation at least once a week can also reduce significant greenhouse gas emissions and asthma cases in our city.
REDUCE CONGESTION & TRAFFIC JAM
For every trip taken by cycle, there is one less motor vehicle on the road. More children are cycling to school, and more adults choosing to cycle instead of drive, can help reduce unnecessary vehicular congestion and traffic jams on our roads, particularly during peak-hours.
 REDUCE DEPENDENCY ON FOSSIL FUEL
Our oil addiction is expensive and forces us to rely on imports of foreign petroleum. India imports more than 80% of its petroleum needs and spends thousands of crores every year. Besides, scientists all the over the world have predicted that fossil fuels won't last forever. Using bicycle along with walking and public transport as much as possible to commute within the city can help us bring down our consumption of petrol and diesel dependency and reduce our dependency on oil import substantially.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Jayashree Award for Dr. G.A. Biradar


                                      
       English Book “Mahatma Gandhi’s Campaign Against Untouchability in Karnataka”, authored by Dr. G.A. Biradar, bagged Jayashree Award, instituted by Karnataka Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi, Bangalore. The award was conferred on Dr. G.A. Biradar by D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka on October 2 on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti at Gandhi Bhavan, Bangalore. The award presentation ceremony was presided over by B.S. Yeddyurappa, former Chief Minister of Karnatakata. Dr. G.A. Biradar is working as an Archivist, at National Archives of India, New Delhi. Having a Masters Degree in from Gulbarga University Dr. Biradar has published many research books including ‘Mumbai Karnatakadalli Savinaya Kanoonubhanga Chalavali’ {Abhiruchi Prakashan},  ‘Karnatakada Sardar Patel- Channabasappa Ambli’ {Udaya Prakashan}, ‘Karnataka Bhushana-Srinivas Rao Kowjalgi’ (under publication) etc. Presently, Dr. G.A. Biradar is working on “Mahatma Gandhi in Bombay Presidency”.
                                           
Dr. G.A. Biradar (right) receiving  the award from
Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Chief Minister of Karnataka
       The Book

Dr. G.A. Biradar’s book elaborately documents the considerable efforts put in by Mahatma Gandhi, to visit various parts of Karnataka, propagating the need for eradicating the inhuman practice of untouchability, by uplifting the living conditions of the Harijans, by facilitating financial assistance for them.  At the very outset, the author enthusiastically acclaims Karnataka as the abode of a great number of religious reformers, who had already tried to alleviate the sufferings of the untouchability.  It is the land where the Vachanakaras like Basavanna had brought about a social revolution through their movements unparalleled in human history.  Biradar’s book renders the vivid details about Gandhi’s visits to various parts of Karnataka and the royal manner in which he was received everywhere. 
         Mahatma Gandhi’s campaign in Karnataka was followed by the political leaders of India - irrespective of casts and creed - attempting to reform the Hindu society through legislative measures in the subsequent days.  But they did not have an immediate effect.  The untouchability Abolition Bill was introduced in 1933 in the Madras Legislative Assembly for adoption.  But the bill was lapsed. The book, towards the end gives a picture of the balanced views of people from different sections of the society, and the eminent leaders of various communities and bureaucrats.  Most of the educated Hindus were in favour of the Bill to provide for the removal of social disabilities.
        Thus the book provides a comprehensive picture of the   attempts that were made by Mahatma Gandhi together with the leaders of Karnataka to eradicate the evil practice of     untouchability prevalent in the Hindu society.  Though there were some stray protests and deliberate withdrawal of the Harijans, it was a great success.  This historic movement is something to be recorded and documented for the future     generation, and for this reason, Dr. G.A. Biradar’s book should undoubtedly be appreciated.  His simple and unassuming style of presentation and lucidity of expression gives an experience of a smooth and pleasant reading to any kind of reader.
“This is most important intervention into debates about the history of the social reform of caste, and of untouchablity. The book focuses on the little known episode of untouchability reform during the anticolonial period in the Karnataka region, an area with a long history of anti-caste protest dating back to Basavanna. Dr. Biradar deftly draws on previously unknown archival materials to shed new light on the development of the anti-untouchability movement in Karnataka, and reveals Gandhi's signal role in the development of the movement in this region. The book thus brings an understudied region within the purview of Gandhian politics, caste history, and the history of anticolonialism more broadly” opine critics.                       

      The book is an exemplary work of documentary nature providing the researchers working in Polity and History, Socio-Economic System, Human Rights and Ethics etc. with the primary data.
      The entire fabric of book is being dealt pursuance to upliftment of Harijan, empowerment of women and weaker section. It would have most useful book to students, children, academicians, working institutions and research scholars all over the world.