Aikya Horata Samiti. Express Photo: Darshan Devaiah BPKarnataka Bengaluru News December 8 Highlights: Thousands of farmers in Karnataka will join the Bharat bandh on Tuesday. Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha president K Chandrashekar said members of around 300 farmers’ organisations would participate. Aikya Horata, a coalition of a farmer, labour and Dalit groups, started an indefinite sit-in protest in Bengaluru on Monday.
The Karnataka chapter of the All-India Kisan Sangharsh Co-ordination Committee (AIKSCC), a coalition of several farmer organisations, has called for a six-hour bandh on Tuesday. The Karnataka Congress said it would launch a letter drive against the farm and labour laws. According to Congress Karnataka chief D K Shivakumar, these letters with the signature of farmers and labourers would be sent to the President.
Meanwhile, few schools have decided not to conduct the online classes to extend support to farmers protest. D Shashi Kumar, General Secretary, Karnataka Associated Managements of English Medium Schools (KAMS) said “We are extending our support for the bandh and hence we will not be conducting any online classes on Tuesday. The classes will be rescheduled for another day. Many school associations are supporting the bandh.”
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Farmers and members of the Aikya Horata, a coalition of a farmer, labour and Dalit groups blocked the road near Maurya circle in Bengaluru on Tuesday evening while demanding that the recent farm reforms Acts be scrapped both at the Centre and the state.
Winners of Atta Galatta–Bangalore Literature Festival Book Prize for both fiction and non-fiction sections, along with other categories like Popular Choice, Best Cover Design and Literary Achievement in Kannada have been announced.
Deepa Anappara's Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line has won in the fiction category while Ashutosh Bhardwaj has won the honour for The Death Script: Dreams and Delusions in Naxal Country under the non-fiction category.
Milind Soman's memoir Made in India: A Memoir, co-written by Roopa Pai has won in popular choice. Ahlawat Gunjan has won for designing the cover of Perumal Murugan's Rising Heat (translated in English from Tamil by Janani Kannan). This year Janaki Srinivasa Murthy, famously known as Vaidehi, was presented with Literary Achievement in Kannada honour.
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Out-patient departments (OPDs) at private hospitals across Karnataka including Bengaluru are likely to remain shut on Friday (December 11) following a decision taken by allopathy medical practitioners in the state to protest against the Centre's recent decision to allow Ayurveda postgraduate to perform surgeries.
Speaking to Indianexpress.com, Dr Prasanna H M, President of Private Hospitals and Nursing Home Associations (PHANA) said that the call for the closure of OPDs in the state will be as part of the nationwide protests initiated by the Indian Medical Association.
"A recent gazette notification permits MS Ayurveda graduates to perform many of the surgeries which are developed and taught in allopathic sciences. This puts the public at risk," he said.
Members of All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) in Whitefield, Bengaluru held a protest in view of Bharat Bandh. Various farmer unions demanded that the Union Government repeal the three farm laws by both Centre and Karnataka government.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Karnataka government is "waging a war to combat drug menace" in the state, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Tuesday answering queries raised by opposition legislators in Vidhana Soudha.
On the second day of the winter session which is underway in Bengaluru, Bommai highlighted that the police has booked as many as 3852 cases till November end in 2020 under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. "This is in comparison to the 1125 other cases in 2017, 1031 in 2018, and 1661 in 2019. Charge sheets have been submitted for 2285 cases out of the 3852 cases booked this year while the investigation is on for others," he said.
Bommai added that the government will bring out "comprehensive amendments" to the existing laws to ensure the drug menace is intercepted. "We are already revisiting some rules of the NDPS Act to simplify them thereby helping in more raids and seizures," he said. He added that the police have become successful in "instilling fear" among those organising rave parties. Earlier, these were seen fashionable, he added.
In the wake of more trains beginning services after the lockdown, the South Western Railway Tuesday issued an advisory to train users urging them to check and verify revisions in train timings and to adhere to Covid-19 protocol-related guidelines issued by the authorities.
"There are changes in timings at train starting station (and/or) en route stations (and/or) destination station for some of the train services originating/terminating in SSWR and also passing through the Zone," the advisory read.
It added that health protocols such as wearing of masks, using of hand sanitisers, and following social distancing norms should be followed by rail users. A list of trains which began operating with revised timings was also issued.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Tuesday predicted rain in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
According to C S Patil, IMD Director (Weather Forecast), the city is likely to experience cloudy sky generally. "While rains likely in Bengaluru on December 8 and 9, minimum and maximum temperature over the city is very likely to be around 17 to 19 degrees Celsius respectively," he said.
He added that the city will continue to experience a chilly weather in the upcoming days as well.
Left political parties protested in support of the Bharat Bandh called by farmers unions against the Central government's farm laws on Tuesday in Bengaluru.
The agitators held a protest at Mysore bank circle in Bengaluru in support of the Bharat Bandh. Trade unions also extended support to the bandh. The protesters raised slogans against the Central government.
To commemorate the 260th Anniversary of Army Service Corps, a wreath laying ceremony was held at the ASC War Memorial in Bengaluru.
According to the Defence PRO, the ceremony was held with "full military honours to pay homage to the gallant men of Army Service Corps who made the supreme sacrifice in line of duty."
Lieutenant General B K Repswal, Commandant ASC Centre and College laid the wreath on behalf of the ASC Centre and College.
Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), operator of Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB/ BLR Airport), has donated seven customised portable cabins to the Bengaluru City Police (BCP) as part of its CSR initiative. This unique initiative was conceptualised with the support of erstwhile BCP Commissioner Bhaskar Rao, IPS.
The cabins, placed at strategic locations across the City by BCP, is donated to BCP with an objective to provide police personnel protection from weather, enable smooth functioning during peak hours and enable easier access to citizens.
Each cabin is equipped with a meeting area, four bunker beds and a washroom, to help police personnel rest and come back to duty rejuvenated. The cabins are powered with energy-efficient LED lights, ceiling fans and electric sockets. Provision has also been made for air conditioning. With a 300-litre capacity overhead water tank, the cabins have kitchen space, as well.
Members of AAP in Bengaluru held a protest in view of Bharat Bandh. Various farmer unions demanded that the Union Government repeal the three farm laws by both Centre and Karnataka government.
A three-day visit to Karnataka by Arun Singh, the new BJP in-charge for the state, over the weekend to review the status of the party and development under the BJP government has not provided Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa much clarity on his efforts to expand the cabinet.
Singh has reportedly told Yediyurappa to carry out the cabinet expansion in consultation with the party’s central leadership.
Last month, Yediyurappa visited Delhi to meet the BJP central leadership on the cabinet expansion issue, but was reportedly advised to consult the new party in-charge for the state.
Yediyurappa is keen to expand the cabinet to fill seven vacancies by appointing many loyalists, including former Congress and JDS legislators who defected to the BJP in 2019, toppling the Congress-JDS government and enabling the BJP to come to power.
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Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah said that his party will "fight the injustice" to farmers inside and outside the assembly, criticising the decisions taken by the BJP-led central and state governments.
"While farmers are themselves opposing farm laws why is the Modi government adamant about implementing it," he questioned, stressing that farmers should have a say in laws impacting them.
Later, in a series of tweets, he accused the BJP leadership of misleading the farmers. "@FinMinIndia @nsitharaman says it is time to shut APMCs. @PMOIndia @narendramodi says APMCs will stay. Who is telling the truth & who is misleading farmers?," the former Karnataka CM added.
Street vendors in Jayanagar 9th block in Bengaluru who are part of Bengaluru Zilla Beedhi Vyapara Sanghathanegala Okkuta organised protest to show solidarity to farmers agitation against Farm Laws. Street vendors held placards against the government and the three agriculture laws.
Farmers in Harapanahalli taluk in Vijayanagara district blocked roads and buses in view of Bharat Bandh. Various farmer unions are demanding that the Union Government repeal the three farm laws by both Centre and Karnataka government.
Farmers stage protest near Kittur Rani Chennamma Circle in Hubballi in view of Bharat Bandh. Various farmer unions demanding that the recent farm reforms Acts be scrapped both at the Centre and the State.
Farmers in Tumakuru district held a protest demanding that the recent farm reforms Acts be scrapped both at the Centre and the State. The State government has introduced amendments to Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1961, and Karnataka APMC Act, 1966.