Kodagu is drowning; humanity should be saving grace
Kodagu is always in news for two main reasons. One, for its demand of wanting to be a separate state. The other reasons is its flood situation. Assumedly, there is a strong enough reason for demanding the region to go separate as a state, owing to the fact that our politicians and governments have ignored the region. There is a lot of truth to this. But some vested interests have been stumbling blocks in the road to Kodagu’s development. There is a close link to Kodagu’s development and its flood situation. The flood waters that fill Kodagu to the brim, have been pushing the district into distress time and again.
Kodavas have a few contentious issues with the people of Mandya since the latter gets water only if it rains in Kodagu. But it causes extreme damage to life and property in the hilly region. Kodavas feel the government isn’t paying much attention to the loss and damages. This is true as well. Every monsoon is mostly brings some bad news for Kodagu. The elected representatives have not been able to work on a solution for the situation Kodagu is facing year after year. Just as things get out of hand with rising water levels, state government sets up gruel camps and then declares relief to people who have suffered the loss. People who have lost their property, have to run from pillar to post for years on to get the compensation. This amount or message never reaches those people who are at the end of the literacy chain. There could be an elephant of a relief, but those who cannot access this may not even get the last strand of hair of the tail of this mammoth.
After almost two decades, Kodagu is reeling under the floods again. The district has turned into an island. Villages have lost connectivity with the rest of the world. Kodagu is a place with hills and mountains, and the natural habitat of people is also those homes they have built on top of the mountains. Homes suffer massive damages when landslides occur. Kodagu is not limited to Madikeri in its identity. People live in the most remote areas of this region. If they are in danger, there is no way that help can reach them. Army has been pressed into service, but since the approach roads have disappeared; even this help cannot reach them.
Most disheartening fact is the remainder of Paddy crop is lost in this deluge. Kodagu is known for its coffee, cardamom, oranges and paddy. Kodagu’s most famous Huttari festival is a celebration around paddy crop. With loss to paddy, farmers are shifting towards
growing ginger in the recent years. They either grow themselves or lease out the lands to other ginger growers. Some people are using the lands for commercial activities.
The paddy growers have to battle with fruit rot or fungal infection of the crop year after year. But this year, the deluge as consumed their hardwork. Balele of Kodagu is known as the paddy bowl. Six villages of this region are under water now. Last time, the farmers of Balele had suffered major losses. This time floods have finished their all sorts of commercial and income generating activities. Kodagu is suffering big time.
The situation of adivasis in Kodagu is of different kind. They are labourers and they have lost their livelihood owing to this deluge. Their huts have been destroyed. Government officers and staff may not even be able to track or reach them. As it is, they were the ignored lot. This has worsened the situation much. How can these people who are invisible to the eyes of the government even be significant to be rescued?
One of the major reasons for damage this time are massive landslides. Mountains have slid off into oblivion. From Medenadu to Sampaje, hills are sliding off. This is the main reason for the loss of connecting roads to reach relief supplies and rescue operations. This is not merely a natural disaster. The interference of human activity that has taken Kodagu and its ecospace for granted has been served its due. Roads, homes, cutting down of forests and digging the strong soil in the name of construction and development, has caused this deluge.
Vidhana Soudha has to come to Kodagu now. CM has to reach this place and stay here till the relief operations are in full swing. This is a major test for Kodagu residents too.
They have to hold one others’ hands to stay safe and help each other. Karnataka must stand by Kodagu to show solidarity. Only humanity can save Kodagu now. This is a challenge the humanity has put before us. Let us emerge victorious in this.
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'Engineered narratives': West Bengal guv on alleged molestation charges against him
Kolkata, May 2: West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Thursday said he will not be cowed down by “engineered narratives” and the "truth shall triumph” after TMC leaders claimed that a woman working at Raj Bhavan levelled allegations of molestation against him.
In a statement, the Governor said, “Truth shall triumph. I refuse to be cowed down by engineered narratives. If anybody wants some election benefits by maligning me, God bless them. But they cannot stop my fight against corruption and violence in Bengal,”
To the Raj Bhavan staff "who expressed solidarity with him following some derogatory narratives that were circulated by two disgruntled employees as agents of political parties," a communication by Raj Bhawan said.
The Governor’s statement came after senior TMC leaders claimed this evening in a series of social media posts that the woman, who had levelled the allegations, has been taken to a police station to complain against Bose.
Though police sources said they received a verbal complaint, there was no official word on whether a formal complaint had been registered.
“BIG. Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose was accused of molesting a woman. How utterly appalling and Horrifying. Ahead of @narendramodi visit to Kolkata who is supposed to stay overnight at Raj Bhavan, a woman has alleged that she was molested while she went to meet the Governor at Raj Bhavan today. The complainant has been taken to the Hare Street police station for filing a complaint. The woman has accused the Governor of molesting her. Shocking and disgraceful,” TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose said in a post on X.
Fellow TMC MP Saket Gokhale also posted on his X account regarding the issue.
West Bengal Women and Child Development Minister Shashi Panja said it is “shameful” that the Governor has maligned his post and has used it to “torture a woman”.
“It is appalling and shocking to see such an incident. This is the same Governor who had reached out to Sandeshkhali to talk about women’s rights and Nari Shakti. This is shameful that the Governor sought undue advantages in the pretext of giving her a permanent job. We want Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will be addressing rallies in Bengal tomorrow to react on this issue,” she said.
According to sources in the Governor's House, the "woman employee with the help of her alleged boyfriend who is also an employee of the Raj Bhavan was blocking complaints (from people) being sent to the Election Commission of India.
"When she was reprimanded for that, she went outside and alleged molestation. She is in the habit of throwing tantrums against her colleagues because of some disease," a Raj Bhavan official said.
The West Bengal Governor and the TMC government have shared an acrimonious relationship since he assumed office in November 2022 and had several run-ins on various issues.
The BJP said it has to be seen whether this a “conspiracy by the TMC” or has an “iota of truth in it”.
“We all know that the TMC is politically cornered on the issue of SSC scam and is looking for a breathing space. So this needs to be seen whether this is a conspiracy by the TMC or it has any iota of truth in it,” BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said.
BIG. Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose accused of molesting a woman. How utterly APPALLING and HORRIFYING. Ahead of @narendramodi visit to Kolkata who is supposed to stay overnight at Raj Bhavan, a woman has alleged that she was molested while she went to meet the Governor at Raj…
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) May 2, 2024
Shameful that a constitutional office holder should try to prejudice an impartial investigation by attacking the motive of the complainant. We have seen this happen in that infamous Saturday Hearing of the Supreme Court. Respect women! https://t.co/E6eJLQvFXO
— sanjoy ghose (@advsanjoy) May 2, 2024
