Insult to mother Cauvery in the name of statue
At a time when problems of farmers have reached their pinnacle in the recent times, we have a state government that wants to make a statue of Mother Cauvery. The government claims the intention behind this is to develop tourism. Most of the tourist spaces in the state are languishing without care or maintenance, and the government is planning to set up a new statue! Government needs to remember something. By merely constructing a tallest statue does not make the place a tourism spot. A place of tourist significance needs to have a social, cultural and historical identity. People don’t come to watch Gol Gumbaz, Gommateshwara or any other monument for the reason that they are the tallest or brilliant structures. There are historical and cultural footprints behind these places. People come close to experience them. Right now there are ample tourist places in Karnataka. Those historically and culturally significant places are on the verge of destruction owing to lack of maintenance and excesses of nature.
Karnataka tourism will improve manifold if they are rejuvenated and maintained well. But the state government is following the statue politics and has decided to get into manipulating the emotions of people of the state. The last Congress government had drawn up some pro-poor measures in the satte. People had ridiculed the government and said the tax payers were being cheated when the govt gave rice for Re 1 per kilo to those below poverty line. Similar thoughts had resonated during the opening of Indira canteen. On one hand when the centre was making anti-people economic policies, Siddaramaiah government had ensured the country’s focus is on the state with its pro-poor and pro-people programmes. Even today, the state is a role model to others in such cases. Karnataka’s solar policy that enables self-sufficiency is said to be the best among the Indian states.
Loan waiver had helped the farmers breathe easy. All these had played a major role in the comprehensive development of Karnataka. But, unfortunately, the coalition government seems to have fallen prey to the statue politics started by the BJP govt at the centre which wants to emotionally manipulate people by way of erecting statues in Gujarat, UP and Mumbai. The govt seems to have believed such works will bring it good name. On one hand, the government is receiving aid from other countries such as Britain etc for its developmental works. On the other, the country is using it to erect a Rs 3000 cr statue has turned it into an international mockery in the eyes of the world.
The CM should never forget this loss of image India suffered in the recent times. Experts say the erecting statues never yield better tourism prospects. Thousands of villages have suffered over this statue. Environmental harm is yet to be estimated. Locals have protested against this statue. Now the next such mega project of setting up Shivaji Park is also being met with resistance. What would the govermment’s defense be to the claim that this statue would harm the livelihood of fishermen? How would the country benefit from this? BJP is erecting these statues on the grave of people whom it murdered. Live ones are killed and the country is a safe place for statues to be erected. At times like this, people should be aware that the BJP leaders want to build the country on people’s dead bodies. They need to understand the Karnataka model was the best one to follow. Unfortunately, BJP’s statue politics is dominating the discourse.
If the government has Rs 1500 cr to spend on the state, it should be used to alleviate the pains of farmers in the state or in Cauvery basin. On one hand, Kodagu is still reeling under the effects of flood and lashing rains that left the region damaged and debilitated. Several taluks in north Karnataka are declared ‘drought-stricken’. Sugarcane farmers in Mandya are still awaiting payment for their crops. To respond to the farmers and ending their distress would be a better tribute to mother Cauvery than erecting a statue because she lives in the home and hearts of people who are dependent on her for their livelihoods.
The statue of Cauvery is a massive illusion because she is a river and how can she be given a form? How can the imagery of some random female form benefit the river in its glory? How would this help the farmers? Would this statue ensure their fields get water? If all the forest area around this place is turned into a resort to attract the tourists, thus destroying the green cover help the people or ecology? The government should not splurge the resources meant for the farmers, in the name of statue. It would be a treachery of sorts in the name of farmers of this state. Insulting them would be like insulting mother Cauvery.
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Speaker rules out discussion on Guv''s conduct amid K''taka Assembly standoff
Bengaluru (PTI): In an effort to end the logjam over the Governor's address that has stalled proceedings for the past week, Karnataka Assembly Speaker U T Khader on Wednesday ruled that legislators should not discuss Thaawarchand Gehlot or his conduct in the house, saying such debates send the wrong message to the public.
The House has witnessed repeated disruptions and adjournments since the session began on January 22 over the issue of the governor's conduct.
During his address to the joint sitting of the Karnataka legislature on January 22, Gehlot read out only three sentences from the 122-paragraph speech prepared by the state government.
The speech included criticism of the Centre for replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajivika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G), portions of which the governor declined to read.
Concluding his address in about two minutes, the governor left the house, triggering a commotion as Congress legislators attempted to gherao him and raised slogans.
While the opposition BJP accused the ruling Congress and its ministers of "insulting" the governor and demanded action, the treasury benches countered by claiming the governor had "insulted the National Anthem by leaving before it was played."
The house again witnessed heated arguments on the issue earlier in the day, leading to adjournment.
During the interruption, Khader held a meeting with ministers and opposition members to resolve the impasse.
When proceedings resumed, the speaker delivered his ruling.
Referring to the events of January 22 and the subsequent debate, Khader said the conduct and discussions had conveyed the wrong message to the public.
"Our conduct as members of this House and the opinions expressed must be in good taste and in accordance with constitutional provisions. They must uphold the dignity of the House and its members. We must introspect in this direction," he said.
He stressed the need for caution to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in the future.
"Let us end this matter here, continue the discussion on the motion of thanks to the governor, and refrain from discussing the governor or his conduct in this house," the speaker said.
Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka said the house should express regret over what he termed an "insult" to the governor.
Responding, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the situation would not have arisen had the governor read out the entire address.
"Asking the house to express regret is not appropriate. Why did the governor leave even before the National Anthem was played," Siddaramaiah asked.
BJP MLA S Suresh Kumar reminded Siddaramaiah that as Leader of the Opposition in 2011, he had asked then Governor Hansraj Bhardwaj to curtail his address.
Bhardwaj had subsequently placed the address on the table of the house, requesting members to treat it as read.
Siddaramaiah said the situation in January 2011 was different from the present one.
The debate grew intense, leading to another adjournment of the house.
