Opportunist politicians cry for separate state
The concept of small states is not impractical. Several analysts have often opined that small countries and small states are conducive to progress and are more manageable than the large ones. Many political experts have also seen how smaller states have been able to make comprehensive improvement right from base level to upwards. So, when a cry for separate state arises, one need not dismiss it without a thought. In the last four decades, the number of states has always been increasing in India.
Despite all the opposition, Telangana was born. That didn’t cause any major earth shattering changes in Andhra Pradesh. All those geographical borders exist for the betterment of human beings, as against human beings existing to protect them. Those lines of separation are imaginary ones that carry a lot of emotions on their shoulders. If one severs the bond with one’s own motherland, and everything that comprises it, the lines that denote the border wouldn’t have any significance to them.
One can consider the example of Kashmir which is fighting to separate itself from India. The callousness of central government since ages has led to the Kashmiris distancing themselves from the rest of the country. Unless people accept Kashmiris as our own people, that state can never feel in unison with the rest of the country. Owing to the Sangh Parivar interference in the matter, the issue of Kashmir has turned into a massive quagmire. If this is a demand for a separate nation, the demand for separate state is no different either.
Karnataka has been witnessing this situation in Belagavi since many decades. At some point of time, Kannadigas outnumbered people who spoke other languages. Today, Kannadigas have to put up a massive fight if they have to insist on their rightful existence in the city. This could also be the result of state ignoring its borders, but the government has to exert itself to make its presence felt in Belagavi. The government on its side, remembers Belagavi only when someone tears away the Kannada flag somewhere in that region. Unless the people living in that region feel they are in solidarity with the state, and that Karnataka and Kannada are their identities, Belagavi will keep resisting the imposition of Kannada on them.
Ever since the new government came into being, the cry for separate state has gained more volume. This started with the pretext of Kumaraswamy ignoring north Karnataka in the maiden budget. Following this, some of the statements made by the CM have also been under scrutiny to strengthen the cry. A strong rumour of CM Kumaraswamy being anti-North Karnataka has been set afloat with a particular agenda. Though there is reality in the claim that North Karnataka has not seen much progress owing to the taken for granted attitude by the politicians of that region, this cry for separate state is something that surely has some conspiracy under its wings. One has to understand the genuine need for this separation, and the people who are leading this or promoting this issue.
The most tragic aspect of this whole issue is that the looters of Ballari, who have earned thousands of crores and turned the lives of people living in that area as living hell; they are the ones who are bolstering this fight. MLA Sriramulu and other BJP leaders are adding more volume to this fight with constantly issuing statements in the media. But they forget the fact that they are very much responsible for the regression of North Karnataka. The feudal set up that resembles the mining barons, and undeclared ‘rulers’ of North Karnataka, the agriculturists and labourers are suffering in that area.
One need not explain how Ballari was looted, natural resources plundered and people were left with nothing but the dust of mining. Many leaders from North Karnataka have grown into national level politicians. They have even become the CMs too. And yet, they did not want to see the progress of the area. Now the same politicians are trying to make hay while the separate state cries get louder. With this, they are trying shrug their responsibility in the situation north Karnataka is in, today. Even those leaders who represented Kodagu, did the same thing. They progressed personally. But the tribal people of Kodagu remained in the same situation as they are. The region is very much in the clutches of landlords of the yore. This has been the main reason for Kodagu to lag behind in terms of progress. Because all the governments have only engaged with the wealthy upper caste coffee planters. The poor adivasis neither have the representation, nor the voice to speak to the government.
It should be the biggest irony that the same BJP leaders who have divided the nation in the name of religion and caste, are also raising cries of separate state in the context of regional discrimination. Karnataka is a hub of different cultures and languages. The BKP wants to slowly erase that and take it into the control of central government, and impose hindi. And to achieve this goal, they need North Karnataka, which could conveniently be a hindi belt. The cry for separate state is not arising from the hearts of people of the region, but more a political game. Kannadigas need to stand in solidarity against this and retain their state with all its glory.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
South zone finalists announced at WAVES VFX challenge in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: The South Zone round of the WAVES VFX Challenge took place today in Bengaluru, organized by the Association of Bangalore Animation Industry (ABAI).
The day-long competition brought together talented participants from across southern India, with the goal of selecting top finalists who will go on to represent the region at the national finals next month during the WAVES Summit in Mumbai.
Finalists were selected in three categories:
Student Category
Winner: Soumya Das
Runner-up: Gagan HP
Professional Category
Winner: Mohamad Javeed
Runner-up: S Sai Chandan
Enthusiasts Category
Winner: Gagan Ajai
Over 1,500 entries were received from students, working professionals, and VFX enthusiasts, all centered around the theme “Super Hero Power.” Out of these, 14 entries were shortlisted to compete in today’s final round. One winner and one runner-up from each category were chosen to represent the South Zone in Mumbai.
ABAI Secretary R.K. Chand appreciated the strong participation and encouraged industry professionals to attend the Mumbai summit, which will host well-known personalities from films, advertising, and creative sectors. He also mentioned that the WAVES Challenge was recently launched in Bengaluru by Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The event was inaugurated by Dr. Sagar Gulati, Director of the School of Creative Design and Information Technology at Jain (Deemed-to-be University), the zonal partner for the competition.
The day also featured two special sessions led by industry experts. Vijay Selvam from the global VFX studio MPC held a masterclass titled “Concept Reality,” where he discussed lighting, animation, compositing, and photorealistic effects. Students got the chance to interact with him during a Q&A session.
Another session was conducted by Rakesh H, Lead Head at The Mill, who spoke about how visual effects are used in advertising. Nearly 100 students attended these sessions, gaining valuable industry insights and learning opportunities.
