Literature, cultural knowledge a must: Dinesh Amin Mattu
5th May Literary Fest
Dharwad, May 27: Senior journalist and Chief Minister’s former media advisor Dinesh Amin Mattu said that those who do not have the knowledge about literature and culture of the land would not become complete persons.
Speaking on “Contemporary movements and students view” at a two-day 5th May Literary Fest organized by the Ladai Publication of Gadag, Chittara Balaga of Dharwad and Kavi Publication at Papu Auditorium here on Sunday, Mattu said that those who have the knowledge of literature and culture would not even become harmful. As Vajpayee was in close contact of literature, it was not possible for him to become harmful like Modi, he said.
A students movement started in a hostel in Ahmedabad in 1977 has grown in a big way and it had caused the downfall of Indira Gandhi. This was the strength of the students’ movement. It was responsible for a political change in the country in 1983. It was not started just from one movement. Students were closely observing the farmers movement, linguistic movement, dalit movement, political and boycott of election and others. Most of the dalits had opposed the Mandal Commission report. But they did have neither any benefit nor any loss out of it, he said.
Those who have the literary touch would have human values. It is very difficult to speak to Bhaktas because they do not know literature and history. They do not want others to speak about the government. But they have faith on dictatorship. Even the petrol prices are increasing, there are students who support it, he said.
The biggest problem among students is they would not read history. Rohith Vemula death is not suicide. But it is a sacrifice. After that incident, students movement gained importance in the country. Students movement should become a process. Unfortunately, those who are elected in the organization have been taking wrong decisions. That should not happen, he added.
JNU student Anirban Bhattacharya, students leader Benkikere and others spoke on the occasion.
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Bhopal gas tragedy: Effects of leak seen in next generation of survivors, says ex-forensic doctor
Bhopal (PTI): The effects of poisonous gases that leaked from the Union Carbide factory in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal 40 years ago were seen in the next generations of those who survived the tragedy, a former government forensic doctor has said.
At least 3,787 people were killed, and more than five lakh were affected after a toxic gas leaked from the pesticide factory in the city on the intervening night of December 2 and 3, 1984.
Speaking at an event held by organisations of gas tragedy survivors on Saturday, Dr D K Satpathy, former head of the forensics department of Bhopal's Gandhi Medical College, said he performed 875 post-mortems on the first day of the disaster and witnessed 18,000 autopsies the next five years.
Sathpathy claimed Union Carbide had denied questions about the effects of poisonous gases on unborn children of women survivors and said effects would not cross the placental barrier in the womb in any condition.
He said blood samples of pregnant women who died in the tragedy were examined, and it was found that 50 per cent of poisonous substances found in the mother were also found in the child in her womb.
Children born to surviving mothers had the poisonous substances in their system, and this affected the health of the next generation, Sathpathy claimed and questioned why research on this was stopped.
Such effects will continue for generations, he said.
Satpathy said it was said that MIC gas leaked from the Union Carbide plant, and when it came in contact with water, thousands of gases were formed, and some of these caused cancer, blood pressure and liver damage.
Rachna Dhingra of Bhopal Group for Information and Action said Satpathy, who carried out most autopsies, and other first responders in the 1984 disaster, including the senior doctors in the emergency ward and persons involved in mass burials, narrated their experiences during the event.
Rashida Bee, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, a poster exhibition covering every aspect of the disaster will be held till December 4 to mark the 40th anniversary of the tragedy.
An anniversary rally will be organised, with focus on global corporate crimes such as industrial pollution and climate change, she said.
