Vivekananda decided Chicago address at Karnataka's Belagavi: President
Belagavi (Karnataka), Sep 15 : Visiting Belagavi for the first time after becoming President in 2017 on Saturday, Ram Nath Kovind recalled that Swami Vivekananda had got the idea of participating in the World Parliament of Religions in 1893 at Chicago in the US in this northwest city of Karnataka, about 500 km from Bengaluru.
"In 1892, Swami Vivekananda visited Belagavi. I am told the idea of his participation at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago occurred to him here. As is well known, Swamiji made a big impact in Chicago - and we recently celebrated the 125th anniversary of his address there," said Kovind at a function in this historic city.
At the Parliament of Religions, Vivekananda had said, man is not travelling from error to truth, but from truth to truth, from lower to higher truth. This is so meaningful in the context of education, noted the President.
Inaugurating the platinum jubilee celebration of Karnatak Law Society (KLS) and Raja Lakhamgouda Law College, Kovind said Belagavi had a rich history of learning and wisdom, as it was home to Jain monks who brought spiritualism and scholarship thousands of years ago.
"Over the years, Belagavi has emerged as a symbol of our nation and a notable home for our military community, our economic assets and for our cultural and classical music traditions," said Kovind in his presidential address.
Admitting that higher education was very close to his heart and a priority for his presidency, Kovind told the huge gathering that his background had been in the legal fraternity, with law not as a profession but a passion.
"It is fitting that KLS and its college are located in Belagavi and their event is blessed with the presence of legal luminaries like state Governor Vajubhai R Vala, a lawyer by training, Supreme Court's Chief Justice of India Dipak Mishra and Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, an alumni of the college," pointed out Kovind.
Former Chief Justices of India E.S. Venkataramiah and S. Rajendra Babu are also alumni of the law college.
During the freedom struggle for Independence, Kovind said renowned nationalist Bal Gangadhar Tilak inaugurated the Home Rule League at Belagavi in 1916.
"The founding of the Society in 1939 was a part of this illustrious legacy as it was the brainchild of nationalist and socially committed lawyers who thought for the country. They created the Society and the Law College to train young minds and budding lawyers to promote the rule of law and governance by laws," observed Kovind.
The Society's founders were skilled lawyers, with lucrative practice. Yet, they devoted time to the cause of education and even taught in the Law College free of charge. Its co-founder Raja Lakhamgouda Sirdesai of Vantmuri donated Rs 1 lakh to the Society, a princely sum those days.
The Society runs 14 institutions, including an institute of technology, a medical college and a management college, among others and has 14,000 students on its rolls.
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Woman in labour dies while being transported in ambulance lacking oxygen support
Palghar (PTI): A 26-year-old pregnant woman from Maharashtra's Palghar district died while being taken to hospital in an ambulance which was not equipped with oxygen and other necessary facilities, authorities said on Wednesday.
Palghar's Civil Surgeon Dr Ramdas Marad said the health department has repeatedly raised concerns with authorities about the lack of specialised ambulances in the region.
The woman, who was in labour pain, was brought to a rural hospital here in a critical state on Tuesday evening.
"If she had come earlier, we could have saved her," the health official said.
Palghar Lok Sabha member Dr Hemant Savara said the health department should take necessary action into the matter and ambulance services should have adequate facilities.
Pinki Dongarkar, resident of Sarni village, went into labour on Tuesday evening.
Her family immediately rushed her to Kasa rural hospital, but due to the critical nature of her condition, the staff there referred her to neighbouring Silvassa city (in the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu) for further medical attention.
However, despite frantic attempts by her family to secure an ambulance equipped with oxygen and necessary medical facilities through the '108' emergency service, their requests went unanswered, a health official said.
They were eventually provided with a regular ambulance by the Kasa rural hospital.
While en route to Silvassa, the woman succumbed to complications and the foetus also did not survive, health officials confirmed.
Dr Marad said the woman was brought to the Kasa rural hospital in a critical state.
According to him, the woman suffered from a condition called Intrauterine Fetal Death (IUFD), where the foetus died in the womb. The exact time of the foetal death could not be determined.
Upon arrival at the hospital, the woman was semi-conscious and showed signs of severe infection.
On issues with the 108 emergency ambulance services, which are privately operated, Dr Marad said the ambulance might have been unavailable due to high demand.
The health department has repeatedly raised concerns with authorities about the lack of specialised ambulances in the region, he said.
Talking to PTI, Palghar BJP MP Savara said, "This is a very sad incident. The health department should take necessary action in this connection. Also, such an incident should not happen in future for this reason."
"The ambulance services should have adequate oxygen and cardiac support facilities. Also, a doctor is required to accompany the patient. I will follow it up with the government," he said.
CPI (M) leader Vinod Nikole, the newly-elected assembly member from Dahanu in Palghar, said he had raised the issue in the House during his last term, but no action was taken.
He criticised the government over "indifference" towards improving healthcare facilities, particularly in tribal areas, and accused the state of prioritising other programmes, such as the Ladki Bahin Yojana, over the urgent needs of healthcare in rural regions.
