Fight against fascist powers in the country, says?Teesta Setalvad

[email protected] (CD Network | Photos by Suresh)

January 30, 2016

Mangaluru, Jan 29: Social activist Teesta Setalvad said there is a need to fight against fascist powers in the country.

Delivering a special lecture at a programme organised by the Citizens Forum for Mangalore Development at School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya, in Mangaluru on Friday, she said the fascists in India have been misusing religion to spread violence. Consolidation of political power and implementation of the agenda of ‘Divide and Rule’ are among the multiple motives behind the eruption of communal violence in the country. Through this, religion is being misused by political powers and the masses are being mislead, she claimed.

She said “We should not be a religion-based nation. Everybody has an equal share of citizenship. But, there are forces which do not believe in the Constitution.”

“The social networking sites are being used to spread gossips which in turn flare up communal violence. The mainstream media too is biased about political issues, she charged and alleged that one cannot expect TV?channels, owned by business tycoons, to discuss about drought and the problem of poor labourers and farmers,” she said.

Teesta charged that the police system has been silent over the violence by the majority. Referring to Babri Masjid demolition, she said 3,000 paramilitary men in Ayodhya were mute spectators to the incident and they allowed it to happen.“Even today, several unconstitutional acts are being held in the presence of police which is very sad,” she said.

Interacting with the students, she said the teaching of Bhagavad Gita in schools reflects religion-based ideology of the government. Sociological history should be taught in schools and not religious history, she said.

Regarding restriction for the entry of women to temples, she said that a movement should emerge from the masses to put an end to customs, which prevents women from exercising their rights.

“Amid all this, it is a good development that the young people have started a revolution in the country. The Union government’s move of withdrawing scholarships to research scholars is condemnable. No country has surrendered education to the private sector,” she said.

Citizens Forum for Mangalore Development Convener Vidya Dinker was present.

Comments

Fascist Groups supported divide & rule & took the side of british pre independence. The real colour is showing now at the present age who are still following their rule and oppressing the masses with deception and Lies in our present society.

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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