Thousands throng Kalam's home in Rameswaram

July 29, 2015

Rameswaram, Jul 29: Thousands of people gathered here on Wednesday awaiting the body of former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, emotions running high that a humble boy from this coastal town who rose to great heights had passed away.

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Crowds massed at Kalam's family house to pay their last respects, some unable to hold back their tears. Officials said Kalam's body would land in Madurai and then be flown by helicopter to Rameswaram.

Many locals were unable to accept the passing away of one of India's most popular presidents, who was born and raised in this Hindu pilgrim centre.

"People in large numbers have assembled at Kalam's house to pay their last respects," A.P.J.M.K. Sheik Saleem, the former president's brother's grandson, told reporters. "All our relatives have also come to attend the last rites," he added.

Rameswaram is located around 600 km from Chennai.

Kalam was born in Rameswaram on October 15, 1931 and died in Shillong on Monday after suffering a cardiac arrest during a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management.

It was in this town that Kalam hawked newspapers to supplement his family income in his younger years. His father owned a boat, and his mother constantly struggled to keep the family fed and clothed.

His sister pawned jewellery with a moneylender so that the studious Kalam could have Rs.600 when he decided to leave Rameswaram to join the Madras Institute of Technology.

Saleem said Kalam's body would be kept at a location near the town's main bus stand to enable people to pay their last respects.

"Public can pay their homage till 8 p.m. after which the body will be taken to his house on Mosque Street," he said.

According to Saleem, the last rites will be performed around 10.30 a.m. on Thursday.

Rameshwaram resident A. Johnson told media persons: "Kalam was Rameswaram's gift to the world. It is sad that the gift has left us."

Added Inoja, another resident: "There are no words to express my feelings. I am still not able to believe that Kalam is no more. I feel like crying."

S. Muthunambu, yet another resident, said in a choking voice: "I am unable to accept his death. Kalam had come to our school. He stressed that we all should study hard."

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said the government had allotted land for burying Kalam's mortal remains at the request of his family.

Security has been tightened at Rameswaram in view of the large number of people, including ministers and others, who are expected to attend Kalam's last rites.

Hoteliers told that all the rooms in major hotels had been booked for two days.

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News Network
May 10,2024

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A day after National Commission for Women said no woman from Hassan approached the national body to file complaints against Karnataka MP Prajwal Revanna, a new FIR accusing BJP leader Devaraje Gowda of abusing and assaulting a woman has come to light.

The FIR against Gowda was filed by a woman at the Holenarasipura town police station on April 1, after her husband had filed a complaint against the BJP leader on March 30. 

The purported victim's husband has alleged in his plaint that Gowda barged into their home, and threatened the couple while the BJP leader also abused the woman.

Gowda, notably, flagged Prajwal Revanna's case to the saffron party.

Reacting to the allegations levelled against him, the BJP politico posted a video on Facebook where he details how he met the woman and her husband in his office. He also claims that the allegations against him are a plot and false.

It must be noted here that a Special Investigation Team is currently probing the sexual assault cases against Prajwal Revanna who along with his driver Karthik is no longer in the country. A Blue Corner notice is also in place to apprehend the son of H D Revanna who himself is placed under judicial custody till May 14.

In a major twist to the entire case— the woman in the FIR alleged that Devaraje Gowda who apprised BJP of the sex videos involving Prajwal Revanna— has been harassing her for the past 10 months under the guise of helping her sell a property.

The woman also said that she came in contact with Gowda during the process involving the property that she wanted to sell. However, on the pretext of guiding her, the woman alleged that the whistleblower BJP leader physically assaulted and harassed her while Gowda also threatened the couple.

The woman has now sought police protection for herself and family. Further levelling allegations against Gowda in her plaint, she said that the politico had taken her to an isolated place where he assaulted her and threatened to kill the couple.

Former chief minister of Karnataka and Prajwal Revanna's uncle H D Kumaraswamy recently demanded a CBI probe in the Prajwal Revanna matter. However, Home Minister G Parameshwara turned down the demand for the investigation to be handed over to CBI.

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News Network
May 7,2024

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Udupi: Udupi became the second city on the Karnataka coast after Mangaluru to launch water rationing, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Commissioner of the Udupi City Municipal Corporation Rayappa said that the rationing system will come into force from Wednesday and will continue till the water in the reservoir reaches comfortable levels.

The dam built across the Swarna river at a place called Baje, which is the only source of water for Udupi city, recorded 3.25 meters of water as against the top level of 6.30 meters.

The decision of water rationing will be reviewed periodically until the reservoir regains its fullest levels, the official said.

The Mangaluru City Corporation resorted to water rationing on Saturday following declining water levels in the reservoir built across the Nethravati river at Thumbe. 

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News Network
May 10,2024

Mangaluru: A teenage boy from a remote village in Dakshina Kannada district, who was undergoing treatment for stomach pain for past few days, breathed his last after hospitalization. 

The deceased has been identified as Nithin Kumar, 19, who had completed PUC and was attending computer classes. 

According to police, on May 4, when he informed his family that he had been suffering from a stomach-ache for the past 4-5 days, his family members took him to a clinic in Kaniyoor.

The doctors who examined him advised him to undergo scanning. He was informed about a kidney stone and later, they returned home. That same night, he suffered from stomach-ache again and was rushed to a private hospital in Puttur.

On May 7, as per doctors’ advice, he was discharged around 12:45pm. However, when he came home around 2:30pm, he again suffered from stomach-ache and was taken to another private hospital in Puttur, where doctors conducted a surgery.

On Wednesday, as per doctors’ advice, he was asked to be shifted to Mangaluru for better treatment.

He visited a private hospital in Derakatte, where doctors suggested that he be shifted to government Wenlock Hospital.

The doctors who examined him at the Wenlock Hospital declared him dead. A case has been registered at the Bellare police station, and an investigation is on.

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