Saving lives is a hobby for members of this Ullal club

June 13, 2012

Shivaji

Ullal, June 13: They call it a hobby, but it's a hobby that has saved many lives. On June 23, 2007, when the Eritrean ship mv Den Den capsized off Thannirbhaviin the city, 20 fishermen resting on the beaches of Ullal jumped into action.

With nothing but their swimming trunks on, the members of Shivaji Jeevarakshaka Eejugarara Sangha (Shivaji Lifeguards Association) swam through choppy waters and reportedly saved or helped save 21 out of 24 sailors on board the vessel.

“The coast guard were present,” said Yeshpal K., one of those involved in the operation, “but, the seas were too rough for them to approach the ship. But, we are used to the currents of the sea, and using our experience, dragged 21 sailors safely to a boat.”

The deed did not go unnoticed by the then Governor T.N. Chaturvedi in Bangalore during the Independence Day celebrations.

Yatish Baikampady, the brain behind setting up lifeguard teams at Panambur beach and who was involved in the Den Den rescue operations, said the sangha and the local fishermen, who comprehend the complex oceanic terrain of the region, played an important role in rescue operations.

The idea

Members of the association said the idea started when senior fishermen in the area rescued people drowning in the sea and lakes nearby around three decades ago. Gradually, an organisation was formed in 1989 aimed at galvanising fishermen for rescue efforts.

More than 60 fishermen, mostly from the Mogaveerupatna area, now enlist themselves as members. However, in 2000, after their activities received funds from local people, the organisation moved from a thatched roof building to a solid concrete building on Ullal beach.

In their sangha office on Ullal beach, the lack of equipment is apparent. Apart from the lack of floating devices, the lack of transistors or walkie-talkies indicates their informal nature. “Sometimes, the Coast Guards or policemen call us. Most times, the villagers who see the person drowning, or beach-goers, inform us,” said Bharath Bangera, a member of the sangha.

“In the last decade, we must have saved more than 300 people. At least once a month, some one or the other is in danger on the beach,” said Kishore Putran, a member.

With a dargah and a temple nearby, Ullal is a popular picnic spot for pilgrims and those from Mangalore.

The seabed starts with a steep incline just a few metres from the breakwater level.

Although swimming is prohibited in the beach, with no police presence on most days, beach-goers tend to flout these rules. Here is when the sangha comes to the rescue.

Armed with nothing but experience, they've gone on to become the guardians of the beach.

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News Network
May 6,2024

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Several women, believed to be victims of Prajwal Revanna, have left their homes in Karnataka's Hassan district over the last ten days, according to media reports.

These departures reportedly come amid fear and stigma after their identities became public due to the circulating video clips showing the women who were allegedly sexually assaulted by Prajwal Revanna.

"The entire district is in H D Revanna’s control. You speak ill about them and chances are high that it will reach them, because the family and the party have a large following," a shopkeeper in Hagare - 20 km from Hassan – was quoted as saying by the news paper. 

Hassan is the bastion of the JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda, and Prajwal, his grandson, is the sitting MP.

The family of the woman whose complaint was the basis of the first FIR against Prajwal has now left their home, the publication reported, citing a neighbour who said, "The woman worked at Revanna’s house as a house help. Some of her videos started to circulate and then, her house was seen locked. We don’t know when she left."

Notably, a former Zilla Panchayat member has also filed a rape case against Prajwal, and in that village many women who worked for the party formerly are now incommunicado, a JD(S) leader told the publication. "We noticed many of the party women deleting their photos with Prajwal on social media. In some instances, men are questioning their wives about their association with the MP. It is shattering the lives of many women in the district," he said.

The local leader added that the former Zilla Panchayat member was there on April 24, but no one had seen the family since the videos came out.

The case is currently being probed by an SIT team and when they reached the Revanna residence, party workers were reportedly heard talking about the women. "I know this woman, she lived close to our residence and was very active in JD(S) activities. Her house is locked… she has small children," one said, as per IE.

Another shopkeeper added, "It was really wrong to reveal the faces of the women. I know some of them, and they have gone into hiding. We don’t know whether they can return."

He noted that it is impossible to survive in Hassan while fighting a case against the Revanna family.

While Prajwal's father, H D Revanna is in SIT custody, a Blue Corner notice has been issued against the sitting MP.

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May 7,2024

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The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) on Monday responded to Karnataka’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) regarding a blue corner notice issued against JDS MP Prajwal Revanna.

In its response, Interpol said that all 196 member countries were alerted to identify and report if Prajwal Revanna is spotted at any port in their jurisdiction.

The Karnataka government issued a Blue Corner Notice on Sunday against Prajwal Revanna, who is facing allegations of sexual abuse by his staff members.

A Blue Corner Notice is issued by the international police cooperation body to collect additional information from its member countries about a person’s identity, location or activities about a crime.

The notice was issued after the 33-year-old Hassan MP reportedly flew to Germany soon after the Karnataka State Commission for Women chairperson Nagalakshmi Chowdhary wrote to the CM to order a probe into the sexual allegations against Prajwal.

Last week, the anticipatory bail application of Prajwal Revanna was also denied by Justice Santosh Gajanana Bhat’s bench of People’s Representative Court in Bengaluru.

Earlier, his MLA father and son of former Prime Minster HD Deve Gowda, HD Revanna was remanded to Karnataka SIT custody in a kidnapping-related sex scandal case.

His arrest came after the kidnapped victim was rescued from Revanna’s close assistant Rajasekhar’s farmhouse in Kalenahalli, Hunsur Taluk after the SIT conducted the rescue operation to find her, the police said.

The abduction case was filed by the son of a woman who worked at the Revannas’ house for nearly five years. He alleged that his mother was kidnapped from her home on April 29 by Satish Babanna a relative of Revanna.

The Karnataka Sex Scandal case pertains to explicit video clips allegedly involving the 33-year-old Prajwal, grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, which went viral on social media.

Those videos began to make rounds in Hassan in recent days, following which the state government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the sexual abuse allegations against the MP.

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News Network
May 4,2024

Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mullai Muhilan MP said that election for the South West Teachers and Graduates constituencies will be held on June 3.

The notification for the same will be issued on May 9. The last date for filing nominations is May 16. The nominations must be submitted to Regional Commissioner in Mysuru and the last date for withdrawal of nomination is May 17.

The counting of votes will be held on June 6.

As of December 30, 2023 there are 6753 voters in DK district in the South West Teachers Constituency out of which 4520 are women. On the other hand, there are 16,869 graduate voters in the district for the South West graduates constituency.

The voters can submit their application for enrollment in electoral list of the South West Teachers and graduates constituency till May 6. The applications can be submitted at Mangaluru City Corporation or all the taluk offices.

Bulk applications can be submitted by Bar Association, Doctors association, Chartered Accountants Association, registered engineers association for the graduates constituency.

Those who are graduates prior to November 11, 2020 can enroll for voters list in the graduates constituency  by submitting Form 18 along with photo copy of marks card, Aadhaar card, voters' identity card and residential address.

For getting oneself enrolled in the teachers constituency voters, an individual should be teaching for minimum three years prior to November 1, 2023 in high school or higher educational institutions.

For the teachers constituency, educational institutions can submit applications in bulk. If wrong details are furnished in these applications, then they will be punishable under Section 31 of Representation of People Act, warned the DC.

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