Poojary takes exception to Anti-Superstition Bill

[email protected] (CD Network)
November 9, 2013

B.-Janardhana-Poojary

Mangalore, Nov 9: The proposed Anti Superstition Bill seems to be gaining opposition within Congress house. In one such reactions, veteran Congress leader B Janardhan Poojary has said that the Bill will affect the religious beliefs of the people of all religions in one way or the other.

“Instead of bringing in one more law it is better if the government contemplates and makes arrangements to effectively implement the existing laws,” said Mr Poojary speaking to reporters on Friday.

“I have already urged Mr Ugrappa to repeal the Bill,” he said adding that if one person's religious belief does not hurt the sentiments of others than there is absolutely no need to prohibit the act.

“The CM has already bagged appreciation from all quarters for his good work. An Anti Superstition Bill has not been spoken about in our manifesto. Hence there is no need to strive in this direction,” he said.

While failing to shed more light on the highlights of the Bill, when asked by a reporter, Mr Poojary said that he is not in possession of the draft of the Bill, and whatever he has opined is based on the reports that he has gathered from the media.

Made Snana is wrong

Commenting on the controversial ritual of'Made Snana' Mr Poojary said that if he was the CM he would have issued section on the same.

“Belief on god is not wrong but rolling over the left over food of somebody in the name of god is wrong,” he said.

Reservation to Brahmins

Commenting that there are economically backward families in all religion and castes, he said that reservation to Brahmins too is justified because there are several economically backward Brahmin families who look at government for help.

Shaadi Bhaagya

Justifying the Shaadi bhaagya scheme of the government, he said that the opposition parties are committing mistake by opposing the scheme.

“The CM has promised to extend the scheme to other religions too. The scheme has been started with Muslims because there are several Muslim families living in desperate situation,” he said

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News Network
December 20,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 20: The Mangaluru City Police have issued a detailed traffic advisory ahead of the inaugural ceremony of Karavali Utsava, which will be held at the Karavali Utsava Ground on Saturday.

The festival will be inaugurated at 6:00 pm by Dakshina Kannada District Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao. Cultural and public programmes will be held at the venue every evening and will continue until January 2.

According to City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy, parking of vehicles is strictly prohibited on both sides of the road from Lalbagh to Karavali Utsava Ground. Visitors are requested to park their vehicles only at designated parking areas.

To help the public, traffic signboards and parking guidance flex boards have been installed along the routes leading to the venue. The police have urged commuters and visitors to follow these instructions to ensure smooth traffic movement.

Designated Parking Locations

•    Urwa Market Ground – Cars
•    Gandhinagar Government School (near Press Club) – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Ladyhill Church parking area – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Canara School Ground, Mannagudda – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Thimmappa Hotel premises – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Scout and Guide Bhavana premises (behind Karavali Utsava Grounds) – Two-wheelers
•    Urwa Market Road – Two-wheelers
•    Hat Hill Road – Two-wheelers

The police have appealed to the public to cooperate by following traffic rules and parking guidelines to avoid inconvenience during the festival.

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News Network
December 7,2025

SHRIMP.jpg

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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