350 Muslim voters in this Hassan village decide to boycott polls for a graveyard

Agencies
May 2, 2018

Hassan, May 2: Dejected over government’s apathy to grant a land to bury their dead, as many as 85 Muslim families residing in Ramanathapura village of Arkalgud taluk in Hassan district have resolved to boycott the Assembly elections.

The families, with around 350 voters, have been fighting for a burial ground for 10 years. Whenever one of their kin dies, they have to bury the body in neighbouring villages.

The Ramanthapura Jameya Masjid Committee, which met on April 6, took a unanimous decision to boycott the elections. The meeting also took serious exception to Minister for Sericulture and Animal Husbandry A. Manju, MLA for Arkalgud, who had made a promise to grant land for burial ground but failed to keep it.

With no land to bury the dead as per the customs of the religion, the senior members of the community wish to stay put with their children settled in other places, where burial grounds are available. 

Munawar, president of the committee, said that in the past 10 years 15 people from the community have died. “Whenever a person died, we prayed that the residents of neighbouring villages would allow us to bury them. How long should we continue to be at the mercy of other villagers?” he asked.

There have been times when neighbouring villagers have refused to allow them to use their burial grounds. The 80-year-old Saidubi died in 2011 and her family had to request residents of the neighbouring village of Konanuru to bury her. But the villagers refused. Her relatives subsequently staged a protest with the dead body in front of the office of the Revenue Department. The taluk administration intervened and pacified the protesters by assuring them of suitable land and allowed the final rites to be held.

Comments

Abdullah
 - 
Thursday, 3 May 2018

Yes, i fully agree with Mr. on his advice to Muslims not to boycot the election.   BJP wants either wasting of Muslim votes by casting to unwanted parties or not to vote.   Your boycotting electin may help communal party.  Hence please cast your vote to Congress and i hope Congress will do something this time.  Congress should consider request of these villages and allot a land to bury their deads.   Rejecting demands of people may be costlier to congress.   Just promise will not solve the issue.  We need firm action.   Its Govt job to fulfil demands of public and help them.   YOu are being elected by the people and you should serve them.    hope the villages will think wisely and will not help communal party to be benefitted.

MR
 - 
Thursday, 3 May 2018

Dear Muslim brothers

If you Boycott the election BJP will win.  If BJP wins, your land and your life will be in danger.

So be smart and vote for Congress.

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
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.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 3,2025

arrival.jpg

Mangaluru, Dec 3: A group of Congress workers gathered at the Mangaluru International Airport on Wednesday to welcome AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, but the reception quickly turned into a display of support for Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

Venugopal arrived in the city to participate in the centenary commemoration of the historic dialogue between Mahatma Gandhi and Narayana Guru. The event, organised by the Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala, in association with the Mangalore University Sri Narayana Guru Study Chair, is being held on the university’s Konaje campus.

KPCC general secretary Mithun Rai and several party workers had assembled at the airport to receive Venugopal. However, the moment he stepped out, workers began raising slogans backing Shivakumar.

The university programme will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

This show of support comes just a day after Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar would lead the government “when the high command decides.” The chief minister made the comment after a breakfast meeting at Shivakumar’s residence—another public display of camaraderie between the two leaders amid ongoing attempts by the party high command to downplay their leadership rivalry.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.