After introducing series of hi-tech facilities for lawyers and the litigants, the Karnataka High Court has added yet another first to its credit in the Indian judiciary. It is all set to introduce Wi-Fi, local area wireless technology on its premises. Recently it had introduced two mobile applications on trial basis for android phones, which can be downloaded through the official website of the high court, aimed at enabling users to get instant access to some links of the official website.
Following various such hi-tech facilities including computer touch screen kiosk systems installed on the high court premises, which allows to check the current status of various ongoing judicial proceedings, the state judiciary had also introduced online display board system for netizens to keep themselves updated over the cases status of all the court halls, both at Principal Bench in Bengaluru and also at the two circuit benches.
The advocates’ association had requested the Chief Justice for the Wi-Fi facilities on the high court premises, who after placing it before a committee headed by him had forwarded it to the Registrar General. The state government was later pressed for taking it forward. The e-department of the state government, which has already examined the case, initiated the process for e-tendering to install Wi-Fi system at the high court. According to the advocates’ association, the entire process is expected to be completed in not more than six to seven months.
Recently, all the court halls in the high court have been fully air-conditioned to beat the summer heat.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / DC Correspondent / August 09th, 2014
The State Government on Wednesday announced Mohare Hanumantharaya and TSR awards (2012 and 2013) for senior Journalists.
Star of Mysore and Mysooru Mithra Editor-in-Chief K.B. Ganapathy (KBG) has been selected for the prestigious Mohare Hanumantharaya award for 2013 while Nirbheetha Editor Raghavendra Joshi of Belgaum bagged the award for 2012. Joshi was earlier serving as Editor of Nadoja Kannada newspaper published from Belgaum.
Senior Journalists N. Arjun Deva and Eshwar Daithota (P.S. Eshwar Bhat) have been selected for TSR award for 2012 and 2013 respectively.
The selection committee headed by retired High Court Judge Arali Nagaraj and comprising P. Ramaiah and Jayaram, both former Chiefs of Bureau of The Hindu and Dr. R. Poornima, former Editor of Udyavani as members, has chosen these senior journalists in recognition of their contribution to Journalism.
Both awards carry a purse of Rs. one lakh each and a citation.
CM Siddharamaiah will present the awards at a function to be held at Bangalore in October.
About the awards
While TSR Award recognises life-time achievement in the field of Journalism, Mohare Hanumantharaya Award is in recognition of setting up of a Kannada newspaper and dedication to its growth.
Both the above awards given every year by the Karnataka Information and Publicity Department carry Rs. one lakh cash reward.
Late T.S. Ramachandra Rao (TSR), as the Editor of Prajavani, was famous for his column Choobaana.
Late Mohare Hanumantharaya was a freedom fighter from Bijapur district. After working as the Sub-Editor and Editor of Karnataka Vaibhava weekly in Bijapur, he joined Samyukta Karnataka as Editor and later became its Managing Editor. He started Kannada’s first digest Kasturi in 1956.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / August 07th, 2014
With 25 years of experience, this doctor has established herself as one of the city’s foremost IVF experts. She recounts her early days
Dr Kamini Rao (60), Medical director of Milann- The Fertility Centre
When Dr Kamini Rao headed to Bangalore after 10 years in the UK, armed with degrees in gynaecology, pediatrics and in vitro fertilisation (IVF), not everyone was as gung ho as her. It was 1990. Even as naysayers suggested that she settle down in Mumbai or Delhi, she insisted that she would not test the waters with just her feet. “I knew I wanted to take the plunge,” she says about her vision — to make in vitro fertilisation a reality in India.
In fact, even her father, Dr PR Desai, who was Bangalore’s first male gynecologist, expressed concern. “He told me I was going to be experimenting in an over-populated country,” she recalls. Nonetheless, he gave her a building on rent — within the now Dr P R Desai Hospital (previously known as Desai Nursing Home) at Kumara Krupa Road — to start her practice. Armed with a loan of Rs 35 lakh from Karnataka State Finance Corporation and a single incubator, she began operations.
It wasn’t easy. “When the incubator broke down, six weeks would go by without anything happening,” she says. She often slept in the room next to the incubator, and spent sleepless nights fretting over all that she had taken for granted in the UK. Adapting to the Indian environment after a break of 10 years, she found herself grappling with problems of pollution and electricity shortage. “I had to teach the staff how to scrub the floor. That’s because embryos are very sensitive to dust and will not fertilise,” she says. It was a nightmare for the doctor when the power went off and the incubator had to run on the generator. “I even used to import water from the United Kingdom,” she reveals. “I was trying to establish myself and deal with a medico-socio problem at that point in time, without making any money.”
Her first big break came at the end of 1990 when the first IVF pregnancy was successful. In February 1991, the number became six. In October the same year, she found herself beaming when three boys and three girls were born. Today, the staff of five has gone up to 215, and her success rate has gone up from 10 per cent to over 50 per cent. The biggest satisfaction is when people come up to her saying that they light a candle in their house and remember her. “Some of those I “saw” as an embryo are now in medical and engineering college. Often they come up and call me ‘Mamma’,” she says, gratified.
Today, she has four centres in the city — at Indiranagar, Koramanagala, Jayanagar and MS Ramaiah College. Last month, she opened a centre in Delhi while she is currently working on two others — one in Dubai and another in Ahmedabad. Besides, she also runs a two-year programme — Fellowship in Reproductive Medicine. “My students are all over the country,” she beams.
Even with several competitors, Rao only looks at bettering her own record.
source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Columns> Work / by Vidya Iyengar, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / Augutu 02nd, 2014
Errant rainfall, lack of proper government policies and general ignorance resulted in the Great Famine of 1867-68. S Narendra Prasad looks back in time and deconstructs the misery and loss that affected a major part of South India.
The Great Famine of 1867-68 was a famine that befell many parts of southern and western India, before it spread to the north. Various reasons – social, economic, geographic and climatic have been attributed to the cause of this famine.
Two years prior to the first signs of famine in 1876, there was heavy rainfall in Bangalore and Kolar districts. This had destroyed ragi crops. The following year, there was only scanty rainfall and in some areas, it was much below the average rainfall due to which, by the end of 1875, most of the tanks had dried up. This highly affected the cultivation of paddy and other crops.
C B Saunders succeeded R A Dalyell as the Commissioner of India during the time. It was during the regime of Saunders, that the famine was tackled. Since the famine had occurred in most regions of the Deccan, it had severe repercussions at all levels, even in Mysore. Loss in human population
In his address on October 7, 1881, in the Dasara Representative Assembly at Mysore, C Rangacharlu, the Dewan, put forth the losses incurred.
The address read as follows: “A general census was taken on the night of the February 17 under careful arrangements. The results which are being tabulated in great detail will furnish interesting statistics when completed. The population as returned by this census numbers 41,82,000 and shows a loss of 8,74,000 as compared with the census taken in 1871, but, allowing for the usual rate of increase in the intermediate good years, the loss of population by famine may be assumed to be fully a million or 20 per cent.”
Along with the loss in population, a great portion of livestock perished. Cattle, especially milching cows and bullocks starved to death due to lack of fodder. The procurement and marketing of crops declined and there was also a steep fall in the supply of food crops from neighbouring regions which were also famine-stricken.
According to statistics found in the government records during the fiscal years of 1874-75, Rs 109 lakh was collected as revenue. But during 1876-77, it stood at Rs 82 lakh and at Rs 69 lakh during 1877-78. And during 1880-81, it crossed the 10 million mark.
Relief measures
To tackle famine-related problems, the administration used all its machineries. For instance, it opened famine relief kitchens to feed people, whose numbers began to swell in towns, especially Bangalore.
The small town of Bangalore became a heaven for the huge influx of people who migrated for food and work from other parts of the state. These people were engaged in civil works and in turn were paid in grains. Around 20,000 migrants were employed for construction of the Bangalore-Mysore railway line.
The government gave its permission for grazing of cattles in forests, which resulted in a man-animal conflict. New tanks were constructed and renovation and repair of old tanks were also taken up in a war footing manner.
Large quantities of grains were imported from the neighbouring Madras Presidency. Separate officials were appointed to distribute the stock. Since the famine related conditions were same in major regions in the Deccan, the severity alarmed the officials in Calcutta. As a result of this, a separate Commissionerate with attached officials was created to supervise the famine relief works in Mysore.
The famine commissioner
The increase, both in the loss of human population and the death of livestock alarmed the government. Initially, Sir Richard Temple was sent as special Commissioner to begin the early relief works.
The visit of Lord Lytton to Mysore State in September 1878 resulted in the deputation of several experienced officials from other parts of British India. Hence came in Elliot who took over as Famine Commissioner. Surveyors, engineers and suboverseers were appointed to channelise famine relief work.
The statistics, related famine relief works and their outcomes are to be found in The Report on the History of Mysore Famine, 1876-1878. The report was submitted to the government. This report is considered to be of much historical value as it throws light on the different dimensions of the famine and its effects.
Likewise, the administrative reports published by the Government of Mysore annually starting from 1870 onwards are also extremely informative and valuable.
Consequences
The census figures in Mysore during later years showed an increase in population figures. The state incurred a debt of Rs 80 lakh. In Mysore, the famine severely retarded the agricultural process.
It reflected upon the gradual commercialisation of agriculture, increase in agriculture debt and the hand-to-mouth existence of nearly 40 per cent of the peasants in Mysore.
Inconsistency in the affairs of administration and in delayed tactics adopted to tackle the famine caused more concern. Added to this, the officialdom and the apathy of bureaucracy aggravated the situation.
But, looking at the second half of 19th century in India, many major famines have occurred after the 1860s. But Madras, Bombay, Mysore and Hyderabad regions which were affected by this great disaster had to wait for years to get over these setbacks and cope with the situation.
The Dewan in his speech in the 1881 Dasara Representative Assembly admitted, “As you are aware, the conditions of the Province has been very much affected by the great calamity which recently struck us. The ruinous effects of the famine are so fresh in your minds that I need not dwell on them.
It will suffice for me to say that it cost the state 160 lakhs of rupees. It also involved the government in a debt of Rs 80 lakh and withal deprived the province of a million of it. It also adversely affected the population and crippled its resources for years to come.”
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Spectrum / S. Narendra Prasad / DHNS – August 05th, 2014
Dr. Thomas Chandy has a collection of over 400 musical instruments from around the globe.
Meeting Dr. Thomas Chandy is not easy. The chance to see the orthopaedic surgeon’s collection of over 400 musical instruments was cancelled twice as the good doctor is called away for emergency operations. Finally when we do meet up, the musician-doctor takes us through his collection, which is arresting not just for its variety, but also for the insight it offers into Dr. Chandy’s interests. Walking through his house, is like stepping back in time.
A range of antique swords are on the ground floor and a host of musical instruments, including an ancient harp, occupy vantage points in his drawing room.
“I would advise everyone to be associated with music from a young age,” says Dr. Chandy, who first sang in a church choir when he was barely seven. He was later trained to play the guitar, saxophone and the piano. “Learning an instrument is a bonus for surgeons. Like musicians, brain-eye-hand co-ordination is vital for us.”
Dr. Chandy is Chairman and Managing Director of HOSMAT, and has done 30,000 operations in 30 years. After graduating from St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore, he moved to the U.S. in 1976 for his residency and returned to India in 1993 to start an orthopaedic, neuro and accident-trauma hospital.
“I am spiritual and worship my music,” says Dr. Chandy as he leads us into the humidity-controlled space that houses his instruments. Neatly stacked and labelled, he picks up each to play and explain. As he plucks on the strings of the harpsichord, he explains that it usually has two keyboards with two or more strings for each note. The concert harp and the 100-year-old lute from Germany have their sounds intact.
The U.S-based Society of Musical Instrument Collectors has recognised his collection as the biggest in Asia. Amongst his priced possessions are the South American Marimba (a large wooden percussion instrument with resonators;) a pedal steel guitar, a Steinway piano; a vibraphone; the stringed Chinese koto and the oldest 14th century keyboard clavichord from Germany. “I also made an electric guitar while I was in PUC.”
Thomas Chandy. Photo: Bhagya Prakash K. / The Hindu
Plucking on the psaltery that looks a giant violin, the doctor says: “I have nearly 70 guitars, more than a dozen saxophones and western flutes, several clarinets and host of percussion instruments including drums, marimba, xylophone and the Indonesian Anklung.”
Dr. Chandy, is a jazz vocalist, and heads the 14-year-old ensemble, Jazz Revival Band. The deep-toned native Australian Didgeridoo is an aboriginal wind musical instrument that looks like a straight wooden trumpet. Dr. Chandy remembers the instrument being confiscated by airport authorities as it looked like a missile!
He has travelled 15 times around the globe for his instruments that are from the U.S., Africa, China, Japan, S. America and Europe. Growing up in a family interested in music, young Thomas was warned by his strict father that music could be pursued, but not at the cost of studies. St. Germain High School at Frazer Town provided opportunities for weekly jam sessions at 3 Aces and Gaylords restaurants. “The pocket-money we earned made us enjoy our singing much more,” says Chandy, who nurtured his vocals and tried his hand on the guitar during his college days at St. Joseph’s College days. “Being part of music groups helped me develop team-spirit apart from being noticed by girls!”
Chandy moved from rock to folk music during his third year at St. John’s Medical College forming the Barbershop Harmony group. Later moving over to the U.S. was a boon not just for his post-graduate studies, but for his formal study of Western music at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music in New York. On his return to India, Dr. Chandy joined the Bangalore School of Music and built the Cecilian Choir. “Music is therapeutic and invigorating.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / by Ranjam Govind / Bangalore – August 05th, 2014
Whitefield’s history dates back to 1882 when David Emmanuel Starkenburgh White decided to set up ‘a self sufficient Anglo-Indian village’.
Whitefield – what kind of images would this name evoke? most likely IT – a glass and steel building, the Technology Park or maybe even the Sai Baba Ashram, anything but a village. Well, Whitefield or rather the old settlement of that name certainly qualifies as a village and a lost one at that.
I first visited the old settlement more than a year ago in connection with another research project and was fascinated by its circular planning and wished to know more about its history. My starting point was of course, Lewis Rice’s 1887 Mysore Gazette. In it he describes Whitefield as, ‘the principal of the Eurasian and Anglo-Indian settlements in the east of Bangalore taluq’, named after D S White…‘it is 2 miles south of the railway station of the same name and 12 miles east of Bangalore’. I pursued my interest a bit further and finally with the aid of Indian National Trust For Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) the first phase of my research into tracing the origin and evolution of the settlement is nearly complete.
The view of Whitefield from Kaolin Hill, with new high rise buildings in the distance./ Pic: Meera K
Whitefield’s history goes back to 1882 when David Emmanuel Starkenburgh White decided to set up ‘a self sufficient Anglo-Indian village, one where everyone would work towards the common good and no man would own property. White, himself an Anglo-Indian, was founder and first president of the Anglo-Indian Association of Madras and instrumental in setting up the Coorg and Mysore branch. This branch petitioned the Government on behalf of the Association for land and was granted nearly 4000 acres of it by the Maharaja of Mysore on ‘very favourable terms’! White’s vision was that the settlers would take to agriculture and gradually develop into a community of self sustaining farmers.
Ten years after its establishment, the 1897 edition of the Gazette states that, ‘as of 1889 the settlement had 25 families of which 6 were non-resident, numbered 115 people in total, 12 cottages built on the village site and 14 farmhouses built on the surrounding land. It mentions ‘a Roman Catholic Chapel and parsonage, a Protestant Church and parsonage under construction, a school with 31 pupils with residence for the Head-master and wife, who assisted him in the teaching’.
So did the idea of a farming village succeed? There appears to have been doubts about this even way back then. At the least, did any physical remains of the village survive? Yes and no, but first, the route to get us to the place. When I visit the settlement, I prefer to drive past International Tech Park, Bangalore (ITPB), take a right turn at Hope Farm junction, go past the Coffee Day and turn right onto the road opposite the Reliance Fresh outlet and there you are! Why this route, well, the stretch from Hope Farm to the settlement was also the historical route when you could ‘arrange for a bullock cart or tonga for 8 annas to get you to the settlement from the railway station of the same name’. In the late 1800s you had to write to Rose White to make arrangements for the same but today I guess you can make it on your own steam.
Further, you would be following the footsteps of a number of historical visitors including Lord Connemara, who visited the place in 1890, when he was the Governor of Madras. It is written that he rode on horseback and stopped at the pass between Kaolin Hill on the right and Hamilton Hill on the left to get his first view of the settlement in the valley below. Kaolin Hill still survives as part of the Roman Catholic Church property, housing the Stations of the Cross, while its opposite number has been cut up for some development (probably apartments).
Inside the Memorial church, Whitefield. / Pic: Meera K
Moving on, the road you turn onto abuts the Memorial Church property – the original Protestant Church, which is still pretty much as it was originally. The road leads to a central circular open area, currently sub-divided into a park and a playground. This central area was the original ‘village green’ with the village pond to one side, which was filled up sometime in the early 2000’s and replaced with a concrete ornamental fountain! Thus regularly flooding all the houses on the low lying side of the settlement, where earlier all the storm water was diverted into the pond in a planned manner. Margaret Lunel, a long time resident, remembers dangling her feet in the muddy water of the pond while sitting on a tree branch that spread right across it. The pond held other memories too and briefly the Memorial Church organ! But that’s another story.
J E Giddens, probably one of the oldest residents, who has been here since the 1930s, remembers that the central ‘village green’ was overgrown with lantanas and jackals and hyenas would roam through it, where kids now play cricket.
As you walk along the Inner Circle road you would be struck by the contrasting picture it presents. To one side most of the old bungalows have been knocked down, the plots sub-divided and apartment blocks towering well above the treeline have come up. While, further along the same stretch you could still imagine yourself in the past as tall mature trees continue to shade the avenue and the large plots with their bungalows set right back. These bungalows are generally characterised by their symmetry, a driveway leading to a covered porch, verandah and living areas beyond, all roofed with Mangalore tiles on timber trusses.
However, few of these bungalows remain and the ones that do have generally been altered one way or another. White, visiting today would not be able to recognise the place. In a little more than one hundred years his Utopia – a self sufficient village has transformed into an upmarket suburb of the city, one that generally does not recognise the existence of this unique enclave – the price of ill planned urbanisation. Thankfully, memories remain unaltered and some very long ones abound in the settlement, each linked to an interesting anecdote.
Paul D Souza, who lives in one of the few remaining bungalows, swears the tree stump in his garden was the one Winston Churchill used to tether his horse when he came to the Inn in Whitefield to court Rose Hamilton, the Inn Keeper’s daughter! (A telephone pole fell on the tree stump and brought it down. Paul rescued the stump from the Inn garden before it became firewood. The Inn still stands).
One of the residences, which was once Waverly Inn, where Winston Churchill stayed. . Pic: Meera K.
Further, close to the RC Church where now stand villas, once stood some rocks with the initials WC and RH carved within a heart! These rocks were blasted to make way for the villas.
Whether you believe these stories of the intangible heritage of Whitefield, the stories that are related by people with the ability to transport you back in time.
Development is inevitable especially in a locality like Whitefield with its present day ‘desirable tag’. So should we be happy to just live with these memories or should we make some efforts to retain the last vestiges of tangible heritage as well?
However, as long as legislation does not exist to protect heritage, tangible or otherwise, coupled with present day demand for rapid urbanisation and lack of public cooperation, you will only be left with stories, which again will only remain as long as the story teller.
Krupa Rajangam, Architect specialised in Heritage Conservation from the internationally reputed University of York, UK, principal ‘Saythu…linking people and places’. Krupa is interested in the adaptive re-use of places and makes time for her research interest in the role of community in conservation.
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www.bangalore.citizenmatters.in / Citizen Matters, Bangalore / Home> Features> Whitefield> / by Krupa Rajangam / March 04th, 2010
Even in the highly commercialised old Pete area of Bangalore, there remain some pockets of greenery that provide some fresh air to the locality. How did they survive? Here’s a study that explores reasons.
A sacred fig tree used as a place of worship. Pic: currentconservation.org
It is a common sight to see a tree protruding onto a pavement, often onto the street and sometimes even acting as a divider in the centre of the road. These are trees that have survived the axe-happy city-planning authorities just by their nature of being classified culturally as Sacred Trees.
Divya Gopal, Harini Nagendra elaborate on the importance of these trees and the reasons they have survived the onslaught of development in the city, in an article, Sacred trees in the urban landscape of Bangalore, India, published in Current Conservation, Maria Tengö.
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About the authors
Maria Tengö is a researcher at Stockholm Resilience Centre and co-theme leader of the Stewardship theme. Divya Gopal is a researcher at the Institute of Ecology, Technische Universität, Berlin. Harini Nagendra is Professor at School of Development, Azim Premji University, Bangalore.
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Sacred trees include sacred fig or peepal (Ficus religiosa), neem tree (Azadirachta indica), coconut tree (Cocos nucifera), banyan (Ficus benghalensis), Indian blackberry (Syzygium cumini), banni (Prosopis cineraria) and bael (Aegle marmelos). These trees are found around temples, heritage sites or the Ashwath Kattes and often as a single tree or group of trees on roadsides and other areas.
Sacred figs are tall, with huge trunk areas and large canopies. One can see sacred figs growing even in crevices of buildings! They have many medicinal properties and are biodiversity hotspots nurturing insects, birds, squirrels, bats and monkeys.
What is Ashwatha Katte?
The Ashwath Katte is an area with a slightly raised platform, generally with sacred fig (Ficus religiosa) and neem tree (Azadirachta indica) planted together under which one often finds idols of serpent gods. Other sacred species, specifically the Ficus species, may also be found in a Katte.
The authors had done a sample survey to map the tree cover of the Pete in Bengaluru – the quadrangle from Town Hall to Briand Square to Tank Bund Road to Avenue Road. Established in the 16th century, the Pete was the city centre and hub of commercial commercial activity that was interlaid with residential layouts. Today the Pete that has undergone several political, social, economic and geographic changes appears congested to us. However a small numbers of trees were found to be surviving – most of them sacred trees, predominantly sacred figs forming tiny islands of green!
Places of urban greenery remaining in old Bangalore Pete area. Pic: currentconservation.org
Slum settlements were other areas where there was a large presence of sacred trees, here the area around the trees were multifunctional in nature. In addition to being worshipped these were hotspots of social activities, livelihood activities like selling flowers and vegetables and the canopies were playgrounds for children.
The article also elaborates on the importance, biodiversity values, cultural and religious beliefs and medicinal values around the various sacred trees, that maybe the reason they have survived in the city. For example, peepal tree is a symbol of fertility among the majority of locals.
Clue for BBMP on greening the city?
As the city continues to lose its green cover and the authorities take up greening drives, wrong choices of trees are often made. However, sacred trees, heritage trees and other culturally protected trees have so far managed to resist the pressures of urbanisation.
As the authors point out, these examples can help BBMP learn how to design parks and green spaces that engage people in their protection and management – for a ‘green infrastructure’ of trees, parks, and other green spaces is required to sustain our well-being.
Cultural ecosystems across the world are some of the best-protected areas, securing biodiversity values as well as spiritual and other cultural values for humans. If we can recognise such values and practices that protect trees, we can better secure pockets of nature!
Mysore District Rifle Association (MDRA) conducted its first .177 Air Rifle Shooting Competition on July 19-20.
M.S.R Sagar emerged as the winner in senior men’s category. He was followed by D. Punith Kumar and B.G. Den Thimaiah.
In junior men’s category Deeraj Prabhu won the first prize. While, M. Harshith Kuttappa emerged runner up. Neeraj Belliappa emerged victorious in sub junior men’s category. While, T.P. Gagan and Athish Aaj secured second and third place respectively.
In senior women’s category, S. Raksha won the first prize, while, Sheethal and Geetha secured second and third place respectively.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports l News / July 30th, 2014
Arjun Ranga (third from left) and Pavan Ranga (extreme right), partners of NR Group receiving the Franchisee Certificate for Mysore KPL team from KSCA President Ashok Anand at an event held in KSCA Bangalore this morning. Also seen is KSCA Treasurer Dayanand Pai.
Mysore :
Strengthening its continuous endorsement of the game of cricket, City’s Cycle Pure Agarbathies, world’s largest incense sticks manufacturer and part of the Mysore-based NR Group, announced that they have won the franchisee for the Mysore team in the upcoming Karnataka Premier League (KPL) 2014.
Announcing the win, Arjun Ranga, Partner, NR Group said, “We are extremely delighted to have won the franchisee for the Mysore team. Apart from Mysore players, the team will be a platform to promote grassroot talent from the region. It will have young upcoming cricketers from Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, Nanjangud, T. Narsipur, Hassan and Mandya districts.”
“Apart from winning the tournament, our vision is to ensure that in the next 3-5 years at least 2 players from the team should be making it to the national cricketing arena. With continuous support from the mentors and public, we are confident that we will be able to reach there,” added Arjun Ranga.
Pavan Ranga, Partner, NR Group, was also present.
Modelled on the lines of IPL, the T20 tournament is organised by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and will witness competition between eight teams representing six cities.
Started in 2009, the Karnataka Premier League is now in its third season, which will be held from August 23 to September 13. The first phase of the tournament will be held in Hubli and will be followed by Bangalore. The finals will be held in Mysore on September 13.
KPL renamed Wadiyar KPL
The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) will name Karnataka Premier League (KPL) after its former KSCA President Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar who initially put forward the idea to start the KPL.
Wadiyar was keen to revive the KPL which was stopped after two editions. With the sudden demise of Wadiyar after a month of being elected as KSCA President, the KSCA authorities decided to name the tournament after its former President.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / July 30th, 2014
PASSION Propels Archana Kamath to achieve more. Photo: Shreedutta Chidananda
Archana Kamath, the reigning national sub-junior table tennis champion, is set for greater things
There’s a spontaneity about young Archana Kamath that is endearing. It is fear, she says, quoting Vivekananda impromptu, that brings misery, death, and evil.
“And what causes fear? Ignorance of our own nature.” As a devout student of the Swami’s teachings, this spirit she has embraced fully, Archana says; it is how she plays her table tennis and does much else: with freedom.
The 14-year-old is the reigning National Sub-Junior table tennis champion (the first to emerge from Karnataka since B.M. Ashwini in 1999) and finished 2013 as the state’s top-ranked player in four age-groups (Sub-Junior, Junior, Youth, and Women). Last year, out of the 42 competitions Archana entered across categories, she made the final in 40. And won 32.
“I feel no pressure about delivering results,” she says. “I enjoy playing. I just go and play and come back. I ask my mother if she is happy with my effort. If she says yes, that’s good enough for me.” Against older, taller, stronger opponents (and it must be noted that a girl of 18 holds a massive physical advantage over one of 14) there is no fear whatsoever.
“My approach is that I have nothing to lose. They, on the other hand, don’t want to lose to a small girl.”
For all the abandon that it appears Archana wields the paddle with, she is driven by a fervid devotion to the game. Her day begins by 6 a.m., with fitness work squeezed in before school, and winds down after some five hours of training . Her coach at the Cantonment Rail Club, Bona Thomas John, calls her focus and work ethic “brilliant”.
It is Thursday and he tells a story from this morning, when the evening’s training was brought forward on account of the bandh. “Archana was one of the last to leave and she came up and asked me what time to report in the evening. That’s the kind of girl she is.”
At tournaments, Archana has her mother tape her matches, to be reviewed later. At the China Junior and Cadet Open Table Tennis Championships in Taicang last month, where she finished a creditable ninth in the Cadet singles event, Archana filmed Chinese players she was impressed by. “It’s just so great watching them,” she gushes. “The amount they train, it seems as if they have 48 hours each day.”
The stated absence of pressure from any quarter is due, in no small part, to the atmosphere her ophthalmologist parents – Girish and Anuradha Kamath – have enabled. “It’s only her passion for the game that keeps her going,” says Anuradha, who gave up her practice three years ago to support her daughter’s blossoming table tennis career. “It is she that asks me to take her to practice. She’s making us do what she wants – not the other way round.”
It’s an important distinction. Her school, Poorna Prajna Education Centre (Sadashivanagar), where Archana is a class nine student, has also been hugely supportive, Anuradha says. “We know how much of a difference this makes.”
Archana started playing as a nine-year-old, when her parents installed a table in the basement of their RMV Extension home. She improved in a hurry, winning in just over a year’s time an under-12 state-level tournament.
Her subsequent rise has been nothing short of staggering; it has pleased although not surprised Anuradha. “One thing I can say is that she gives 100 per cent of her attention to anything she does, whether it is academics or table tennis. Sometimes when I watch her at the table, I can’t believe she is a 14-year-old. She’s so focussed.”
The future looks undeniably gilded but there is still a long way to go. “We must not forget,” reminds Bona, “that she’s only 14.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Shreedutta Chidananda / Bangalore – August 03rd, 2014
