Rishikesh

Bangalore: India’s IT city may take pride in its image of India’s futuristic city. But its hinterlands seem to rest in the stone ages. In villages less than 100 km from Bangalore, widows are bought and sold. The practice is still common among the pig -rearing Kunchalu Koracha or Handi Koracha community. The centuries old `Ruka’ practice persists among the community that dwells in taluks on the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border. Women thus sold, are used as bonded labourers to rear pigs or make brooms. They are also made to run errands, wash dishes or clothes or take up baby -sitting. What is interesting is that similar rules do not apply to men who are widowed. The custom is treated as sacred and few victims protest. What is Ruka? It is a practice opposed to dowry. During marriage, a bunch of coins tied in a piece of cloth is given to the bride to keep for life. This is treated as a solemn promise from her that she would serve her husband and in -laws for life. This provides her parents ...

Pavagad (Tumkur district): This is the story of a woman with courage who took on the establishment and fought for self -respect. Nagamma, a woman from the Handi Koracha community, was born in Pavagada in Tumkur district. At the age of 14, she was married to Narayanappa from Ananthpur in Andhra Pradesh. They had four children. One day, he died of a mysterious stomach -ache. As her parents –in- law were not willing to take care of her, the widow thought she will come back to her parents in Pavagada. However, she came to know a few weeks later that her parents -in -law had sold her to Maddaleti, a rich pig -rearer. He had paid Rs 32,000 to buy Nagamma. When Maddaleti came to take her away, she protested. She was the first person in the community to protest against the evil custom. Sogadu Venkatesh, a social worker from the Urikala Koracha community brought this to the notice of leaders during an election rally in 2004. Former minister B T Lalitha Naik who was addressing the rally, condemn...

My friends keep asking me from where we get our contacts. People in the profession do need to keep talking to those who take decisions and every reporter needs a ready -reckoner list of phone numbers and other details. Earlier, it was pretty difficult. Now, however, it is far more easier. Governance is far more transparent. For example, all details of bureaucrats are on the Net. All, except their confidential records. Details like how they entered the IAS and where they were posted. Their e-mail, phone numbers and other contact details are available to the public. The sites from where you get such information are http://dpar.kar.nic.in/civillist-ias.htm (for state officers), http://persmin.nic.in(IAS ), and http://persmin.nic.in/(IPS ). We are evolving. But we need to do that faster.

ಪ್ರತಿ ದಿನವೂ ಒಂದು ಪುಟವನ್ನಾದರೂ ಬರೆಯಬೇಕೆಂದುಕೊಂಡವನಿಗೆ ಆ ಮಾತನ್ನು ಉಳಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಆಗಿಲ್ಲ. (ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಬರೆಯಬೇಕೆಂದು ಹೊರಟವನು ತನ್ನ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಬರೆಯುವುದು ಓದುವವರಿಗೆ ಬೇಜಾರಾಗಬಹುದು ಎಂದು ಸಹ ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಅನ್ನಿಸುತ್ತಿದೆ.) ಅಮಿತ್ ರೇ ಬಬ್ಬ ಬ್ಯಾರಿಸ್ಟರ್‍. ಜೀವನದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಯಾವಾಗಲೂ ಸೀರಿಯಸ್ ಅಗಿ ಇರಲಾರದವನು. ಅವನಿಗೆ ಗಂಭೀರವಾದ ಹುಡುಗಿಯೊಬ್ಬಳು ಭೇಟಿಯಾಗುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಯಾವುದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆಯೂ ಲೆಕ್ಕ ಇಡದ ಇವನಿಗೆ, ಎಲ್ಲದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಲೆಕ್ಕ ಇಡುವ ಲಾವಣ್ಯಳ ಸ್ನೇಹ ಇಷ್ಟವಾಗತೊಡಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅನೇಕ ಹುಡುಗಿಯರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧ ಬೆಳೆಸಿ ಯಾವುದಕ್ಕೂ ಕಮಿಟ್ ಆಗದವನಿಗೆ, ಇದೊಂದು ಬೇಡವೆಂದರೂ ಬಿಡದ ಸಂಬಂಧವಾಗಿಬಿಡುತ್ತದೆ. ತನ್ನ ಸ್ವಭಾವಕ್ಕೆ ವಿರುದ್ಧವಾಗಿ ತಾನೇ ನಡೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿರುವುದು ಅವನಿಗೆ ಅ‌ಚ್ಚರಿ ಹುಟ್ಟಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಕೊನೆಗೆ ಅವರಿಬ್ಬರಿಗೂ ಅನ್ನಿಸುವುದು ಇಷ್ಟು. 'ತುಂಬ ಸ್ವತಂ‌ತ್ರ ಸ್ವಭಾವದ ತನಗೆ ಇದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಸರಿಯಾದ ಜೋಡಿ ಸಿಗದು'. ಅವರು ಭಯಂಕರವಾಗಿ ಪ್ರೀತಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಕ್ಷಣಕಾಲ ಬಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದರೆ ಜೀವ ಹೋಗಿ ಬಿಡುತ್ತದೇನೋ ಎನ್ನುವಷ್ಟು. ಅಮಿತ್ ಲಾವಣ್ಯಳ ಮನೆಯವರ ಅನುಮತಿ ಪಡೆದು ಮದುವೆಗೆ ತಯಾರಿ ನಡೆಸುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಎರಡೂ ಮನೆಯವರ ಅನುಮತಿಯೂ ದೊರಕುತ್ತದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಅವರು ಮದುವೆಯಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಯಾಕೆ? ಓದುಗನೆದುರಿಗೆ ಈ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ ಧುತ್ತೆಂದು ಎದುರಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯುದ್ದಕ್ಕೂ ತಾನೊಂದು ಪಾತ್ರವಾಗಿ ಬಿಡುವ ಲೇಖ...