Legislature sessions are an interesting study of the different dialects across the State, throwing together as they do people from the northernmost tip down to the coast. In the heat of a debate, the most local of idioms and expressions ring through the Legislature, and are often misunderstood by those unfamiliar with the dialect.
Last week, when Basavaraj Horatti, JD(S) MLC, who hails from north Karnataka, said “sum kooru” (sit quietly) to a Minister from his district, Congress MLC Motamma objected saying that the use of such an informal, singular address cannot be allowed “even if they are great friends”. Mr. Horatti tried to explain that the use of singular is not deemed a sacrilege in his part of the State, unlike in some southern districts, but finally gave up and said he would be more “respectful”.
During a debate on the caste certificate fraud, BJP MLC Shanappa said “tali kettaiti” (literally, “gone mad”). Congress MLC Ugrappa suggested that the remark be expunged since it amounted to a confession of madness. This prompted his own party colleague and Minister H.K. Patil to explain that the expression implies “very worried” in their dialect, and not that he is ‘mad’.
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But, it has to be said that the ruling and Opposition party members from the same region are able to sink their differences over language more easily than on other issues.
Auto politics
Dakshina Kannada district, which boasts of several firsts in various fields, might have also been the first to react to the steep decline in fuel prices by reducing auto fares but for the adamant attitude of operators and political interference. Bus fares are already down to August 2013 rates in the district.
As far back as January 9, 2015, the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) had directed the operators to reduce the minimum fare from Rs. 25 to Rs. 20 per km, but the operators were defiant. While their multipronged strategy of holding dharnas, a three-day strike, and even defying the Karnataka High Court all went in vain, their approach to a ruling party politician paid better dividends.
District in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai should not have interfered with the decision of the RTA, a quasi-judicial authority. Even so, he directed it not to enforce the reduction and instead convene a fresh meeting and fix fares as demanded by auto operators.
Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim has every reason to defend the reduction. First of all, the minimum fare was fixed at Rs. 25 to avoid the matter of handing over ‘small change’ to customers in July 2014, though it should have been Rs. 23. Since then, petrol has become cheaper by over 20 per cent and auto LPG by over 46 per cent, but the proposed reduction was just 7 per cent, keeping in mind the increased cost of living.
The unrelenting attitude of the operators, and the Minister’s interference have not been popular. Forum for Justice, a Mangaluru civil society group, has lashed out against both and threatened to launch an agitation.
Speaker’s quip on ‘kings and emperors’
Legislative Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa is continuing to pull up the Forest Department officials in the ongoing session with the same acerbity with which he did at the Belagavi legislature session.
Mr. Thimmappa had flayed the department for its slackness in the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, which benefits the tribal people and traditional forest dwellers, who have made forests their home for centuries.
He was critical of the fact that poor people were being evicted from the revenue lands they had occupied.
The tone and tenor of Mr. Thimmappa’s statement was no different in the ongoing session, when he pulled up forest officials for objecting to the removal of a mango tree to pave the way for the construction of a bridge in Shivamogga. “Are they (Forest Department officials) kings or emperors?” he was heard asking, referring to the alleged callousness of the officials who were unwilling to permit felling the mango tree.
Procedural delays
hit M-TRAC
Red tape is holding up the development of M-TRAC, which is designed on the lines of B-TRAC (Bangalore Traffic Improvement Project) in Mangaluru.
It has been nearly a year since Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the granting Rs. 25 crore (Rs. 5 crore every year) for M-TRAC. Owing to delays, the Mangalore Police Commissionerate is yet to get funds for installing surveillance cameras, having camera mounted patrolling vehicles and other measures.
Months ago, the Commissionerate submitted a proposal to the Home Department and later sent a revised proposal.
The Home Department then questioned the difference in the first and the revised proposals. Though a senior police officer was deputed to clarify issues, the proposal is still pending with the Department at the State Secretariat, a city police official said. Inexplicable are the ways of officialdom.
Bageshree S.,
Anil Kumar Sastry,
K. Jeevan Chinnappa,
and Raghava M.