Dheeraj Kalgutkar

It is six months since the genome sequence of SARS-CoV-2 was published by Chinese scientists and was available to the world. What has India done since that January should find no excuse in the otherwise legitimate accusation that China did not inform about the novel virus to the world in time or it kept WHO in dark. It is true that China erred and it is also true that there are reasons to scrutinize WHO. But what have we done since it indeed released the information about the virus? For instance, while some countries like Taiwan, South Korea, Japan had cases of probable infection long before China released the vital information, India registered its first case only in late January, long after China had published genome sequence of the virus and WHO had informed the world about such an outbreak. So unlike those countries, and they have it under control now and cases are breaking new records in India, we cannot blame the outbreak on Chinese malfeasance. Whatever situation we are in to...

Misinformation and our inability to think a level down the surface are going to kill us before the virus does. Karwar which recently treated 11 coronavirus patients and discharged them successfully is about to see it manifest before its eyes. Misplaced fear and paranoia spread through news channels and Whatsapp University are consuming us. Would they devour us completely before we wake up remains an open-ended question. Karwar has zero Covid-19 positives. The 11 patients it treated were not from Karwar but many km away from it. If that makes you applause Karwar for its altruism then you must hold your hands some meters apart. Uttara Kannada district in total, by the time of writing this, has recorded 39 cases of COVID-19 positives of which 11 were earlier treated and discharged from INHS Patanjali Hospital in Karwar which is an Indian Navy hospital meant for its staff. It admitted this initial batch of positives on request of Uttara Kannada District Commissioner Dr K Harish...

What you see is a calm river shore, a ghat where people are going about their ritualistic life, the soothing calmness of it. Beautiful imagery for certain. But images do lie. What I saw vis-a-vis my real eyes was a slow process of killing what was once a roaring mighty river. Kaveri or Cauvery - however you spell it. A river which once protected Tipu Sultan’s island of Srirangapatnam from enemies, a living breathing river that was lifeline of so many lives, river that saw lives grow and disappear, river of many legends, not anymore. It is a dying stream now. Srirangapatnam is no more an island. The old river no more flows around the old town. Tipu Sultan was long killed by British Army. His Srirangapatnam plundered. And today the prized river is slowly killed by the modern man. People from distance come to the 'holy' river, they take bath in its fabled waters and then dump their clothes and trash into its 'holy' waters. They think they’re dumping their sins. Bu...

अभी अभी सुनने में आया है कि मोदी जी का ट्विटर अकाउंट हैक हो गया है। भारत के प्रधानमंत्री दुनिया के अनगिनत देशों में शांति की गुहार लगाते लगाते कर्नाटक और तमिलनाडु पर आ ही रहे थे कि किसीने यह घोर आपत्तिजनक घटना को अंजाम दे दिया। भाजपा अध्यक्ष अमीत शाह जी ने इस पुरे व्याख्या की कड़ी से कड़ी कार्रवाई करने की बात बोली है। अलबत्ता यह सुनकर कारवाई खुद बौखलाई हुई है कि सिर्फ कारवाई में क्या कमी रह गई थी कि कड़ी से कड़ी कार्रवाई को बुलावा देना पड़ा। खैर आदरणीय शाह साहेब भी कर्नाटक और तमिलनाडु पे बोलने से चुक गये। हालांकि यह अटकलें लगाई जा रही है कि गृह मंत्री राजनाथ सिंह ने उनको इत्तला किया की इस घनघोर हैकिंग के पीछे किसी अरविंद का हाथ है। हाय रे अरविंद! मोदी जी तुम्हें काम न करने देते यह तो सुन सुन के हमारे कान पक गए। अब मोदी जी भी अपनी मनकी बात में मनकी भड़ास न निकाल दें। सुनने में तो यह भी आया कि मोदी जी ने दिल्ली के असली शाशनकर्ता को फोन घुमाया था पर जंग जी के घर से बोला गया कि वे विदेश में है। माननीय प्रधानमंत्री जी का दिल तो ललचाया, फॉरेन जाने के लिए नहीं ना पर जंग...

Tipu Sultan, the 18th century ruler is back from the grave to haunt the land he once so ferociously ruled. In the protests against Karnataka government for deciding to celebrate the birth anniversary of the Tiger of Mysore, one person has lost his life while others continue to boil their blood amidst winter’s chill. Karnataka government on the other-hand is acting all passive as if it’s a storm in the tea-cup, terming it as another political game to communalise the society. It’s one of the sad irony of our times how one person has lost his life over a ruler who lost his life more than 200 years back in a war fighting against the British! Tipu was a patriot or ‘bigot’ is debatable. Those who are protesting claim he was a tyrant, an intolerant ruler while the other fraction claims he promoted communal harmony. Whose point are we supposed to buy? This is where history comes to our rescue. The then king of Mysore introduced number of innovations during his rule, including lunis...

'Study-Tour' is no new word for most of us who have danced, partied on the way but at the same time have completed (read studied, learnt) what we set for in first place unlike these politicians of India (Karnataka today) who have named their Amazon junket a 'study tour' and are set to be part of things that they-only-know how will it fall under 'study' tab and how it is going to address issues back at home which is on its way to bankruptcy. We hear of late that the extravagant Jan 2014, Karnataka's Amazon bash is postponed, all thanks to a reputed news channel which busted this bubble called 'Study-Tour'. But had it not been busted, they would have gone their way and to what extent? Going by the simple itinerary, it's all fun and no work policy they are all up to. '0% work, 100% fun' is how Times Now unveiled it. Monkey Forest, Alligator Park, dancing to the tunes of Samba & Tango, Barbecue grill, Desert Safari and much mo...

Not many days has gone since I read a post on Facebook regarding plight of Kannada language inside the capital of a state whose name jingle out of it. It roughly regarded the dread brink-point Kannada was in, plus how minimal number of people were preferring to converse in a language old as divine. Even the locals have switched to pizza leaving idli-vada a thumbs down. Alright, English is cool but Kannada isn't any funny too. Moreover it's one language that gets you connected sooner with other people. Why can't Kannada flourish as silicon city blooms? Changes must occur time and again, to make way for newer, more easier things. Some might argue taking example of Sanskrit but Kannada is no stern nor stubborn language; it has with time got itself moulded - be it words, style, sentencing, there is lot that went under hammer. Amidst all it had survived and it will for centuries to go but people are no more taking pride in speaking the age old dravidian cult. ...

  READY TO CROWN: Senior Congress Leader  K. Siddaramaiah has got wings to fly! “ Counting day in fact decides who will count for next 5 years ” is one among the many tweets that made rounds on social networks as results of Karnataka assembly elections started disclosing, providing reasons to smile for congress and humiliating the outgoing BJP. There were many more sarcastic updates from netizens from frustration over both national parties to change of mood people have voted to Yeddy effect! Yes, the former CM had it all. One read “Yeddyurappa's possible reaction on results: Hum to doobenge sanam tumko bhi le dubenge.” [We will sink, no doubt, but will take you too to shallow!] BJP's embarrassing defeat or congress's sigh-of-relief win or JDS's surprise arrival - all had one thing to applause for - the Common Man, was no more dumb nor blind enough to forget & forgive their 'populist' leader. High turnout this time was alarm to this pesky leade...

Let Democracy prevail :Come join hand in making the largest democracy survive by voting! The heroic narrative of modern society has always been that democracy would prevail in the end. It in fact is the merry resilience of it that makes it to triumph amidst all odds. But there is this sorry-state-of-democracy where though entitled and able, people (even well educated!) refuse to use their franchise. Then, why exactly should I vote? Will my one vote make any empire fall or rise for that instance? Yes, it could say the results from all around! Here are some important events in U.S. history that were decided by just a few votes: ·         Richard Nixon, not John F. Kennedy, would have become President of the U.S. in 1960 if one person from each voting place had voted differently. ·         If just one U.S. Senator had voted differently, U.S. President Andrew Johnson would have ...

The painter busy in painting the college building hours before state Education Minister Kageri's arrival at Karwar. Others busy at various tasks. Government works are at God's mercy is a statement on prehistoric stones. And as Karwar's Government degree college is getting ready for State Education Minister Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri’s welcome for inauguration function of a new building which has already started its functioning a year before without even its completion is a dubious question mark on part of College officials as well as State BJP government which is on election spree as elections are due in next months. The above picture taken afresh in the morning at exactly 9:50 AM of inauguration day of 18 January, 2013 hours before the planned function is one vital proof of hectic chaos organizers are going through in the very morning of due date when all works were meant to be completed. As stage is getting prepared inside, the drill sound...