why always a farmer's sacrifice?

It was just another luncheon meeting for the neck-tie wearing stiff businessmen....But for over 50 farmers all who had walked from nearbye bajpe village it was a matter of their existence.
Some offcials from Mangalore Special Economic Zone had come there to present a rosy picture of Mangalore and the surrounding areas, once SEZ was established.
Villagers who had to sacrifice their lands to appease certain businessmen were seen sitting in a tense, pensive mood. When the Kannadiga official started presentation in english, poor farmers asked him to speak the language they understand. Suddenly the president of the association, who organised the progrmme, jumped up from his chair and yelled out at the farmers.
`Nooooo, We have organised the programme, he will speak english only....' The president sitting just below a huge photograph of father of our nation MAHATMA GANDHI was issuing commands to the farmers as if they were pesky objects among trhe fleet of businessmen.
Ultimately an offcial understanding the situation, showed 'mercy' on farmers and agreed to speak in a mixture of kannada-english, which was followed by a thunderous clap from the farmers.

This took place a few months ago and now Mangalore SEZ has become one of the heated subjects of discussion in Mangalore. Officials and some vested interests always were trying to vacate the farmers from their fertile lands which spreads across thousands of acres. According to the 'official' report which has been prepared by one agency by the funding of MRPL, the promoter of Mangalore SEZ, says that almost all land over here is now useless for agriculture! That too according to their satellite surveys!
But for a person, who has little concern over human beings, the large areca gardens, paddy fields, can be found in this area. Even the team from Central Environmental Ministry which had visited the place very recently had a visit to the place, and sipping the cool tender coconut water they understood the real situation existing.

Yes. There are drylands in and around Bajpe, permude, Kalavar, Kateel and some parts of Bala, but these pathces of small hillocks are main areas of cashew cultivation. Even offcials from the Horticulture department agree that the large chunk of raw cashew comes from these areas. But if SEZ is established, not only the remaining green covers, but also these cashew bowls would disappear for ever.
People's representatives and officials always stick to the employment card. They say if SEZ is stopped, people wont get employment. But nobody assures what type of employment one can get, they also cannot specify whether or not the local people be getting priority in the recruitment.
Most agriculturists, if ,not all clarify any approching officials that they are fine in their farmlands when they try to lure them with lucrative rehabilitation package. What they want is not industries in their farms, they want these precious lands to be declared as SPECIAL AGRICULTURE ZONES.
Reason is pretty simple. Once an agriculture land is converted to industries, you can never find the green cover again.

Kusalli falls, a falls with 6 stages

You tread...trek...drink lots of water....finally reach the destination....and there ends....there your mind and body make you relax....

This is what usually almost all trekkers do. But once you reach the ever enchanting KUSALLI Falls near Shirur in udupi district, you must never listen to your mind, in stead try to cross over to the otherside, and you will find the water falls in many stages, with multi dimensional appearance.

This is what makes Kusalli falls special. Many trekkers after tiresome hike, likely to miss this scene simply because, its hard to even imagine that there would be much more to relish upon.

Our journey: We ten people went out last week for this amazing spot called Kusalli. The falls lies beside a small village called Toodalli, so some people call it as Toodalli Falls too. Shirur is 130 KM away from Mangalore. While on the way to Bhatkal in national highway-17, you will reach Shirur and in the town divert in a small road to the right to reach toodalli. We went there by a Cheverlot Tavera, which is very convinient for long distance travel.

We had started early morning from Mangalore, and condition of national highway was worst, which makes any journey a struggle, many of us later realised that the trekking was far easier than the vehicle journey!

We reached toodalli, and there we saw a narrow but concretised road holding on, some passers by asked us to proceed on the road to visit the falls. The road ends in Kallikone a small village. We met a farmer there named Isak. Isak called his servent Krishna and asked him to assist us in reaching the waterfalls.

Krishna uninterestedly took up the sickle from the house, and asked us to follow him. We changed our costumes, so as to face the attack from leaches. Even our cab driver showed interest and started with us.

The trek consists of journey inside thick jungle. A walk of almost 90 minutes takes you near the falls. We had to keep checking our feet for leaches. This path to waterfalls is new one, earlier trekkers had to take the river path and had to jump over the huge rocks. Rakesh Holla who had been to the falls few years ago told us that the journey earlier was very difficult and there was always a risk of skidding over the rocks.

We strolled amidst jungle and the sound of waterfalls was clearly audible, which made us to push up legs in a hurry to have the glimpse of falls as quickly as possible. At last around 11.30 a.m, I heard Abhi and Balakrishna shouting out of joy. Yes, they reached the falls and were thrilled of the scene, others too joined them.

Waterfalls : Kusalli falls is still pure and not littered, which made us like it very much. We five friends led by Rakesh crossed over to the otherside of the falls and started to mount up to 5th step of the falls. The rocks were very slippery, but we managed to reach the forest once again beside the falls. Within next 30 minutes we were atop 5th step of Kusalli. We filled our hearts with the beautiful scene of the green valley from there. When we turn.....Oh we were stunned. 5th and 1st stages of the falls were roaring.

The place is very open, and filled with boulders of various sizes and water gushing from the sides. We took enough photographs, then crossed the water stream and reached a pond. Holla told us that would be the ideal place for swimming. Within a minute we five were in the pond. The long swim in the icy clean water was mesmerising...believe me you will not be ready to come out of the pond.

Suddenly mobile in my bag over the boulder started ringing, people below calling us for lunch. Mobile network is available in and around that area, which is pretty helpful. We had to return, but Holla told, after November one can try to reach the next 4 stages of the falls, eventhough the attempt would be risky. It will surprises one that in kusalli between 1st and 5th stages, there are still 3 stages, which you can't see unless you go up the 5th stage.

We bid adeu to the gorgeously jumping 1st stage falls of kusalli, took her glimpse to our mind and with a hope to reach her next time, got down to the feet of the 6th stage. Our mates had already finished their lunch and taking a siesta.

Precautions: Never try to play in the rocks as there is always a risk of slipping. Dont try to go up to higher stages if you faint. Take food, dont litter the spot. Enjoy the trek.

A ship museaum called Tannirbavi!

Tannirbavi beach has never been so attractive either to tourists or to Mangaloreans. Even the district administration's efforts to beautify this beach received lukewarm response from the public.

Only a few pairs who never wanted somebody keeping an eye on them dared to be in Tannirbavi.

But thanks to two unfortunate ships MV DenDen[belongs to Eritria] and MV Chang le men[A chinese ship registered in St.Vincent island], the beach has suddenly become a forerunner in attracting tourists, locals among other popular beaches of Mangalore like Panambur, Suratkal and Someshwara.

The potholed road to Tannirbavi is now busy witnessing the mud splashing cars and bikes racing towards the beach, often giving a feeling, good roads are no longer necessary to pull the crowds :)

The beach in Tannirbavi is a notorious one since it took away many lives including the three sailors belonging to DenDen ship and many stubborn persons who tried their chance in sea. Now in a flash has turned out to be a must watch for evey mangalorean.

Ice cream carry vans, chat shops, tea stalls have started to come up. The ship DenDen has fallen along the sea, and chinese vessel Chang le men is standing drifted across the arabean sea. Tannirbavi sea is hiding in its womb another ship Challenger, the tragedy took place a decade ago. The wreck of the ship is still under the sea. Another ship Marediane had been brought to Tannirbavi for ship breaking. But due to certain insurance related problems the ship was abandoned, the wreck is still seen in the waters here.

On last june 23, Denden ship carrying furnace slag capsized in the sea, unable to witstand the ferocious rain and the wind. Three men on board lost their lives while trying to swim to the shore. But 23 sailors were saved by the local fishermen.

The latest addition to the ship museam is Changlemen. The ship carrying 16,100 tonns of iron ore, heading towards china faced imbalance due to ingress of rain water. Then the ship started to tilt, and the captain of the ship had to beach the ship near Tannirbavi. Till today the salvage operation is on, and from last 4 days a team of experts from Holland are carrying this operation. They are hopefull of bringing the ship to sail-worthy condition soon.

But Tannirbavi for good or bad reasons has become either a museam or graveyard of ships!

Now on..no spots for trekkers!

Very soon the the charming western ghats are going to be deathtraps for trekkers and the lovers of nature.
The spread of naxalites to the interiors of dakshina kannada, udupi, chikkmagalore and parts of shimoga has only worsened the situation. Already parts of dakshina kannada like neriya, shishila in belthangady taluk have become strongholds of ganja mafia.
Just few days before a person called chandrashekhar gore in hathyadka near shishila Now these naxalites are creating a kind of fear in this area. This has also effected the very spirit of the trekkers.
There is either a possibility of being shot dead by anti naxal squad misinterpreting a cargo clad, with rucksack on back trekker as a hardcore naxal, or by naxals who may think viceversa.
The famous trekking points like Barhana Abbi, Jogigundi, ArshinaGundi, evergreen Kudremukha peak, a series of peaks like kodekallu, minchukallu, erikallu in charmadi ghat are now on a scanner by police.
So an ardent lover of nature now no longer can enter in to the forest. Mangalore youth hostel secreatary Dinesh Holla too has expressed helplessness on the situation.
The main concern of him is on the possibility of treekers could now be seen in a suspicious eye by the villagers who reside near some of theses spots.
He told a villager near Elaneeru, many a times helped youthhostelites in assisting for Hirimariguppe and Elaneer Falls trekking is nowadays avoiding any calls made to him.
The problem of naxalites seems to be spreading day by day and trekkers losing their loved nature spots, but this pain is nothing against the pain and losses faced by the residents of these areas.

fascinating shinganigudda!

It was a hot summer day few weeks back and youth hostel friends were out with idea of trekking.

I really needed a break from my job and i asked dinesh holla, the organiser of trekking to add my name in the list, there were already 24 names in the list!

Well, our destination was a nice hillock near Shishila called SHINGANI GUDDA. Shishila is a remote village near Dharmasthala. While on the way to Nelyadi in NH 48, a road deviates to Dharmasthala and around 25 kms journey half on smooth wide road while the other half is on a dusty coarse road.

There are few buses from Uppinangady and Mangalore connecting Shishila. Shishila is a small village which is famous for Shishileshwara Temple and mahashir fishes in the lake of that temple.Shishila comprises of mainly marathi speaking brahmins, who also called as chippavans.

Well, we started from mangalore in a cab and reached shishila at 9 pm. Holla had arranged dinner at one Gopu Gokhale's house. Gokhale is a freelance writer and has plenty of knowledge in art and trekking.

We stayed in Shishila school that night, but before that we had a nice bonafire session. The speciality of this session is that each one of the team must open up and exhibit some or the other talent in him. Next day we had breakfast at Gokhale's house and were ready for the outing. The morning was hot and soon after few metres walk the new entrants started gasping. One lady had no knowledge of trekking and she had come on a pair of slippery chappals. And she had to suffer the whole day. But many members helped her by carrying her rucksack.

The route was cool in the thick forest, gigantic trees and slopes, heights were a challenge to the trekkers.

It was two-and-a half hours journey to reach the hill top. The journey was not so tiresome for a habitual trekker. It may create some problem for newcomers.

The top of Shingani gudda has got 2 big rocks which appears as an elephant head. And the lush green grass welcomes us and so as the cold breeze even in the midday.

We can see Ethinabhuja, Amedikallu, udayagiri and a few other hillocks. We returned to Gokhale's house and he welcomed us with delicious lunch, which consisted my favourite jack fruit payasa!

Suryakirans dance over arabian sea

For the first time, mangaloreans got the opportunity to witness an amazing aerobatic show by TEAM SURYAKIRAN of much famed Indian Airforce.

Panambur beach marked the occassion to highest crowd pulling event in the recent past. The show was split in to two session. One was in the early hours of the day at 8.15 and second session was organized at 3.15.

A very large gathering was ready to witness the show even in the lazy warmer sunday. The crowd was expecting a full team of 9 aircrafts but they were in a way disappointed as only 3 kiran aircrafts appeared in the sky. It was just a practice session.
But the second show was appreciated by the crowd, since the full force of 9 planes undertook various skills that an Indian Airforce pilot is capable of. The loops, twists, barrel rolls, turns, star bursts, 5+1 cross, mirror run and such other skills enthralled a delectated crowd.

People cheered, clapped and children danced when the orange-white painted planes flied over their heads. They were dumb struck when two kirans rushed in opposite direction and were about to hit each other, but crowd could breathe easy when they saw the planes just could escape from hitting.
The show lasted for nearly 25 minutes. Surya kiran is an formation aerobatic team of Indian Airforce, which is stationed at Bidar of Karnataka. Kiran MK-II is the plane involved in the show. It can reach a maximum speed of 780 Kilo meters per hour.
More informations on the Surya Kiran enter this site.

being silenced