Life saving trek !

You would have heard or read about some of the bravery acts of dogs. But this account is something different.
Recently i had gone on a trek to a beautiful hillock called Ethina Bhuja(means shoulder of ox). No doubt our trek was a successful and relishing one. But a good thing during our journey atop the hillock was that we could save one life!

We a team of 12 people started our journey early morning, and after being bitten by umpteen number of leaches, all were tired and still hurrying to reach the top of hillock. We reached a place where the edge of forest met the green grassland. And some of us sat there just to have a brief relaxation. And we heard a strange voice of crying. 'It must be the voice of some bird', Nagesh, our team member uttered. But our guide, Eshwaranna, person from Shishila village, told it would be dog. He further elaborated that sometimes cattle caretakers from Bhyrapur village(in Chikkamagalur district) come to the hillock, to graze their cattle with their dogs, and sometime dogs get missed out in the jungle. We were still not beleiving his words.
But.....he was true. Very soon we spotted a feeble, pup haplessly crying out, abandoned to no where in the dense forest of western ghats!
'Look there...it is a dog, either came with village people from otherside of the hill, and missed out here or came with cattles, but could not return'. Balakrishna Bhat, took out some poha from his rucksack and offered it to the pup. But it was looking horrified to see group of human beings amidst the forest, and soon ran and disappeared in the jungle.
Then we forgot about the dog, and continued our journey. We reached the base of Ethhina Bhuja, where we had no option but to leave our luggage and climb the steep rocky structure. We reached top, spent sometime there, and we were so hungry that we badly were in search of water spot which was still a kilo meter away. So hurriedly, we descended from the top.
Alas! the pup was smiling at us ! Though weak, and about to fall down, he could manage to reach us. It appeared as if he was thinking us last ray of hope for survival. Some one gave some Semige to the pup, another pored some water. Pup had no energey even to eat it, still he swallowed whatever available.
Suggestions came from all corners about the future of that poor creature. But Eshwaranna had already made up his mind, 'Ill take him home, he is weak now, but will definitely pick up in a week', he told us.
As he told, he got one plastic bag from us, made a hole in it, put the pup inside, and now pup was really had a look of gratitude on its face.
If next time we visit Ethina Bhuja, we have to see Eswaranna's dog, nagesh announced, and we all gave a nod.

Mangalore back in track

AFTER two days bundh, called by Bajrang dal and Sriram sena, 4 days undeclared bundh, i.e curfew imposed by district administration, now Mangalore seems to be normal. The communal riot in Mangalore, Ullal was hyped by our so called national channels, NDTV, Cnn Ibn, Aaj Tak, even when local and regional channels were just showing the reality. But these channels took a partisan step and 'created' the news! We local and regional media persons took a stand that we would not magnify any relatively 'sensitive' issues. Anyway, even after the continuous efforts of some of these media, the 'fact' finding committees to see mangalore burning, people seems to be liking peace and harmony. The wonderful thing to happen now is Ramzan and Deepavali two major festivals have come together. The message from God is clear-we must leave our all hatred, superstition and stay united. The last few days after curfew lifted, were witnessed by many organisation's, party leaders' visit to the sensitive areas of mangalore. One so called Fact(?) finding commitee which comprised leftists, held a press conference only to blame hindus for the communal riot, and another member told media never visited some places. To me, these so called rationalists would never realise the plight of the common men. They just want to spoil the situation or fish in the troubled waters. The reality behind the communal riots as media have understood is that it is the planned plot by some vested interests. Anyway these are all termed as assumptions and yet to be confirmed by COD, and Additional Chief Secretary Mr.Agrawal, who are conducting inquiry in to the matter. Now the only thing we can rejoice is Mangaloreans have atleast forcefully unlearned the bad dreams of curfew. Kids again are playing in the streets, Clocks in the towers have once again started moving!
So all friends and folks you can now without any fear can visit this amazing place KUDLA, i.e mangalore. Have a look at the astonishing temples, beautiful beaches, old churches. Have tasty sea food, drink narial pani(tender cocanut). Mangalore is no more burning.

Mangalore in curfew

Rush in a grossary shop during relax of curfew

My blog has been struck here from last few days, since Mangalore is in a serious situation. Curfew has been imposed for 2 days here. Curfew has been a rare condition here in this coastal city. Mangalore, a city which people call has scope for tourism and industrial expansion, now grappling in bundh, curfew and similar situations. Since Navaratri, vegetable and grossary supply has been cut to this from rest of the districts. Suddenly people started fearing this situation. People without having anything to eat at home, depending upon junk food like chips, maggie etc. The second day of curfew, on sunday curfew was relaxed for 2 hours, during which, people rushed out of home to get necessary items like milk, news paper, grossary. Huge queue was found infront of grossary shops, chicken centresm, milk booths and petrol bunks.
Right now we the journalists here spent 3-4 days night without sleep, with for each hour the situation changing, making us to change our reports. will file about the situation and lot more if get time, in the next post.