Weaker sections in India live in fear and insecurity'

[email protected] (CD Network, Photos by Ahmed Anwar)
September 25, 2012

Mangalore, September 25: Weaker sections of the society lived in fear and insecurity in India, as women, children and people of backward classes were always subjected to atrocities, said Alva's Educational Foundation chairman Dr M Mohan Alva.

 

Inaugurating the 'Samprathi 2012', a two-day national seminar on 'Human Rights Advocacy – An Avenue for Social Change', organised by Department of Social Work of St Aloysius College, in the city on Tuesday, he said that even those suffering from HIV/AIDS and leprosy are seen as pariahs in this society. Such atrocities and indiscrimination needs to be stopped, he said.

 

He said that awareness has to be created among individuals so that human beings could avail their rights such as right to life, health, education, food and constitutional rights. It is the duty of each individual to bring about equality in the society, he said.

 

Mr Alva lamented that even after 65 years of Independence, there were two very conflicting faces of India. On one side there are the affluent, while others lived in poverty, without a roof or a single proper meal per day.  The country has renowned scholars, while there are still those who did not have access to education, he said.

 

Urging people to work for the betterment of the society, he said, “We can bring a change in the society only if we make up our minds and work towards it. “Our struggle should be born out of passion, not out of burden. People should struggle to free our nation from this injustice and inequality”, he said.

 

Vice principal of St Aloysius College Fr Francis D'Almeida said that we needed to emphasise on human rights, not because they were inscribed in the UN Human Rights Declaration, but because they were basic to human beings.

 

In his presidential address, Rector of St Aloysius Institutions Fr Joseph Rodrigues said that it would be wrong to say that states granted rights to its citizens. They merely give in to their people's assertions and demands, he said.

 

Head of Department of Social Work Dr Loveena Lobo made the introductory remarks. Convenor of the seminar Roshan Monteiro welcomed the gathering. Student representative of MSW Linal David proposed a vote of thanks.

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News Network
September 9,2024

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Mangaluru: The Unicode Consortium has announced the inclusion of Tulu script in its latest version, Unicode 16. This update adds 80 characters to the Unicode Standard, marking a significant milestone for the Tulu-speaking community.

According to officials, the journey to this achievement began in 2001 when a member of the Unicode Consortium helped fix the Kannada script in Unicode and simultaneously advocated for the inclusion of Tulu.

Despite initial misunderstandings with the Tulu Academy in Mangaluru, the groundwork was laid for future developments. Initially, three Tulu experts had worked on the subject, including S A Krishnaiah, a Tulu scholar.

"In 2014, efforts to create a Tulu Wikipedia gained momentum, leading to its launch on August 6, 2016. By 2017, the Tulu Academy recognised the need for Tulu Unicode, forming a committee to finalise the characters with technical guidance. Concurrently, another proposal for the Tilari script was submitted," Krishnaiah said.

After extensive correspondence, the script was officially added to Unicode under the name Tulu-Tigalari. While there are minor differences between the Tulu Academy's list and the finalised Unicode version, most characters have been included. Notably, Tulu digits and some diacritic marks necessary for writing Sanskrit in Tulu script were added, he said.

According to him, the inclusion of the Tulu script in Unicode will have a significant positive impact on digital communication for Tulu speakers, including enhanced digital presence. Tulu speakers can now use their native script across various digital platforms, including social media, websites, and messaging apps, fostering a stronger online presence.

The availability of Tulu in Unicode will facilitate the creation of educational materials, such as textbooks and online courses, in the Tulu script, supporting language learning and literacy, he said.

The development of Unicode-encoded fonts, keyboard software, and converters will streamline the use of Tulu in digital communication, making it easier for users to type and share information in their native script, he said.

Being part of the Unicode Standard gives Tulu global recognition, encouraging more software and application developers to support the script, thereby increasing its usability and visibility, the Tulu scholar said.

Overall, this will empower Tulu speakers to communicate more effectively and confidently in their language, both locally and globally.

It is estimated that over 1.8 million people worldwide speak Tulu. Most Tulu speakers live in the coastal areas of Karnataka and Kerala, India, in regions known as Tulu Nadu. There are also Tulu speakers in the Gulf countries and the United States, he said.

Tulu is a Dravidian language and is related to Kannada, the official language of Karnataka. Tulu has a rich oral tradition, but there isn't much written in the language. Tulu's script is similar to Malayalam and originated from the Grantha script.

A long-drawn fight is ongoing to include Tulu in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The Dravidian University at Kuppam in Andhra Pradesh has a special Tulu chair, he added.

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coastaldigest.com news network
September 16,2024

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Mangaluru, Sept 16: In a heartwarming display of communal unity, members of Hindu and Christian communities celebrated Eid Milad—marking the birth of Prophet Mohammed—by distributing sweets and refreshments to their Muslim neighbors in Dakshina Kannada.

In Boliyar, near Konaje on the outskirts of Mangaluru, members of the local organization Geleyara Balaga surprised participants in the Eid Milad procession with an offering of sweets and cold drinks. 

The gesture of goodwill was led by Manoj, Sheena Poojary, Denis Lily, Sanat, Lokanath, Satish, Praveen, Madhu, and Valentine. Abdul Rahman, the khateeb of Boliyar Juma Masjid, expressed heartfelt gratitude for this act of kindness.

In a similar display of solidarity, a group of Hindus, draped in saffron shawls, distributed sweets and drinks to those partaking in the Eid Milad procession at Mani village, Bantwal taluk.

These acts of generosity highlighted the spirit of harmony and togetherness among different communities, celebrating the true essence of the festival.

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