This is my second birth: Crash survivor Krishnan

[email protected] (CD Network)
May 27, 2010

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Kasargode, May, 27 : With one hand in a sling from a dislocated shoulder caused by his "great escape", K. Krishnan, 47, one of the eight who survived the Mangalore air crash, returned home at Mangad near Udma to a hero's welcome.

Waiting for him anxiously was his 72-year-old-mother Vellachi, who even though told that he had miraculously escaped the crash that killed 158 passengers on board, could not believe her luck until she saw her son in flesh and blood Wednesday.

Krishnan was travelling in the IX 812 Dubai-Mangalore flight that overshot the runway while landing at the Bajpe airport, about 20 km from Mangalore, Saturday.

Tears of joy trickled down his cheeks when he saw a large number of people waiting to receive him. It was a home coming that would remain etched in the minds of all those who had gathered here to receive their dear friend and relative.

"I got my son back. This is certainly a gift from God," was all Vellachi could say amid tears as she kissed and hugged her son.

Accompanying Krishnan from Mangalore after he was discharged from a hospital was his wife Bindu and his two daughters, eight-year-old Keerthi and three-year-old Kripa.

Krishnan who works as a helper in a company in Dubai, said: "No doubt this is my second birth."

Narrating his "great escape", he said he still could not believe that he had managed to escape.

"It was a huge sound that I heard when the aircraft came down and then everything happened quickly. I saw an opening in the aircraft above my head and in a moment I was scaling down the aircraft and fell into the greenery. Then I knew that the aircraft would burst into flames and in a few minutes it happened as I ran for my life," recalled Krishnan to IANS.

He remembers that the first thing he did was to call up home around 6.30 a.m informing his wife to say that he was safe.

"I passed on the good news of my escape and the bad news of the aircraft going up in flames to my wife," said Krishnan.

But the five stitches that he has on his forehead constantly remind him of the accident.

"I got many calls from my company inquiring about my health. I have also lost my passport," said Krishnan, who has been working in Dubai for the last nine years.

Asked if he is ready to fly back again, Krishnan could only smile.

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News Network
December 10,2024

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Bengaluru: Karnataka has declared a holiday for state government offices, schools and colleges on Wednesday, December 11, in the wake of a state funeral for former chief minister S M Krishna, who passed away in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

The last rites of Krishna, 92, will be held at his native village of Somanahalli in Mandya's Maddur taluk.

A government order stated that the holiday would apply to private aided educational institutions too.

Besides, the government has declared three days of mourning (December 10-12), during which no public entertainment programmes would take place, while the national flag would fly at half-mast.

S M Krishna passed away at his residence on December 10, 2024. The 92-year-old veteran politician was ailing for quite some time, a family source said.

A charismatic leader with a modern outlook, he not only laid a strong foundation for the growth of IT and BT industries in Karnataka but also managed to get them onboard with the government to build “Brand Bengaluru” at the international level.

He held several prominent positions throughout his career as External Affairs Minister, Maharashtra Governor, Chief Minister of Karnataka, Speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Minister in the Karnataka government.

Although known for his tech savviness, flamboyancy, style and the Western outlook, the Congressman-turned-BJP senior leader was a hardcore Bengalorean who loved the city’s trees and flowers. SMK also had a love for tennis. Even when he was Chief Minister, he would visit the tennis court to play the game two to three times a week. 

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News Network
December 12,2024

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Angry BJP lawmakers stormed Assembly Speaker U T Khader’s chambers at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, escalating tensions after the ruling Congress turned the tables on the saffron party over the Panchamasali Lingayat community’s reservation issue.

The friction began when Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar, a Panchamasali Lingayat, was allowed to criticise the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government’s controversial decision to scrap the 4 per cent Muslim quota, reallocating it equally to Lingayats and Vokkaligas. Kashappanavar slammed the BJP’s move, accusing it of being a mere election gimmick.

“The previous BJP government created two new reservation categories, 2C for Vokkaligas and 2D for Lingayats, just before the 2023 Assembly elections,” Kashappanavar said. “When challenged in the Supreme Court, the BJP government admitted it would not implement the decision. They announced it for votes but backtracked in court, misleading Panchamasali seer Basava Jaya Mrityunjaya Swami.”

Adding fuel to the fire, Kashappanavar alleged that RSS members had incited violence during a protest for enhanced Panchamasali Lingayat reservation. This claim enraged BJP lawmakers, who demanded the comment be expunged. However, Speaker Khader permitted Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda to read aloud the BJP government’s affidavit to the Supreme Court.

“If the Panchamasali Lingayat community has faced injustice, it is because of the BJP,” Gowda declared, sparking further protests from the opposition. BJP leaders accused Khader of being “one-sided” and disregarding a point of order raised by BJP MLA V Sunil Kumar.

When Khader adjourned the session for lunch, the confrontation boiled over. Opposition Leader R Ashoka, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra, MLAs Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, Sunil Kumar, and others barged into Khader’s chambers. Chaos ensued as shouting and hollering echoed through the halls, prompting marshalls to intervene.

“The Speaker was warned that if he continued behaving this way, we would boycott the session,” Narayan stated afterward.

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News Network
December 16,2024

Mangaluru, Dec 16: A tragic incident unfolded at Someshwara beach on Monday when a woman, participating in the Pinda Pradhana ritual for her late brother-in-law, lost her life after drowning.

The deceased, Usha (72), was the wife of the late Jagadish Bhandary from Derebail. She had traveled to Someshwara with her relatives to perform the ritual for her brother-in-law, Karunakar Bhandary, who had passed away recently.

After completing the ceremony, Usha and her relatives went for a sea bath as part of the rites. Tragically, Usha slipped and was swept away by the strong waves. Though her relatives cried out for help, locals who rushed into the sea could only retrieve her lifeless body. She was declared dead when brought to shore.

Usha had retired after a 40-year career as an assistant secretary at the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA). She is survived by her daughter.

The body has been sent to K S Hegde Hospital in Deralakatte for postmortem, and a case has been registered at the Ullal police station.

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