Revelling in ruins

K. Venkatesh, a freelance news photographer is back with his photography exhibition, which is almost an annual feature now. This time, the exhibition, titled “Beauty and The Beholder”, comprises 51 photographs featuring Olga B. Aaron, a Chennai-based transwoman and social activist, modelling among the ruins of Bidar’s imposing fortress, and Takht Mahal.

Bidar, in north Karnataka’s Deccan Plateau, is home to one of the largest forts in India with an almost six-mile diameter; it was built during the Bahamani rule. It was one of the largest kingdoms in India in the 15{+t}{+h}century. Venkatesh points out that despite its stature as the “envy of Rome”, Bidar has been largely ignored by everybody.

Venkatesh is well-known for using eunuchs as models for the first time in India, and has done an elaborate feature on the transgender festival and rituals at Koovagam (Tamil Nadu); he’s also produced perhaps the country’s first transgender calendar. Why does he repeatedly choose to work with transgenders? “Why not?” is his first instinctive response. “If they suit my subject, I will get them to model,” says Venkatesh who has interacted with transgenders for the last 15 years and produced three exhibitions featuring them.

“Nearly five years ago, I shot among the ruins in Bidar. But when I came back and saw my photographs, I felt they were too static and not communicating anything… there was no human touch. So I didn’t do anything with those pictures. Recently, when I was thinking about it again, I saw parallels between the neglected ruins of Bidar and the neglected lives of transgenders…” Olga, who had been to his photo show earlier, had expressed her desire to work with him.

Olga, who brought along her own costumes to the shoot, stands in stark colourful contrast to the rusty brown and black of the ruins, peeling plaster, and exposed bricks. She’s sprawled on the floor, her sari pallu spread out like in an ad, sometimes sitting dreamily in a vandalised nook in the wall, or simply basking sensuously in the sun among the arches. Or, clad in animal prints, she looks like she’s emerging from the fort’s shadows. Of course, Olga hadn’t heard of Bidar, and when Venkatesh spoke to her first about the project, he simply asked her to Google it!

The exhibition, which opened today, is on till November 30 at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Kumara Krupa Road, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call Venkatesh on 98440-25525.

More:http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/revelling-in-ruins/article4138586.ece

‘No objection to starting civil aviation operations’

There was no objection from any stakeholders to starting civil aviation operations from the Air Force base here, P.C. Jaffer, Deputy Commissioner, said here on Monday.

A team of senior officials from the Defence Ministry, Civil Aviation and GMR group visited the Air Force base in the afternoon.

They inspected the air strip and control facilities, the civilian terminal and other areas.

Officials held a meeting at the Deputy Commissioner’s office later.

Those present included Rajkumar Khatri, Principal Secretary, Infrastructure; Uma Nanduri, Director, Defence Ministry, IAF officials, Vikram Singhania of GMR, K. Tyagarajan, Superintendent of Police, and Sunil Panwar, Deputy Conservator of Forests, according to a release.

Five years ago, the State government obtained the Defence Ministry’s permission to use the Bidar Air Force base for civil aviation operations.

GMR’s Objections

However, the Airports Authority of India did not clear the proposal, citing objections from the GMR group that operates the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, which has a flying distance of less than 150 km from Bidar.

The State government wrote to the GMR group to take over civil aviation operations at the Bidar base.

The GMR group had said that it would study the proposal.

More:http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/no-objection-to-starting-civil-aviation-operations/article4113867.ece

KVAFSU to tie up with American universities (bidar).

The Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU) will tie up with some American universities for exchange of faculty and students.

“We have had one round of discussions with deans of veterinary universities in Minnesota and Atlanta in the U.S. , about a mutually beneficial exchange programme. We have invited them to visit our facilities. They are expected within the next one or two months,” said KVAFSU Vice-Chancellor C. Renuka Prasad here on Monday.

“If all goes well, our overseas exchange programme should start by the next academic year,” he told presspersons.

“This is part of our initiative to enrich the learning experiences of our students and the research undertaken by our faculty. This will expose our students and teachers to the best practices in education. We expect it to improve our overall quality of teaching,” he said. Special research and development facilities would be developed on KVAFSU’s campuses in Bangalore and Bidar, to receive the faculty arriving from the U.S. and to aid our researchers working on collaborative projects, he added.

“The university will start the second round of appointments of teaching and non-teaching staff. We recruited over 100 teachers last year. We are inviting applications for the appointment of around 80 teachers. The university’s administrative board will also discuss the appointment of 140 non-teaching staff,” he said. The university plans to appoint 17 persons to the Directorate of Extension. “This will help us pass on information to farmers on emerging technologies in animal husbandry. We also plan to set up our own Krishi Vigyan Kendras,” he added.

more:http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/kvafsu-to-tie-up-with-american-universities/article4113866.ece

New Bidar SP takes charge..

“The special cell formed to curb the land mafia in Bidar will be strengthened,” Kandasamy Tyagarajan, Superintendent of Police, said here on Monday.

He was speaking to presspersons after taking charge.

Dr. Tyagarajan added that the police would work with revenue officials to check the growth of the land mafia. The 36-year-old veterinary science graduate is a 2006 batch IPS officer.

Background

Dr. Tyagarajan hails from Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu and has worked as Assistant Superintendent of Police, Humnabad, Superintendent of Police, Kolar, and Deputy Commissioner of Police (City Armed Reserve), Bangalore.

more: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/new-bidar-sp-takes-charge/article4113690.ece

SP’s transfer condemned

Members of the Bidar District Minorities Welfare Council took out a rally here on Thursday condemning the transfer of N. Satish Kumar, Superintendent of Police .

By transferring him in the middle of an investigation into the murder of BJP leader Rohan Patil, the government was trying to protect the accused, they charged.

Mr. Kumar was transferred as he was trying to arrest Ravi Swamy and M. Riyaz, members of the Bidar City Municipal Council, who were the accused in the murder case, they alleged.

Mr. Kumar had set up a special cell to deal with land disputes.

This had angered the land mafia that forced Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar to transfer him. The Chief Minister should cancel the transfer till the investigation into the murder case was complete, they added.

The members submitted a memorandum to the government. M. Yusuf Khan, district president, and M. Imran Sayeed, general secretary, of the council led the rally.

More:http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/sps-transfer-condemned/article4100526.ece

Cooperative Hospital at Lalbagh in Bidar.

Minister for Cooperation B.J. Puttaswamy will visit Bidar on Sunday. He will lay the foundation stone of the Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli Cooperative Hospital at Lalbagh in Bidar taluk and inaugurate the new building of the Sharada Self-Employment Training Institute promoted by the District Central Cooperative Bank in Naubad here. He will leave for Hyderabad in the evening. — Special Correspondent


More:http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/puttaswamy-for-bidar/article4086861.ece

DCC to start core banking services..

The Bidar District Central Cooperative (DCC) Bank will start core banking services in all its branches by April, said bank Chairman Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli here on Saturday.

Once this happens, customers will get all the services offered by nationalised banks, he said. He was speaking at the inauguration of the core banking solutions computer laboratory at the bank’s headquarters.

S.N.A. Jinnah, Chief General Manager of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, inaugurated the laboratory. He said that the DCC Bank’s microfinance activities needed to be expanded to help poor families in the district. Bank Chief Executive Officer Mallikarjun Mahajan and General Manager Nijappa Patri were present.

more:http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/dcc-to-start-core-banking-services/article4086862.ece