'Renuka Devi, who lives in Bengaluru, is staring at an uncertain future. For the next two weeks of the lockdown, the 32-year-old, who works as domestic help, is not going to get her monthly salary. Renuka works in multiple households to earn enough to run and manage her household. With the lockdown, several of her employers have refused to pay her and she is struggling to sustain her livelihood. Just like many women across India, who work as domestic helps, Renuka too is struggling to buy ration and does not have the privilege of social distancing in times of a pandemic.
'Discrimination against Northeast students in Mysuru is not an exception, as people from the region in Bengaluru have been bearing the brunt for the past two weeks — they have been called names and even forced to vacate their houses. Vezokho Resu, president of North East Welfare Association Karnataka (NEWAK), said he has attended to at least 10 people who were forced to vacate their homes in Koramangala and Shantinagar. “They started with calling people from the northeast as ‘corona’ and it has escalated since.
'If you have been rolling your eyes at the number of social media posts appearing on your timeline from friends and family, this big brother’s expectations are on another level altogether. The Karnataka government has asked all those who are quarantined at home over the COVID-19 outbreak to send a selfie every hour from their home, failing which they may be housed in mass quarantine centres. That’s 15 selfies per day for 14 days, amounting to a total of 210 selfies for the entire quarantine period!...'
'An asthma patient died in Kasargod who could not access medical aid in time. The deceased was a native of Thuminad, a region in Kerala-Karnataka border. Meanwhile, a pregnant woman delivered a baby in an ambulance while she was on her way to Mangalapuram...'
'Ardra Narayanan, a student-activist in Bengaluru who was arrested by Bengaluru police for holding a “Muslim, Kashmiri, Bahujan, Adivasi, Trans liberation now” placard a month ago, was released on bail on Tuesday after a month.
'The Karnataka government's move to make addresses of those under home quarantine public on Tuesday evening has raised concerns among citizens, who say this is a serious breach of privacy that could have serious social implications. This move comes at a time when videos are being shared of airline crew being ostracised by their housing societies for flying in COVID-19 affected zones in their line of duty.
'Residents say that the police were also beating them up after being seen at grocery stores... Several residents of Bengaluru city have complained that police personnel, deployed to enforce the lockdown, have been shutting down grocery stores and drinking water units. This, despite the Karnataka Chief Secretary Vijay Bhaskar issuing an order that clearly said that grocery stores are essential services that will be allowed to operate...'
'Exactly a month ago, on February 20, a petite, young woman, Amulya Leona Noronha, got on to a stage filled with men and shouted “Pakistan Zindabad”. The event was part of the ongoing nationwide agitation against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The slogan she shouted alarmed the men present — including All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi who was on the stage — so much that they tried to snatch the microphone away and prevent her from speaking another word.
'In february this year, Amulya Leona, a student activist, was taken into custody by Bengaluru police after she raised 'Hindustan Zindabad' and 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans at an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rally organised by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi in the city. She had been charged with the offence of sedition and for promoting enmity at the Upparpete police station. On February 20, Public TV telecast a TV show where statements were made allegedly calling for violence against her.
'Even as state governments are working at war-footing to identify active cases and contain the novel coronavirus in India, one section of people, while indispensible, continue to remain more vulnerable to the disease: civic workers and those engaged in solid waste management. Activists in Bengaluru are advocating for fair work conditions for pourakarmikas – the city’s civic workers – and allege that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is not doing enough to protect these workers who are responsible for maintaining everyday health and hygiene in the city...'
