A LAB JOURNAL OF THE PG STUDENTS OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION COMMUNIQUE CONCERN, COMPASSION, CONSCIENCE Rs. 5/- VOLUME-10; ISSUE - 2 ST JOSEPH’S COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) AUGUST 2017 The ill effects of majoritarianism Jayasimha K.R across the country, it looks like the issue is not about one party politics of hatred, he noted. majoritarianism is turning out trying to decimate the other “Intolerance towards the BENGALURU: The Congress to be more of a divisive agenda party. Instead, he said “The opposing voices is dangerous party was the first to coin popular instead of one that unites . It issue is the death of consensus for the plurality and multi- slogans for public consumption also seems to be increasingly politics. Policy making should be culturalism of our country,” he in the run-up to elections. These autocratic and despotic. an exercise through consensus. said included the slogans “Garibi However, the emptied and Hatao’ and ‘Roti, Kapada aur exhausted opposition led by the Makaan’ apart from the infamous Congress which has miserably More and more one stating that “India is Indira failed at every single stage in the Indians set off to and Indira is India’. current political scenario has to During the 2014 general be equally blamed for thepresent foreign lands elections, the BJP came out situation. The Opposition is too with the slogan ‘Congress worried about its own survival Mukt Bharath’, one of its most than that of the nation. It is too Page 2 populous slogans, second only weak to take on the government. to ‘Abki Baar Modi Sarkar’. There were some dramatic Now the BJP is now aiming for upheavals, like the formation of ‘Har Baar Modi Sarkar’, ‘Baar the Mahaghatabandhan in Bihar, Baar Modi Sarkar’. ‘Congress but it is broken now. There INDIA TODAY Mukt Bharath’ is a step towards doesn’t seem to be anyone or that, as the Congress is the Majoritarianism of this kind The Food Security Bill, Land any common issue that can unite only opponent to the BJP at the has ill-effects at multiple levels - Acquisition Act, etc. were passed the Opposition to fight the ruling national level. from politics to policies, and can based on consensus. Now things party which is expanding its base Politics is all about power also lead to narcissistic politics have changed”. by leaps and bounds. The hidden story and holding and hanging on to rather than the altruistic, in terms These un-democratic Economist and Rajya Sabha of the Titanic in an power. But the BJP-led NDA is of face and phase. behaviours and practices are M.P from the Congress, Prof. aiming at majoritarianism, given Dr.Sujit Kumar, faculty, slowing changing the nature of Dr. Rajiv Gowda,Spoke of the Assamese family the size, scale, style and scope Department of Political Science, politics in the country which hijacking of, of NDA’s stupendous spread St.Joseph’s College, says that would eventually lead to the (Continued on page 4) Page 3 Indira Canteens fill the belly for Rs 5 & 10! Shivangee Dasgupta of Rs 200 crores sanctioned the food. The whole menu is Jayasimha , Assistant Executive by the Government under the vegetarian food,” he added. Engineer, Vasanth Nagar sub BENGALURU: The Nagarottana scheme. Dosa “It is the flagship of the division. Siddaramaiah government in sambar, Idli, Upma, Puliyogare, government programme. There “Each kitchen will be equipped Karnataka has initiated the Indira Vada, Kharabath, Pongal, Rava are many restaurants and hotels to provide food to at least 7 to 8 Canteens programme keeping in khichdi, Chitranna, Vangibath, in Bangalore, but they charge canteens, which was a huge task mind the vision that no one in the and Kesribath are some of the exorbitantly. So there are many because it involved building state should go hungry. of the canteens, building The Indira Canteens were the kitchens, fitting of all inaugurated by Rahul Gandhi, equipments into the canteen, etc. An interview with Congress Vice-President on There are a few lacunae which Poornachandra August 16. The canteens serve will be resolved soon. Only after breakfast at Rs 5 and lunch and checking the quality, the food Thejaswi dinner at Rs 10, maintaining will be sent for consumption. high levels of hygiene and Around 6 to 7 people will be cleanliness. appointed to work in each Indira Canteens have been canteen,” he added. Page 6 built with an aim to reach out to “Jayalalithaa had started the poor and the downtrodden Amma Canteens in Tamil Nadu, sections of the society and which had the same aim as especially for people who these canteens. These canteens cannot afford costly places and Indira Canteen at Shettyhalli MEGHASRI seem to be a political gimmick go hungry. The canteens have items served at the canteens,” poor people who are not able to which is being unleashed just been named after Indira Gandhi, said L. Suresh, PRO of the afford that, so they end up going before the elections. But the former Prime Minister of India. BBMP. hungry. There are many street Amma Canteens were really “A 101 canteens are already ”The canteen opens thrice a vendors serving food too but they clean and had good quality food functioning and 98 more will be day. Around 8 am for breakfast, hardly maintain hygiene and nor so much so that people from IT Belly dancers, opened soon. Two companies around 12:30 pm for lunch, do they maintain any quality of companies Started coming and - Rewards and Chef Talks - are around 7.30 pm for dinner. The food that they serve. These street eating in those canteens because like hips, providing the meals for now crowd is increasing a lot, we vendors also end up charging the food was tasty and cheap as don’t lie! and the canteens are only being expected around 300 people but quite a lot. The program is to well initiating Indira Canteens, utilized for distributing the the crowd is around 800. The have one Indira Canteen in each In Karnataka is going to prove food. The canteens are built crowd is increasing because of ward and one kitchen in each a good vote capturing move for, Page 8 and functioning with the fund the hygiene and good taste of assembly constituency,” said (Continued on page 4) 2 COMMUNIQUE FEATURE AUGUST 2017 Ramanuja is universally relevant even at 1000 Jayasimha K.R operation and collaboration in Tamil Nadu. The Shaivite Even today, the Tamil Veda is traditions, because his works were the means to achieve the king chased Ramanuja out of sung in all Vaishnava shrines with offer a thoughtful and coherent BENGALURU: summun bonum in life and to Tamil Nadu and he took refuge utmost veneration. This concept, explication of theism – even a Ramanujacharya, whose 1000th attain moksha (salvation) in Karnataka. He went back known as Ubhaya Vedanta, is a monotheism – that takes into birth anniversary is being The radical conclusion to Srirangam after a couple profound contribution to Indian account the nature of the world celebrated now, was a significant Ramanuja reached was that of decades and then travelled thought and the plural nature of and the nature of the human, anti-establishment, spiritual a person of any jathi, varna, extensively all over the country Indian culture. and works out a path of acute revolutionary who might be seen ashrama (stage of life) could preaching and gathering Ramanuja’s literary output is knowledge and a path of intense as the anti-thesis of the political, attain salvation. He argued disciples. He passed away in enormous and onerous. He wrote devotional path that are indebted social and cultural developments that no one is or can be denied 1137 CE at the age of 120 years, commentaries on the Brahma to his scriptures - the Upanisads, taking place in India under the Sutras and Bhagwad Geeta, the Gita, and implicitly the works banner of hyper nationalism. philosophical treatises, hymns of the Alvars.” Ramanuja recognised caste and prayers. He was the main “Ramanuja is, for Christians, a as an evil and sought to rectify source of intellectual support and kindred spirit, a fellow theological its discriminatory practices, inspiration for the great Bhakthi and devotional believer, in believed in gender equality, was movement in India. One can also another great tradition. Some of all-inclusive and a practitioner trace his impact and influence on his works (Vedarthasamgraha, and inspirer of philosophy, the Carnatic music tradition. Gitabhasya, Sribhasya) are spirituality, art and architecture Ramanuja was also the great commentarial works, and public works. He was inspiration behind the building focused on scripture and how venerated as a great philosopher, of the spectacular Hoysala to read it properly and fashion scholar and saint even by temples at Beluru, Halebidu, philosophies that do justice vigorous traditionalists. Tondanuru, Talakadu, Melukote to their scriptural roots; the Though he came from the and Gadag (some of which are Gadyatraya give clear voice to The sage and his disciples Vedantic position, he espoused DIVYAKATAKSHAM world heritage sites now and devotion, and “put words into radical positions that made spiritual enlightenment because considered a complete life. all of which are monuments of the mouth” of devotees, on how him a universal sage. Born of caste or gender. Ramanuja Ramanuja was also in the national importance). properly to call upon God; and at Sriperumbudur in Tamil taught that bhakti was universal forefront of linguistic reforms. It is because of him that the Nityam offers a lovely, rich Nadu in 1017 CE , Ramanuja and this made his philosophy and He gave equal prominence to Hoysala art, architecture and and full instruction on the daily was the chief exponent of teachings all-inclusive.