http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/apr20/s7.htm
DH News Service
BANGALORE, April 19

Boys will be boys but it's a different story with girls. Like Chennamma, a 11-year-old girl from a village in Bijapur. In fact, it is apt to say she is a 11-year-old woman.

Chennamma of Thangadi village, Muddebihal taluk, Bijapur district was married when she was barely four years of age. She takes care of her lorry driver husband, 25-year-old Shivana Gouda and his parents, cooks food, keeps the house clean and milks the cow. Education is a distant dream for her. Her parents, who are economically poor, got her married to Gouda when the proposal came. They felt they would not be able to afford the marriage at the right age due to increasing expenses.

Ekalavya Project Director Vishwasagar narrated the poor little girl's tale at a press conference here on Wednesday. He said he was aghast to see about 25 married pre-teen girls in Bijapur district where he had organised a workshop on the ''Rights of girl child.''

Now Chennamma is "rehabilitated," thanks to her husband and in-laws and is studying at a school 'Nadedaduva Nakshatragalu' run by the Ekalavya Project. Mr Vishwasagar said the institution has planned State-wide rallies from Dharwad on April 30 'Anti-Child Labour Day' demanding education and equality for the girl child.

He said the rally has been supported by various anti-child labour agencies such as the Campaign Against Child Labour and Dalit Sangharsha Samiti.

DH News Service
MANGALORE, April 20

Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat member Nalini has called upon women to utilise the benefits under the Stree Shakti programme of the State government.

She was speaking after inaugurating a training camp of the Stree shakti group of women at Vittal in Bantwal taluk of the district recently. The programme has been organised under the auspices of the Women and Child Development Department of the government.

Taluk Panchayat members Vedavati and Dharmavati were the chief guests. Vittal Gram Panchayat Vice-President Sitarama Shetty presided over the function. Head Master Ganapathi Bhat, Mr Vijayakumar Bhandari, Mr S L Naik, ZP member M S Mohammed and others were present.

Ms Gayatri R Kambali compered the programme and Ms P Pushapavati welcomed the gathering.

MOODABIDRE: MLA Abhayachadra has called upon Dalits to give up all bad habits to improve their living conditions.

He was speaking after inaugurating the 110th birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar at Moodabidri recently.

SP Kishan Kumar, TMC President Agnes Saldhana, SI Vasanth Kumar and other DSS leaders were also present on the occasion.

Mr M Gopu welcomed the gathering and Mr Karunakara proposed the vote of thanks.

UJIRE: Member of Parliament D C Srikantappa said that all-religious conventions help in preaching communal tolerance and peace in the society.He was speaking at an all-religious meet at Kajur in Belthangady taluk recently. Urs Mubarak organised the meet.MLA K Prabharaka Bangera inaugurated the meet and called upon people live peacefully without religious hatred.Former minister K Gangadhara Gowda, MLA K M Ibrahim and other local prominent leaders were present.

Janawadi Mahila Sanghatane General Secretary K Neela has urged the State government to provide land and jobs for the poor people living in the villages of Gulbarga district.Speaking at a press conference here on Saturday, she said that villagers in Gulbarga sold their girl babies due to acute poverty and illiteracy. The Mahila Sanghatane's has planned several activities in Tandas of Gulbarga to create awareness about girl child among the poor women, she said adding that activities will be launched intensively in Tandas like Dharmapura, Sangapura and other neighbouring Tandas.

Comming down heavily against the politicians of the State, she said many MLAs and MPs had been wasting money during the time of elections. Majority of the people living below poverty line in Hyderabad-Karnataka region. But the State government had not taken up any concrete measures to solve the problems of the people, she said.

MLA Kailasanth Patil, son of former chief minister Veerendra Patil, elected from the Chincholi taluk. But he visited Konchavaram Tanda only after the news of sale of baby girls spread in the entire state, she charged. The MLA had not visited the village before the incident of sale of baby girls, she said.MEET: A State-level convention of the Janavadi Mahila Sanghatane will be held on May 16, 17, 18 in Mangalore. Prior to that district-level conventions will be organised, she said.

Stating that all ''anti-people'' policies of the government will be opposed, she said the conventions will create awareness on issues like dowry, discrimination against women etc. The organisation was also demanding 30 per cent reservation for women in all the government departments and posts, she said.Urging the people to defeat the Congress and BJP candidates in the civic elections, she said except Congress and BJP, other parties were supprting the organisation activities in the state.CPM leader N K Upadhyaya, Ms Sureka Rajaputa of the Sanghtane were present at the press meet.