“Mom-Dad– we have grown big now and I cannot tolerate anymore tensions in this house as I already have many in the office, hence we have decided, that you stay separately”

These lines are very hurting indeed but as a burger is a part of the culture now, even such statements are common, mainly in the urban areas. There are others who cannot live with their children because of generation-gap issues or extreme differences in opinion.

People who have cared for over 20 years suddenly become burden and when they really need support they are left home less, and for such people we have SWAMI CHAYA PRATISTHAN’s “GHARKUL”.

Gharkul (A Home and Hope for Aged) was started on Akshatritiya day in the year 2001 at the hands late Shri Digambar Pant (alias “Anna”) Parulekar in a small rented house in Tilakwadi, Belgaum. He donated Rs.1 Lac for this noble cause. The Home was in the same premises for about 3 ½ years. Later it was shifted to a better and larger accommodation in cantonment area of Belgaum that too is a rented place from 1st January 2005 in the compound of Late Shri Rustumji Ruttonji.

GHARKUL is managed by SWAMI CHAYA PRATISTHAN established in 2001,in association with like minded people to provide shelter and homely atmosphere to senior citizens.

The number of inmates have increased due to the home’s endeavor to give better and homely atmosphere to the old aged from various walks of life who had to leave their homes under various circumstances. A shelter is needed for old aged unmarried citizens, the widows, the spinsters, parents of children who are away abroad for better life and better career and of course those old age people who are abandoned by their children. There are currently 90 inmates.

Though the concept of Vrudhashram (Old Age Homes) doesn’t fit in our Indian Culture, it is the need of the hour due to various reasons.

The foundation of Gharkul was laid by Mukund Potdar, who said he is investing Rs.1 lakh and opened Gharkul with two inmates.

Typically, while registering a new resident, a small deposit, commitment to a monthly payment, and a medical certificate saying the person does not suffer from a contagious disease is all what is required. Two cooks reside on the premises to provide three meals a day. Arrangements are made so residents can visit banks, stores or temples as needed. A doctor visits the home on a regular basis taking care of the medical needs.

The inmates range in the age group of 60 to 81 years and the number currently stands at .

The trust aims to have their own premises with a decent individual accommodation for each resident with attached amenities.

The Trust has purchased 4 guntas of land ie 54000 Sq Fts. on Rakaskop Road, Benakanhalli Village, about 7 KMs from Belgaum for the new home.

“Bhoomi Pooja” was done of GHARKUL and temple on 1st May 2010 on the eve of the home’s ‘Anniversary Day’ at the hands of Hon’ble Sri Sanjay Patil M. L.A. Belgaum Rural and Sri Anil Potdar, Ex-Chairman BUDA. The actual construction work has already begun in the month of July 2010 under the guidance and architecture of renowned Architect Sri R D Shanbag.

Though the proposed building of GHARKUL will be two-storied, to start with, they intend to construct only the ground floor with an area of about 8500 Sq. Fts. The Estimated cost of the Project including the Temple is around Rs. 80 lakhs. In the first phase of construction, they intend to complete 50 % of the ground floor and shift to the new premises by our next ‘Anniversary’ which will mark our eventful ‘10th Anniversary’. The estimated cost for first phase is about Rs. 60 lakh.

The trust has appealed to all kind-hearted people to contribute for this noble cause and help them to facilitate the needy senior citizens in a better way. The trust is registered and all donations will get the benefit under IT laws.

Donations may kindly be remitted by cash/ Cheque in Favour of“SWAMI CHAYA PRATISTHAN”
B.C.71/2, Elphiston Road, Opp. Officer’s Mess Camp, BELGAUM-1

Phone:0831-2469047 Mobile:09448989683

Website: http://www.gharkulbgm.org/

Mandar Jagtap a Freelance graphic designer at ocean graphics made this caricature of Sanjay Patil welcoming Nitin Gadkari to Belgaum.

Bharatiya Janata Party’s national president Nitin Gadkari here, said that India is one country and we will remain one.

On the issue of his party MLAs in the state were being alleged of illegal mining, Gadkari as anyone else said that BJP believes in law and the Lokyukta.

At the press meet

On the border dispute, Nitin Gadkari on a cautious note said that Manmohan Singh should take a lead to solve the dispute with the two states. With this he also stated that both Marathi and Kannada speaking people should work together for development keeping aside all linguistic differences. He did not take any more questions on this topic saying the matter was in the Supreme court and it would not be good to discuss matters which are in the court.

Later Nitin Gadkari gave a small speech at Gomatesh vidyapeeth where Chairman of Gomatesh Vidyapeet Sanjay Patil, MLA, Suresh C. Angai, M.P., former minister Shashikant A. Nayak and Mahantesh Kavatagimath, MLC were present.

Among those were blatant by their absence were Abhay Patil, MLA and Prabhakar B. Kore, M.P.

Meet Mahesh Jadhav, aged 24 who has seen a tough life all his years, has become a philanthropist at 24 by starting Mahesh Foundation a registered NGO.

Under the NGO he has just started “Aadhar” a home for the homeless kids at Kanbargi, Belgaum.

Aadhar will provide shelter to the homeless children along with education and skills of self employment. At this moment Aadhar has 23 family members as Mahesh calls them 11 boys and 12 girls all from Belgaum Taluka.

Aadhar has been set up with the help various industrialists who are like minded who have come together to provide shelter to the orphans. All orphans within the age group of 4 to 12 years will be accommodated to begin with. At this moment Aadhar has a capacity of 40 children and in future he plans to expand it to 200 children.

Aadhar has 11 board of directors including businessmen, entrepreneurs and social workers like Raju Malavade, Bhemu Jadhav, Shankar Pujari, Mrutunjay Hiremath and Renuka Bhosale.

About Mahesh Jadhav:

Mahesh is a diploma holder from Bhartesh and did his schooling from Siddeshwar high school Kanbargi.

He began his enterprising career from a small photocopying shop in Kapileshwar at the age of 20. After he was able to save a few rupees he got an idea of starting some other business and started Mahesh enterprises, a consumer durables shop. Later he started Mahesh Finance to solely finance the consumer electronics buying with his own capital of Rs.3 lakhs. He then started Mahesh Transport which now transports mid day meals to 54 schools.

Mahesh’s business is also unique. He sells all the consumer electronic goods majorly in the rural markets of Kanbargi, Honga, Sambra & Sulebhavi on finance. His 85% of the sales are under finance, and all this finance is done through his company Mahesh Finance.

Life for Mahesh was not angelical. He lost his father when he was a year old in an accident. His mother, a brave heart brought up Mahesh and other five children (3 brothers & 2 sisters). Now one sister takes care of his Photo copy shop and the other looks after Kanbargi consumer durables shop.

Mahesh told AAB that, bankers gave him a lot of support all through for his business and he fell into social service in 2006. From then on he has never looked back and he had decided then only that he would build a home for the homeless.

Aadhar is his first step towards fulfillment of his philanthropic dream.

All the best to him.

Aadhar currently needs your support and people interested can donate in kind or cash.

People who are interested in helping him in his venture could call him on 0831-242810/ 9164575327

Address of home: Aadhar, 792/1 Siddeshwar Nagar, Kanbargi, Belgaum – 15.

Email: maheshfoundationbgm@gmail.com

A look at its logos:

I have been in Belgaum from many years, but in the past week or so I have got a great demand for my self after the rake up of the border dispute once again.

Did you all get who am I, NO, I am “Effigy” A crude figure or dummy representing a hated person or group.

I am made in all sizes and figures with many faces most of them very flagitious, but even then I am made with care and then carried along to a center of the circle and my favorite circle is Chennamma Circle. Where after shouting slogans a few who made me keep me in the center of the circle and when all the traffic is blocked “I feel like a hero, with people from all angles looking at me and the media jumping, sitting to get a good angle of me”.

After all shoutiung is done it my time to get some harsh beating with chappals and sandals and then some inflammable material is thrown on me and I am set a aflame.

Things just dont end here for me, infact once I am set on fire people pound on me from all directions, kick me, throw me and get out all the ill feeling they have about some one out on me as if I was in real the person who they hated.

After some flashes by the media as I am set a blaze and I collapse down on the earth, where my end is near, the people who made me again shout slogans and leave me alone and walk away.

My mortal remains are then thrown away in a unruly and unacceptable manner by the Police usually on the side of the road where my life comes to an end, but I am happy to die, as I have come of some use to them, they may be “Marathi’ or “Kannada’. Thats my story- Effigy.

The same story with one image from the Story (cow grazing) was picked up and published in Sakal on 14-07-2010.

On 15-07-2010 we were surprised again to see the same cow appear in Indian Express with a similar tittle.

We at AAB believe that we are working on the right path of giving the readers good and solid material which is also original (most of the times). This has also happened in the past and we are proud of our readers that you got to know this story first than others.

We are not faltering ourselves, we cant do that, We dont have a massive team to work, but even then we do try to get you information which is fruitful.

Even we at AAB take copies from so many papers and sites but we also mention our source as a respect to the first person who wrote it, we also expected the same here.

Anyways readers, thanks for the support and we will try getting you reports earlier than others if possible.

Thanks Shaielsh Joshi for the IE Copy.

The English media took a fifty fifty stand.

But my question to all residents of Belgaum, (we hope we can call our selves Belgaumites with no language bias again) is what difference has this particular reply by the Central government made to us.

Belgaumites are moving on with their lives in a city, which they feel, needs infrastructure and industrial development more than linguistic oneupmanship.

Still the case is hearing and when the final verdict will be out is not known. The Supreme Court will also understand the nature of this case and not give any decision in a haste.

Many people we spoke to said that, they never felt that there was a issue and status quo should be maintained.

College going students never realized that this kind of issue exists and they said what difference does it make if one speaks Kannada and other Marathi. In fact everyone has friend whose mother tongue is Marathi or Kannada and we together spend hours together chatting.

Many people who were born here studied here and then went out for work, spent their entire life working and now have come back to Belgaum to live a peaceful life. Their demand is a more better developed Belgaum.

Take it to be city’s bad luck but the name of our city is in the limelight for non developmental issues rather than developmental.

Belgaum belongs to Belgaumites and we should forget the past, the past has only spoken of warriors and not good administrators who were pro people and development of society, thats we act in aggression and harsh ways. if in our past we had good administrators ruling us who gave importance to good culture and development of society Belgaumites today would not be fighting on language issue rather we would have been a more advanced community with all the natural resources that god has gifted us in Belgaum. Our rulers were mere tax collectors, tomb builders, religion enforcers. Lets forget the past and join hands for development, I am sure they youth of Belgaum irrespective of language only need development and respect both languages and cultures. It is time to move on, unite and consolidate for a better future.

Many rejoiced when this particular reply was filed in the Supreme court, but what difference has it made to us? We have the same roads, same water supply, same electric supply. We have no great options for amusement and when some guests come here and when they ask,” what is there in your city to see?” we are in a fix. I have seen people ask me where can I take my guests out for sight seeing in the city.

This linguistic domination of one group will take us back and not forward.

Many would argue that, previous governments have harassed us and as a city we have not got what we should have got as being one of the highest tax payers to the state after Bangalore.

But here we are not understanding the “Raajneeti”. Politicians use this language card and play with the emotions, they succeed we fail.

If we come together and form a Belgaum where we dont entertain them they have no option. We are only responsible for all this. In a market, goods are sold only when there is a market.

We all Belgaumites need to come aboard a platform and get work done from the govt.
Platforms BELGAUMNEXT having this same thought are working towards a better Belgaum.

Development of Belgaum is most important thing. Let energies be diverted in the right channel wherein it benefits people, its easy to provoke people on language and religion but not on constructive issues.

We are sure living with pride and respect is more important than in which state. Cant we have a situation while in Karnataka that no one misses what they feel they miss. Belgaum is Bi-lingual is a known fact ; history speaks of this for the last 500 years.

Be proud Belgaumite.

The thought that he would die was eating him. His wife stood next to him not knowing what had happened to her husband. She decided to live life positively and encouraged Mahantesh to look at life positively and one day he too decided that, lets face it and he removed all the bad thoughts from his mind and decided to work for the welfare of HIV positive patients. He was very good at speaking and making one understand in his own language. With time two years passed by and nothing happened to him. This gave him more confidence to enjoy life and take it as it comes and today in 2010 Mahantesh Mali is the president of the Spandana network which looks after the welfare of HIV patients.
He is healthy and takes only a single medicine and is now father of a two year old (HIV Negative) child leading a happy life with his wife and many children.

Yes many children, he just started Nandana Makkala Dhama which houses 30 children from various areas of Belgaum district who are all HIV positives and all have been either left off by their parents or they have no one to take care of.

Nandana Makkala Dhama

Nandana Makkala Dhama is an initiative of staff of Spandana Network with Mr.Mahantesh R Mali at the helm of affiars. The Makkala Dhama formally inaugurated by Mr. Manjunath BH, Regional Commissioner, Belgaum and Dr. Ashok Muragod, District Superintendent, Belgaum on 31st December 2008.

The staffs of the Spandana Network decided to start an orphan home for the HIV positive children feeling their needs in the district. The staffs contributed their one month salary for this noble cause. The network also did an advocacy with Children and Welfare Department and succeeded to get a building for 10 years. The Honorable Minister Mr. Balachandra Jarkiholi donated an Ambulance for this cause.

This is the first such hostel in north Karnataka working without any government aid.

A small interview with Mahantesh Mali:

What is that you would like to say to all about HIV positives?

Nobody dies of AIDS they all die of fear and stigma. It is our duty to spread awareness so that society treats people living with HIV with care and compassion. Social stigma and discrimination killed more people than AIDS. However, the situation was changing as HIV infected people were being accepted by general public. HIV positive people lose immunity and were prone to diseases such as TB, diarrhoea, etc. Providing medicines for such people should be the priority of government hospitals.

Have you got any support from the local MP and MLA’s?

(Laughs) He says we call all of them but we have not received any concrete help anyone local MLA’s and MP’s. We had called Mr.Angadi many a times but he still hasnt visited our functions. Only Mr. Balachandra Jarkiholi donated an ambulance and has promised to construct a building once we get land for our Makkala Dham.

How do you identify these children?

We are on tour on 5 days in various parts of the district and then we try and identify children who are positives or who have been left off by their parents or their parents have expired. We have identified about 700 HIV positives in Belgaum district but we cannot manage all of them dude to lack of funds hence we are only looking after 30 students.

What is that you do at this Makkala Dham?

We get these children from rural areas like Hukkeri, Raibag, Gokak, Savadatti and surrounding areas teach them here for a year and then make arrangements to shift them to govt. school for actual schooling.
During this time we take complete care of them with medicines, food and shelter.

Some of your experiences while working in this field?

Mostly all are bad, but one incident which still hurts me is the case of a school building in Bassavan Kolla(behind Hindalco) which was lying un utilized as the school was shifted from there to a more bigger building. We got permission from all the authorities and just before the day we were supposed to take possession of the building the villagers opposed this and said that we wont allow HIV positive children around our village. Still the said building is lying un utilized for over 8 months now. This stigma from the minds of the people needs to be removed.

How do you manage the expenses of the Makkala Dham?

All the expenses are borne by the staff of Spanadana network. We pay Rs.4000 as rent for the building and then there are food, clothing expenses. Noble people do come forward and donate food, clothing etc but we dont have a continuous inflow of funds.
We really want to expand to our own building but we dont have funds.

There are very noble people around like Mr.Mahesh who donated a TV and a satellite connection so that the children can watch TV. Mahesh also arranged parties on his birthday at the Dham.

One good experience is also has to be mentioned. Just next our present building in Sadashiv nagar we had to open another office under a separate scheme of the Govt. where only registration of the patients would be done. But a lady of the apartment opposed this and field a police complaint. All the residents also joined in, but we explained them that this was only a center for registration and nothing else. But still they did not hear. After a few days of working over there the lady herself came forward and gave us the space for the second office.

What are your current needs?

Our current needs are many but we need cots (muti level) so that we can accommodate all the children in the small space we have. If any one is interested in donating anything they can contact me. It can be in kind or otherwise.

What are your future plans?

Future plan is to build a own building for the Makkala Dham and try and get more children in it.

Do you work only for HIV patients or others as well?

We mainly work for HIV patients but we work for others as well. A few months back there was a old man suffering from leprosy lying on the main road towards KLE hospital. We immediately bought some clothes for him gave him water and called the leprosy mission and got him admitted there. We have performed last rites on 17 people till now with the help of Mr.More Ex mayor.

About Spandana Network:

Spandana Network is a registered society working for and by people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) in Belgaum. It was started in 2005. Spandana Network Belgaum is affiliated to Karnataka Network for people living with HIV/AIDS, a State network of people living with HIV/AIDS. Spandana Network is working in Belgaum District from last four years. Network has registered 4500 PLHIVs including 600 children in which 50 children are orphan or semi orphan (Single Parent). 62 people work under the network selflessly to create awareness about HIV in entire Belgaum district.

At Spandana its not only awareness creation or giving medicines the consecrated staff of the network work all the time to identify people affected with HIV throughout the district and with the same also perform last rites on people who cannot afford or dont want to perform the last rites as the person has died being HIV positive.

On the other side at Spandana they have also managed to marry 17 couples together all being HIV positives. All the married couples are now happily leading a new lease of life.

Nandana Makkala Dhama

Mahantesh R Mali
4^th Cross, Nidhi Building, Near Kannada Marathi primary school, Sadashiv Nagar Belgaum.

Phone: 9611404408
0831- 4209865

Can you imagine this, we at AAB did not and Sahir hunted for information on the same all over the globe from Iceland to UK and got some confirmation on the same.

There were TWO ships which were named BELGAUM, yes the ships were named Belgaum but experts in Shipping history said that, determination of a specific reason for the name was not historically available.

There are TWO ships which had the name Belgaum both were shipping trawlers.

M.V.BELGAUM RE161 YEAR :- 1916 – vessel type Steam Tug
Vessel Name: Belgaum

Record Number: 1328
Resource Identifier: flod25052006060
Fishing Number: RE161
Type of Vessel: ST
Subsequent Names: Hofdaborg
Year Constructed: 1916

Constructed By: Cochrane & Sons Ltd
Constructed At: Selby
Gross Tons: 337
Length: 140.3 ft
Beam: 24.1 ft
Depth: 13.1 ft
Subsequent Owners: Hofdaborg h/f, Reykjavik
Date Scrapped: 1954/55

M.V.BELGAUM GY218 YEAR :- 1956 Type of Vessel – Motor Tanker

Vessel Name: Belgaum

Record Number: 601750
Resource Identifier: floh24072006005
Fishing Number: GY218
Type of Vessel: MT
Official Number: 184939
Previous Names: Prince Philip
Year Constructed: 1956
Constructed By: Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd
Constructed At: Beverley
Gross Tons: 577
Length: 165.4 ft
Beam: 30.3 ft
Depth: 15.3 ft
Engines: Mirlees Bickerton & Day, 1050 BHP, 13 knots
Owner / Manager: Iago Steam Trawling Co
Previous Owners: Abunda Fishing F & T Ross
Subsequent Owners: Dominion Fishing
Date Scrapped: 1979
Place Scrapped: Rainham, Kent

Now the biggest question why were these vessels named as Belgaum?
We could not find an answer do you know? Come on take a guess may be you are correct.

Thanks to:
1.The Fleetwood Motor Trawler site

2.Fleetwood online Archive of Trawlers ( FLOAT )

3.Plimsollshipdata.

To Bring the disabled persons into mainstream of life requires offering them all possible opportunities, especially physical therapy, to improve their motor capacities. In this regard exercising inside water permits them, irrespective of the handicap, to move quite freely without calipers, sticks, cruches, or wheelchairs. Such an independent exercise programme through unhurting active routines in water is called Aquatherapy. It leads to immeasurable benefits and aims for ABILITY IN WATER as opposed to DISABILITY ON LAND. Aquathreapy emphasizes the prevention and treatment of neuro-muscular complications. It is also useful for those with back problems, joint reconstructions, arthritis, stress related injuries and sports injuries.

Blind by birth he is learning swimming

The Swimmers club and Aquarius club of Belgaum in association with the Rotary Club of Belgaum jointly organize free training camps for such differently abled children like Blind, physically handicapped, mentally retarded etc with the tittle” YES WE CAN”.
Here the children are taught to swim under the guidance of Umesh Kalghatgi, Kusane, Tendolkar and others. These noble people are doing this for many a years now and until today they have trained over 1000 children to swim and have got them into the main stream life.

Blind girl jumping of the platform

Once you see these children you think these are really special children but they cannot walk or talk or see as normal ones. But seeing the enthusiasm at the pool side was amazing. Imagine watching a 12 year old completely blind girl by birth jumping from a 10 feet platform with confidence, is amazing.

Furat & Zeba who hail from Kudachi, Raibag who are suffering from a rare disease and they need very special treatment due to their illness are now getting trained to swim and over come their physical disabilities.

Swayam Bandivadekar aged 5, who is mentally retarded has come here for training as the doctors said medicines wont cure him, so you should try out Aqua therapy.

There are many a success stories here, take Atesh Jadhav, who could not stand straight, after training here for three years he can now stand straight, see you straight in the eye and now he will be going to the aborad to participate in the swimming championship.

Sharad Kumbhar aged 8 years who is from Haveri is here with his parents to get trained and his parents told that they heard about this camp in a news channel and they have put themselves up here at a hotel so that they can get their son treated.

Moin Mustaque Junned, a native of Kudachi in Raibag taluk who has now settled in Belgaum, has been suffering with a rare disease of zero-bone calcium. Due to the delicate nature of his bones, he has hundreds of fractures all over his body. Moin neither could stand on his feet nor eat without someone’s help. Even a slight blow can result in another fracture. The doctors have suggested the family to take utmost care. He won gold medals in 50m freestyle and 50m backstroke. He has been trained here.

Zeba & Furat being trained

The training camp goes on for a period of 25 days and this time 150 children from the age group of 4 years to 14 years are participating. The organizers with the help of some good Samaritan make transport arrangements and also for the costumes of the children. A sum of Rs. One lakh is needed for a 25 days camp and all is arranged by the Aquaris club and Swimmers club with the help of some generous people.

Deaf & Dumb children warming up before getting into the pool

The children are not only trained by the experts but the elder children who have been trained here earlier take active part in training the new children.

After the one hour training all the children are given snacks after which they proceed back to their places of stay.

You Too Can Help !

Knowing your sensitivity to the disabled people the organizers sincerely appeal to you to kindly come forward and extend your full support to such a noble cause :

By introducing the program to some other organizations with similar aims and objects.

By suggesting new means and methods for the treatment of disability through movement education.

By helping to make a sound financial footing and serve the needy better by executing it’s plans.

You can contact: Umesh Kalghatgi – 9448187333 or Prasad Tendolkar – 9845429093.