Mangaluru Activist Tweaks Mahatma Gandhi's Bhajan To Protest Against City Corporation

A social activist (name not known) from Mangaluru has been drawing attention because of his unique form of protest against the Mangaluru City Corporation. According to Local 18 Karnataka, he has been protesting against the branches of the trees bent on both sides of the Mangaluru city’s roads. They pose a significant danger to passersby travelling on the road. This activist started the protest solitarily by sitting on the roadside of Mallikatte a sub-locality in Kadri, Mangaluru. The volunteer mocked the corporation by chanting the hymn “Raghupati Raghava Rajaram Patita Pavana Sitaram. Corporation Valonco Gyan De Bhagavan, Ishwar Allah Terenam. Mangaluru Ka Corporation Valonko Gyan De Bhagavan”. This hymn has been inspired by the tweaked version of Bhajan Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram composed by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. The protestor has kept the photographs of Gods from the Hindu, Muslim and Christian religions nearby. He also lit candles, played a tamki tabla and chanted bhajans in front of the photos.

Many requests have been made to the Mangaluru City Corporation to clear the branches of trees that pose a threat to people in Mangaluru city but to no avail. Many natives have also died due to electrocution in the district because of these branches coming in close contact with the wires. A staggering crores of money have been invested into the city for the Smart City project. Despite this, there is only one vehicle for cutting tree branches. This lack of responsibility has prompted Kadri-based social activists to pray to God to impart some sense to the officials.

The Local 18 Karnataka video shows this protestor keeping his viewpoint regarding the administration’s efficiency in cutting the tree branches. The video shows the wires almost covering the trees thus increasing the danger levels enormously.

Tree limbs can conduct electricity. When trees grow near the overhead wires, they can touch the wires and become charged. They get filled with electrical power that can injure or kill humans. How do people know which lines are energised? They should assume that all are carrying dangerous electrical currents and should be avoided when working around them.