Mangalore: Speakers at Komu Souharda Vedike Protest Urge Ban on Communal Outfits
 
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (PS)
 
Mangalore, Aug 4: "The primary aim of religion is to safeguard humanity, and it is still existing because of broad-minded people. There is a need for unity among the people in the society," said writer B T Lalitha Nayak.

She was addressing a protest meet organized by Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike, Dakshina Kannada district in front of the DC’s office here on Saturday August 4. The protestors condemned the attack of Hindu Jagarana Vedike activists on Morning Mist Home Stay in Padil on Saturday July 28.

She pointed out that there is law to handle any illegal activity that people may come across, and that it becomes the responsibility of the police department to deal with such situations. "The attack on the youngsters at the home stay was against the Consititution. The activists objected to the clothes the girls had worn at the party, but what one wears is one's personal choice, the activists are no one to dictate," she said.

Referring to corruption cases in the state, she said the country's resources were being gulped down by politicians. "It was painful to see a former CM of this state being imprisoned," she added.
 
"This is the country of great people like Gandhi, Basavanna and many others, and it needs more number of educated people," she said. She urged the police to arrest all the attackers in the incident and called for a ban on Hindu communal outfits.
 
Another speaker, journalist Gauri Lankesh said that Hinduism is in itself not a religion. "It is a system of heirarchy in society. Women are treated as second class creatures, she said and added that only the Constitution can be India's religion. She pointed out that RSS was behind all the unrest, like riots in Gujarat, bomb blast in Samjotha Express and rape of nuns in Odisha. She too demanded a ban on Hindu communal outfits.
 
K L Ashok, state general secretary of Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike said that the attack on youths in the home stay incident was an attack on democracy. "It is an embarrassment for all the Hindus. RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat should be booked under goonda act and HJV leader Jagadish Karanth should be banned from India," he said.
 
Congress leader P V Mohan said there is at least one Muslim and a Dalit languishing in jail for no fault of theirs. "The contributions of the Muslim and the dalit communities to the district have been forgotten," he said.
 
D K district Mahila Vedike, diocese council of Christian women, Catholic Sabha Mangalore, Karnataka Rajya Dalith Sangharsha Samithi, National Women's Front, Ahinda Mangalore, Indian Christian Youth Movement, PUCL, PFI, among others were part of the protest.
 
Earlier, a rally was taken from Ambedkar Circle to the DC’s office. After the protest, a memorandum addressed to the governor of Karnataka government was submitted to the DC.