Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (HB)
Udupi, Jan 31: As a part of 'Souhardategagi Karnataka' (Karnataka for Harmony), a 1.5-km-long human chain was formed by members of various organisations here on Tuesday, January 30 to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary and also against communalism and communal politics. A public meet followed in front of Gandhi statue near Ajjarkad.
Members of various organizations administered oath before the event at Clock Tower. Apart from members of various organizations, children, students, and senior citizens formed the human chain.
Addressing the participants, writer and critic G Rajashekhar said, “It is 70 years since the assassination of Mahatma Gandhiji. The supporters of Gandhiji’s killers are now ruling the country. RSS stated that Nathuram Godse, the assassinator of Gandhiji, does not belong to RSS. Both Hindu Mahasabha and RSS have the same principles and ideologies. Godse was an RSS activist in Pune, but now Hindu outfits are trying to hide the fact of Godse’s background.
“Savarkar was chargesheeted in the assassination of Gandhi but exonerated. Godse executed the plan of Savarkar. Godse was hanged, but Savarkar photo is still hanging on the walls of the parliament. Hindu outfits like Bajrang Dal, Hindu Jagaran Vedike, Hindu Mahasabha, and Akhila Bharat Vidyarthi Parishad are holding knives, weapons, and pistol on streets. The result would be mass murder and rape against women. But no one feels guilty about it. There are no moral values left and it is leading to violence.
“The state wide human chain is organized to make people understand the structure of true Hindutva. Violence led to destruction of Babri Masjid and Gujarat tragedy in 2002, brutal murders and so on. I do not see much difference in the murder of Gandhiji, Mohammed Haclak, Narendra Dabholkar, M M Kalburgi, Kowind Pansare and Gowri Lankesh.
“There is no end to murders in this country. The only reason for all murders is Hindutva. This programme is organised to reveal the facts in front of the public. Now I feel that we are less in number, but we are not alone. Let us thank each other,” he said.
K Paniraj, Sundar Master, Jyothi Guruprasad, Idris Hoode, Vishwanath Shetty, Balakrishna Shetty and others spoke at the public meet. CITU, Muslim organisations, and DSS leaders also took part in it.
The human chain of hundreds of people was formed from CMC to near Court Road.