'Jananudi' meet on communal harmony from today

Jananudi, a two-day convention organised by the Abhimatha, Mangaluru, will be held at Shanthi Kirana at Nanthoor on December 19 and 20.

Briefing media persons here, Dr Bhoomi Gowda of Abhimatha said Jananudi is a convention of progressive writers, intellectuals and social activists who are working for communal harmony in the society.

“It is an attempt to bring all democratic and secular forces under one platform and resist communal forces that are attempting to tarnish the secular fabric of the country. We want to protect cultural diversities of India at a time when intolerance is on rise,” he said.

The convention will be inaugurated by writer-activist Devanuru Mahadeva. Writers and activists H S Anupama, Kadidalu Shamanna, John Fernandes, Dr Srinivas Kakkillaya and Bhanu Mushtaq will take part in the inaugural session.

In the first session, Nudi Marga, journalist D Umapathi, writers B T Jahnavi and Samvartha Sahil will speak. C S Dwarakanath will preside over the session.

Muzaffar Assadi, Dr K Shareefa, Peer Bhasha and Lakshman Hugar will present papers on ‘Aspirations and Apprehensions among Muslims’.

In Nudi Gayana, Gururaj Mysuru and team will present Tamburi folk-songs on Male Mahadeshwara and Manteswamy’s Kavya.

On December 20, 23 poets will recite their poems at a recitation session which will be presided over by poet K Y Narayanaswamy. A session on developmental challenges will also be held. Chandra Poojary, R Sunandamma and H V Vasu will present papers and the session will be presided over by writer Kotaganahalli Ramaiah.

A session on superstition and communal intolerance will be addressed by Shashidhar Bhatt, K S Vimala, and Hulikunte Murthy. B Gangadhar Murthy will preside over this session. Writer and critic Rahamat Tarikere, rationalist Narendra Nayak, and activist Indira Krishnappa will speak in the concluding session. The valedictory ceremony will be presided over by Chief Minister’s media advisor Dinesh Amin Mattu.

To a query on why a paper on ‘Apprehensions and Aspirations among Muslims’ is included in the session, DYFI President Muneer Katipalla said that Muslims are targeted everywhere.