'United For A Better Mangaluru' makes a start

Religious heads chant mantra of unity; police chief wants 'decent society' to speak up

Religious heads from different faiths on Friday gave a clarion call for Mangalureans to stay ‘United For A Better Mangaluru’.

The programme organised jointly by 19 organisations irrespective of religion, at Town Hall here, was attended by people belonging to Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Jain and other religions, signalling the beginning of a movement for a common cause.

Police Commissioner N Chandra Sekhar, who delivered the valedictory address, cracked a whip on ‘the self-proclaimed decent people,’ who prefer to remain oblivious to the ongoing incidents, without raising their voices against the injustice.

The commissioner quoted a poem written during German dictator Adolf Hitler’s tyrannical Nazi rule, that well-described the ‘heights of decency’. “Instead, one should come out of cobwebs and raise their voices against injustice and redefine the word decency,” the commissioner said, asking the very community of decent people to use Facebook and other tech-based platforms to make their opinion.

The commissioner also felt that ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (a Sanskrit phrase that describes the whole world as one family) as the apt thought for relevant situation in the society, where people are being divided in the name of colour, language and also caste.
Making a point that division is not the answer to make a way forward, the commissioner said, “One should believe in unity in diversity, as there are many instances of the past, where the lack of unity led to many disturbances. To set right the wrongs, organisations including the Police Department should be accurate in addressing the issues, without letting others point out the same. If put into practice, it also improves the credibility of the particular organisation.”

Jain inscription
Jain scholar M K Nirmal Kumar quoted the speech of then President of India S Radhakrishan during the 50th year celebrations of Mysore University (now University of Mysore). Radhakrishnan had advised the faculty to walk the talk, by putting thoughts into practice.

Nirmal Kumar recalled that the highlight of the ceremony was an invocation rendered by a group of students, that was derived from a Jain inscription that vouched for harmony.

Islamic scholar Mohammed Kunhi said the government, the district administration and the Police Department should organise such programmes aimed at unity on a regular basis. Most importantly, people should accept all religious scriptures as their own.

Kemaru Mutt seer Sri Esha Vittaladasa Swami said the very programme should set the tone for peace transcending boundaries.

Father Onil D’Souza, director of St Joseph Educational Institutions, Jeppu, advised, “The call for united Mangaluru should not remain a wishful thinking, but should translate into action.” Rev Dr Hainibal R Cabral, principal of the Karnataka Theological College, said, “One should have the ability to maintain peace even during vituperative situations.”

Moulana Basheer Ahmed Umari from Vijayapura advised the people to have a proper understanding of religions, without blindly following the religious heads. He also gave a call for getting rid of the caste system.

Bhayi Parveen Singh from Gurudwara said, “Peace was the call of even Guru Nanak.”
Earlier, Harikrishna Bantwal said, “Although technology has improved, it is still the people who should take a step towards building a better nation. Beginning from this day, Sept 09, 2016, it should be achieved within 10 years.”

DCP (Crime and traffic) Dr Sanjeev M Patil, who was all praise for Mangalureans, also advised them to bask in the glory of setting examples in the fields of banking and educational institutions and continue to think as a productive society.