District administration plans 'rally for harmony' in strife-hit Dakshina Kannada

BJP, JD(S) stay away from peace meet in Mangaluru

To restore peace in Dakshina Kannada, the district administration will be holding a rally for harmony in the coming days, Minister for Forest, B Ramanath Rai, who is also the district in-charge minister announced on Thursday.

Participating in the peace meeting convened by the district administration here in the wake of a series of untoward incidents reported in the district, Rai said that the rally involving religious leaders of various faiths, elected representatives and youth will be organised once normalcy returns to the district.

In the meeting that lasted three hours, participants urged the government to bring in some changes to the style of functioning of the police. Whenever communal clashes are reported, it is the innocent people who are targeted and also jailed. Instead, the police should focus on apprehending the unseen forces who have been instigating unrest in the society, they opined.

Prominent citizens and representatives of political parties urged the district administration to rein in communal forces to ensure peace in the district.

CPM leader K R Sriyan said whenever incidents of murder over communal enmity are reported, politicians try to derive benefit from the same.The police should take action against such leaders who play with the lives of the people.

St Antony Ashram head Fr Onil D’Souza wanted the police to act swiftly against those indulge in making provocative speeches.

Idinabba from Kalladka said that for over 50 years an eerie silence has been prevailing in Kalladka town. Whichever party has been in power, communal clashes have been recurring, he added.

Though six cases have been registered against a particular person for making provocative speeches, why are the police helpless in arresting him, questioned Ashraf.

Social Democratic Party of India district president Haneef Khan Kodaje said the party vouches for peace and not violence. Democratic Youth Federation of India state president Muneer Katipalla also spoke.

Janata Dal (Secular) workers staged a walk out from the meeting, condemning the denial of permission for the padayatra of the party supremo H D Deve Gowda. Gowda had planned a padayatra on July 15, calling for restoring peace in the district. As announced earlier, the BJP leaders stayed away from the meeting.