'Diversity under threat', prominent citizens tell Bommai in open letter

A parade of celebrity citizens including writers, academics, filmmakers and former bureaucrats have written to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai seeking “restoration of communal harmony” in Karnataka whose “peace, diversity and pluralism" is under threat, they said.

“We believe the restoration of communal harmony is an important and urgent task and trust that the government you head will not wish to go down in history as the one that precipitated a steep downturn in the reputation and fortunes of our state through inaction,” they said in an open letter to Bommai.

Identifying themselves as “concerned citizens”, they said they chose to pen an open letter after failing to get Bommai’s appointment for over a month.

Karnataka, they said, has had “a long-standing, proud history of communal harmony” and that “communities including Hindus and Muslims” have had “peaceful co-existence” for centuries.

“It is this open-minded, cosmopolitan culture of Karnataka that has made it a magnet for creative and innovative minds from across the country in more recent times,” they said.

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“Given this glorious background, the recent spate of attacks of various kinds aimed at Muslim, Christian and Dalit communities have shocked and upset those who pride themselves on Karnataka’s receptive and inclusive nature,” they wrote.

“It is bad enough that individuals and groups motivated by bigotry and hatred are attempting to reconfigure the idea and established reality of Karnataka by aggressively seeking to exclude, isolate, dispossess and assault communities on the basis of religion and caste,” they said, adding that some in responsible positions are working to “demonise members of certain minorities”.

“The current spate of divisive actions aimed at alienating particular communities and denying them their fundamental rights will not only hamper development but also hurt our state’s reputation, hinder progress and innovation, erode the confidence of entrepreneurs and investors, heighten insecurity, suspicion, fear and resentment among citizens,” they argued.

The letter pointed out that the government issued advertisements on the occasion of Basava Jayanti (May 3) on “building an equitable and harmonious society”. They said: “It would have been even more heartening if the government had also acknowledged Ramzan/Idu’l Fitr, celebrated on the same day, and used the occasion to reach out to Muslim citizens, reassuring them about their safety and security, especially at a time when they have been under persistent attack.”

They have asked Bommai to make sure the police to “safeguard vulnerable citizens” from “hate crimes”; take “appropriate action” during communal violence to maintain peace and harmony; “prompt and strong action” against “hate speech” and “vicious calls for physical violence as well as equally damaging social and economic boycotts”; that Bommai should “stand up publicly against misinformation and false stories” about minorities; and urge “those sections of the media that have been openly stoking the fires of division and discord to immediately stop such malpractice".

The open letter has 76 signatories - filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli, artist S G Vasudev, historian Ramachandra Guha, writer Shashi Deshpande, biologist Satyajit Mayor, retired bureaucrats Chiranjeevi Singh, Ravi Joshi, Anand Arni among others.