Armed Forces veterans write to PM Modi condemning attack on Muslims, Dalits, Media 

coastaldigest.com news network
July 31, 2017

A group of 114 armed forces veterans have written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemning the recent attacks on Muslims and Dalits in the country. The Armed Forces comprise of the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.

The veterans expressed frustration over the relentless vigilantism of the self-appointed protectors of Hinduism. In the letter, the veterans said they stand with the ‘Not in My Name’ campaign and that the Armed Forces stand for “Unity in Diversity”. They added the current situation in the country is that of fear, intimidation, hate and suspicion. They also condemned the ‘clampdown’ on freedom of speech.

Full text of the letter

We are a group of Veterans of the Indian Armed Forces who have spent our careers working for the security of our country. Collectively, our group holds no affiliation with any single political party, our only common commitment being to the Constitution of India.

It saddens us to write this letter, but current events in India have compelled us to register our dismay at the divisiveness that is gripping our country. We stand with the ‘Not in My Name’ campaign that mobilised thousands of citizens across the country to protest against the current climate of fear, intimidation, hate and suspicion.

The Armed Forces stand for “Unity in Diversity”. Differences in religion, language, caste, culture or any other marker of belonging have not mattered to the cohesion of the Armed Forces, and servicemen of different backgrounds have fought shoulder to shoulder in the defence of our nation, as they continue to do today. Throughout our service, a sense of openness, justice and fair play guided our actions. We are one family. Our heritage is like the multi-coloured quilt that is India, and we cherish this vibrant diversity.

However, what is happening in our country today strikes at all that the Armed Forces, and indeed our Constitution, stand for. We are witness to unprecedented attacks on society at large by the relentless vigilantism of self-appointed protectors of Hinduism. We condemn the targeting of Muslims and Dalits. We condemn the clampdowns on free speech by attacks on media outlets, civil society groups, universities, journalists and scholars, through a campaign of branding them anti-national and unleashing violence against them while the State looks away.
 

Comments

Kamath
 - 
Monday, 31 Jul 2017

Where was the #notinmyname brigade when atrocities in Bengal came to light ?

Sukesh
 - 
Monday, 31 Jul 2017

Let the-divisive forces raising their heads after British left be taught a lesson that India chose to be a secular nation and in the grab of cow vigilante these wolves have no place in our society. Mob lynching is threating the fabric of our nation and it is the duty of all of us to be vigilant and save the nation from the clutches of these self styled but supported by the ruling outfits.

Truth
 - 
Monday, 31 Jul 2017

These are the bunch of scamsters who thrived in the Scangress regime and are feeling increasingly out of place.

Unknown
 - 
Monday, 31 Jul 2017

These are the veterans who were busy doing all sorts of scams under the Scamgress regime and now are feeling lost in the new regime.

Suresh Kumar
 - 
Monday, 31 Jul 2017

This Modi has given us nothing but filled the entire country n spread so much hatred.. that ll take decades to get rid off.. I apologies to everyone that me n my family voted for him... will never EVER happen again

Sangeeth shetty
 - 
Monday, 31 Jul 2017

Feku and so called bakths making money and utilising in the name of indian army and patriotism

Rakesh
 - 
Monday, 31 Jul 2017

No use. If feku intented to do something, he will do.

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News Network
June 9,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 9: A 24-year-old who wanted to experience the feeling of death lost his life after consuming pesticide — he recorded it all on TikTok — in Koratagere taluk of Tumakuru district on Saturday evening.

Chided by his mother for not earning money, Dhananjaya, a resident of Gouraganahalli, on Saturday evening bought pesticide from a shop and shot a 15-second TikTok video, saying, “I want to experience the feeling of what death would be like. I will try to kill myself.”

Locals rushed Dhananjaya to a nearby hospital where he breathed his last the next morning. Koratagere police registered a case of unnatural death.

According to police, Dhananjaya had in the past rammed his Bajaj Pulsar bike into a tree to ‘experience’ death but had survived with minor injuries. Villagers and family members had advised him to not to take such risks. But he continued to do so as he was obsessed with death and posted his opinion regularly on TikTok, where he had 431 followers.

He tied the knot four months ago and was running an autorickshaw on rent. However, his earnings reduced to zero during the lockdown and he wasn’t mentally stable, claimed villagers.

Investigators said Dhananjaya wanted to scare his mother with his suicide threat and wanted to ‘experience’ death. He consumed poison near a farm but later panicked thinking he would die. However, he was not in a position to ride back home. He called his friend, who visited the spot and shifted him to hospital on Saturday night, police said.

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coastaldigest.com web desk
July 4,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 4: In a heart-wrenching incident, a 65-year-old coronavirus patient at Hanumath Nagar in South Bengaluru died outside his house waiting for an ambulance on Friday evening. The body was kept on the road for more three hours.

The deceased tested positive for coronavirus on Friday and immediately called an ambulance to reach a hospital. However, according to his family members, as he waited for the ambulance for nearly three hours, he collapsed on the road in front of his house complaining of breathlessness and died.

As the body lay unattended on the road, it began to rain heavily. Soon, videos of the body lying on the road in the heavy rain went viral on social media. 

A senior doctor in charge of the division, however, claimed that the ambulance had arrived in less than half an hour but the patient had died before they reached the spot. 

"The patient had given samples on Thursday at KIMS and tested positive on Friday. BBMP officials informed them that they would reach his house. But the man, fearing that he may be stigmatised in the locality, began walking to the corner of the road and collapsed on the street and died," the officer said. 

Another health official from Basavanagudi limits said: "As the ambulance staff do not transport the dead, they informed the hearse van, which was set to arrive in 30 minutes. But due to the sudden rain and heavy traffic ahead of the curfew hours, they were stranded for almost three hours later." The officials also said the deceased had been suffering from cardiac ailments for almost 10 years. 

Regretting the incident, BBMP officials said they were helpless as was an acute shortage of hearse vans. "We were told that there were 20 deaths today and there are only eight hearse vans available. They had to shift this patient after attending to another mortality and were stuck in traffic. By then, due to the fear of infection, nobody attended to the deceased," the officer explained. 

BBMP commissioner B H Anil Kumar said that such incidents should not recur and ordered an investigation and sought a report. "We will ensure that such incidents do not recur," Kumar said.  

Following outrage on social media, a hearse van was summoned and the body was shifted to the Victoria Hospital mortuary as per the protocol. Police have opened a case of unnatural death.

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News Network
May 14,2020

Bengaluru, May 14: Three youths died of "asphyxiation" when they fell into a pit in the abandoned Kolar gold field mines, where they had gone to allegedly steal iron material early on Thursday, police said.

On Wednesday night, the trio had entered the gold mine in Kolar district, about 100 km from Bengaluru, and fell in the pit after losing balance.

After inhaling the poisonous gas in the pit, they were asphyxiated to death, they said.

"It was a seven hour exercise after which we could bring out two bodies. Work is on to retrieve the third," a police officer told .

Police reached the spot after they were alerted by the accomplices of the deceased.

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