Basheer had saved me from assailants in Saudi 25 years ago, recalls his Hindu neighbor

coastaldigest.com news network
January 8, 2018

Mangaluru, Jan 8: 50-year-old Prabhakar, a resident of Akash Bhavan locality in the city left shell-shocked after hearing the death news of his best friend and neighbor Ahmed Basheer on Sunday.

48-year-old, Basheer, who was running a fast food restaurant near Koattara Chowki for past one year breathed his last on January 7 at a hospital, four days after a gang of four miscreants attacked him with sharp weapons on January 3. The attack took place at around 9:30 p.m. when he was returning home after closing his restaurant. Ironically, the only reason for the attack was that he appeared like a Muslim. The assailants, who wanted to kill a Muslim man, did not even know the name of the victim. Two ambulance drivers, who saw Basheer lying in a pool of blood, had shifted him to a hospital.

After working in Saudi Arabia for around 25 years Basheer had quit his job and settled in Mangaluru in 2016 as his family forced him to stop working abroad. Later he had purchased a house in Akash Bhavan and opened a fast food restaurant in partnership with one of his relatives.

Both in Saudi Arabia and Mangaluru he had friends from different faiths. Prabhakar, who belongs to Hindu community is one among them. He is not only a neighbor of Basheer in Mangaluru, but also had worked with him for 15 years in the Arab Kingdom.

Prabhakar recalls that Basheer had saved him from a group of expatriate Muslims, who wanted to attack him in 1993 in Saudi Arabia.

“The intended attack was, perhaps, in retaliation for communal violence in Dakshina Kannada district after demolition of Babri mosque. It had spread its ugly wings to the gulf nation as well. I was cornered by a group of assailants. But, Basheer stood by my side and warned the assailants of dire consequences if they tried to harm me,” Prabhakar said.

"Prabhakar is our man, nobody dare touch him," a teary-eyed Prabhakar recalled Basheer as saying when the mob came to attack him. “The group eventually left and it is because of him my life was saved,” he added.

“Basheer was known for humanity. He mingled freely with all people, irrespective of their caste or religion. He never sent anyone who approached him for financial help empty-handed. His loss is huge shock to me and my family,” said Prabhakar.

Comments

mohammad.n
 - 
Tuesday, 9 Jan 2018

Thank you Mr. Prabhakar, people like you make us feel that we have peace loving hindu friends around us. That was a brotherly gesture in humanity. I hope such relations increase so that evil minded people get decreased.

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 4,2020

Mangaluru, May 4: As the coronavirus lockdown norms have been relaxed in the coastal district of Dakshina Kannada, people will be able venture out for essential activities from 7 a.m to 7 p.m.

The lockdown was imposed in the coastal district on March 22 midnight to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Initially it did not apply to essential services such as sale of food, groceries, milk, vegetables, fruits, and meat and fish. Gradually the administration had to intensify the lockdown and allow those shops to remain open between 7 a.m. and 12 noon. However, today (May 4) onwards there will be relaxation of lockdown between 7 am to 7 pm. 

Precautionary measures like maintaining social distancing has been urged and use of face masks has been made mandatory.

Permitted activities

• Permission for plying of auto-rickshaws, cabs, private vehicles and bikes has been given. However only three occupants, including the driver will be allowed and no pillion rule is applicable for two-wheelers.

• OPDs, medical clinics are permitted to operate.

• Standalone shops, shops located in neighbourhood colony, residential complex will be allowed to operate.

• Private organisations can function with 33% staff capacity while allowing work from home for rest of staff.

• E-commerce activities only for essential goods permitted.

• In site construction activities in urban areas, rural areas including MNREGA works.

• Permission is only available to open the shop in the market and in the market complex.

Prohibited activities:

• Movement of individuals is not permitted for all non-essential activities.

• Travel by air, rail and inter-State movement by road.

• Functioning of schools, colleges, and other educational and training/ coaching institutions.

• Hospitality services, including hotels and restaurants.

• Cinema halls, malls, gymnasiums, sports complexes, bars, clubs, swimming pool, entertainment parks, assembly halls, etc; barber shops, spas and salons, textile and apparel(clothes) shops.

• Social, political, cultural, academic, entertainment, religious and other kinds of gatherings; and, religious places/ places of worship for public. 

• Shops in urban and rural areas, for non-essential goods not allowed in malls, markets and Market Complexes.

• All types of traffic movements will be prohibited after evening (7 pm to 7 am)

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News Network
June 23,2020

Bewngaluru, Jun 23: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday said Covid-19 related fatalities in the state was far less compared to other major states, as he called on people and front line corona warriors infected by the virus not to lose courage.

The Chief Minister made the statement following the alleged suicide of a constable attached with the Karnataka State Reserve Police after he tested positive for Covid-19. "The total number of COVID related deaths in the state is very less compared to other major states.

There is no reason for any infected citizen or government employees to lose courage. The government is always with you," a tweet on the Chief Minister's official twitter handle said.

Of the total of 14,011 deaths reported so far, Maharashtra accounted for the highest with 6,283 fatalities, followed by Delhi with 2,233, Gujarat with 1,684 and Tamil Nadu with 794.

Acknowledging that police form the frontline of corona warriors and were working putting their lives at stake, he said a special Covid-19 testing center is being set up for them and all measures will be taken to provide the best treatment for those infected.

As of June 22 evening, cumulatively 9,399 Covid-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 142 deaths and 5,730 discharges.

The constable, aged about 50 years, was attached with the Karnataka State Reserve Police and was said to be depressed after getting tested positive for Covid-19, sources said.

Expressing condolence over his death, another tweet on the Chief Minister's handle said he has directed officials to to provide all necessary compensation and facilities to the family of the deceased at the earliest. Bengaluru has in the last few days has seen a spike in the number of police personnel getting infected by the virus. At least 74 of them have tested positive in the city and are undergoing treatment, while three have died so far, official sources said.

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News Network
May 2,2020

Bengaluru, May 2: Former chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah have urged the state government to arrange free-transport facilities to those stranded labourers and their family members to return their native places.

In a statement issued here on Friday, the former chief minister criticised the State Government for having decided to collect bur fare from them, ''three-times more than the regular fare''.

Stating that the migrant labourers, who had been stranded ever since lockdown had been clamped in the entire country are not in a position to pay for their travel, Siddaramaiah urged the state government to treat them with human face.

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