Hindutva and nationalism cannot be one and same: Prakash Raj

News Network
December 6, 2017

Belagavi, Dec 6: Multilingual actor and activist Prakash Raj has slammed the attempts of some organisations and political parties to equate the concept nationalism with Hindutva. 

Speaking during the anti-blind belief day at the Sadashiva Nagar graveyard here on Wednesday, he said: “To say that nationalism and Hindutva are one and the same is the new blind belief.”

“Some vested interests are spreading this new blind belief. We should guard ourselves against this. A Union Minister has asserted this in the Dharma Samsad held recently in Udupi. This is nothing but an attempt at infusing the new blind belief that nationalism is Hindutva,” he added.

He further said: “We are susceptible to blind belief as we are innocent. Our awareness levels were low. Now we need to educate ourselves about the designs of such interests. Looking at the crowd, I felt that there is still hope. Now I see that there are a lot of healthy people in this country. The fight against blind belief can still go on strong.”

Mr. Rai called for young people to adapt the ideologies preached by thinkers like Ambedkar. He spoke of some threats he received after he spoke against right-wing forces. 

“I am not afraid. I do not need police security. I am among the people. If anybody does something to me, they will be exposed. However, I am worried and afraid for the society. But then we should stand up to them. They are cowards. They will be defeated,” he said.

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Ali is back
 - 
Thursday, 7 Dec 2017

well said sir....!!!

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News Network
April 11,2020

Dubai, Apr 11: An Indian expat in the UAE is facing police action for allegedly insulting Islam on social media in response to a Facebook post on the coronavirus, according to a media report.

Rakesh B Kitturmath, who worked as a team leader at Emrill Services, an integrated facilities management (FM) headquartered in Dubai, was sacked on Thursday after his post sparked outrage on social media, the Gulf News reported.

“Kitturmath’s employment stands terminated with immediate effect. He will be handed over to Dubai Police. We have a zero-tolerance policy towards such hate crimes,” said Stuart Harrison, CEO of Emrill Services.

"As an organisation, we have worked hard over the years to embrace diversity and create a culture of inclusion, where every nationality, religion and background is welcomed and celebrated. We have a strict social media policy for our employees to ensure they respect our values, both inside and outside of work," the newspaper quoted Harrison as saying.

Harrison said they are trying to find out if Kitturmath was still in the UAE, according to the report.

“We have over 8,500 employees so this may take a while. That said, we have fired him. If he’s still in the country, he will be handed over to Dubai Police,” he said.

For latest updates on coronavirus outbreak, click  here

Originally from Ranebennuri, Karnataka, Kitturmath joins an ever-growing list of Indian ex-pats who have landed in trouble for alleged Islamophobic messages in recent days.

Earlier this week, Abu Dhabi resident Mitesh Udeshi was sacked for posting a cartoon mocking Islam on his Facebook page while a police complaint was filed against Sameer Bhandari of Future Vision Events & Weddings’ in Dubai after he asked a Muslim job seeker from India to go back to Pakistan.

The UAE outlaws all religious or racial discrimination under a legislation passed in 2015.

The anti-discrimination/anti-hatred law prohibits all acts “that stoke religious hatred and/or which insult religion through any form of expression, be it speech or the written word, books, pamphlets or via online media.”

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News Network
May 10,2020

Shimoga, May 10: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa was all praise for a nine-month pregnant nurse, who is still attending to work at a Covid-dedicated hospital in the state, braving all odds in the wake of novel coronavirus pandemic.

Roopa, a resident of Gajanur, works at the Sri Jayachamarajendra Taluk Hospital in Tirthahalli.

The Chief Minister called the nurse up and admired her sense of duty after he came to know that she has been turning up at the hospital despite being in the advanced stage of pregnancy.

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News Network
June 24,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 24: Three weeks after the BMTC resumed running air-conditioned buses in the state capital, the state-owned Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has announced plying AC buses to eight cities to begin with, including to Mangaluru and Mysuru, from Thursday.

From tomorrow travellers can travel to Mysuru, Mangaluru, Kundapura, Madikeri, Chikkamagaluru, Davanagere, Shivamogga and Virajpet in AC buses, KSRTC said in a statement released here.

Listing out the measures taken to check the spread of Covid-19, the Corporation said that the temperature inside the buses will be maintained at 24 to 25 degrees Celsius and no blankets will be provided in the night service buses.

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