I’m still alive, don’t use my ‘death’ to incite communal violence: Hindu youth tells media

coastaldigest.com web desk
January 30, 2018

Rahul Upadhyay, a 25-year-old Hindu youth, whose ‘death’ helped the communal outfits to unleash violence and attack Muslims in Kasganj district of Uttar Pradesh, on Monday presented himself before media to prove the he’s still alive. Meanwhile, the police have apprehended four people for spreading false rumours of his death.

“I assure you, I am alive. Don’t use my death to incite violence. I don’t want to become famous like this,” Upadhyay, who was surrounded by media persons at Kotwali Police station in Kasganj. Upadhyay was declared dead by some “rumour mongers” on social media. The “news” picked up and was carried in a number of newspapers too.

From a family of farmers, Upadhyay was at home in Nagla Khanji village in Aligarh. After learning of his “death”, he received snapshots of social media images announcing his death. “I realised there were people who were using me to try and instigate further violence. The narrative was a, out Hindus being killed and I reached out to police and district administration. Eventually I got through.”

IG, Aligarh, Sanjeev Gupta on Monday requested Upadhyay to meet as many media persons as possible. “Contrary to rumours spread on social media, Rahul Upadhyay is alive,” he told reporters.

The rumours claimed that Upadhyay died along with Abhishek Gupta in communal clashes in Kasganj on Friday. The violence was triggered by a march to mark the Republic Day. A clash erupted between two groups when Hindutva activists, who were holding saffron flags attacked a group of Muslims who were hoisting national flag. The fight intensified and both groups started hurling stones at each other, later fired shots, which left Gupta (22) dead. The next day saw a second spate of violence during which several Muslim-owned shops were gutted in retaliation to Gupta’s death.

Police has so far detained 82 people and arrested 31 persons in connection with the violence. No arrests have been made under the charges of murder yet, police said.

Meanwhile, a reporter with a media channel was allegedly shoved by relatives of the deceased Gupta Monday, said police. Speaking about the incident, IG Gupta said, “The family members were not happy with the news coverage done by the channel. It was good that police reached in time and we were able to prevent an untoward incident.”

Comments

Vinod
 - 
Tuesday, 30 Jan 2018

Indian medias are so negative and spreading lies against Hindus. This is why we are supporting Hindu country.

Ravi
 - 
Tuesday, 30 Jan 2018

UP became capital of crime because of Yogi. Interesting fact is that all atrocities were against dalits and muslims

Hari
 - 
Tuesday, 30 Jan 2018

Saffrons are making reasons for communal clash. They just wanted to kill innocent muslims to make Hindu Rashtra

Ganesh
 - 
Tuesday, 30 Jan 2018

Recently one "selfie death by train hit" video was went viral. Social media and some main stream media covered that news without checking facts. And atlast the truth got revealed that the video was just a prank

Kumar
 - 
Tuesday, 30 Jan 2018

Media spreading only lies. They are making business by circulating rumours

Mohan
 - 
Tuesday, 30 Jan 2018

Social media users used to share any fake news without cross checking facts. Now newspapers also start covering such news without thinking about that.

shaji
 - 
Tuesday, 30 Jan 2018

It is obvious that sangh parivar well planned for the disturbance in Kasgunj and BJP is the mastermind in view of election next year.  We will see more disturbance like this in the coming days unless and untill Police dept. takes strict action and arrest the master planners.   Police should arrest those hate monger channel personnels also who had deliberately spread wrong news and this was done under the influence of money.   these channels are paid by sangh parivar.  Police should arrest such channel news persons and send to jail.   I think as per sangh parivar indian flag should not be hoisted by minority and instead they should hoist bhagwa flag.  This is what happened in Kasgunj.   Sangh parivar goondas attacked minority poeple for hoisting indian flag and did not agree to hoist bhagwa flag instead. Police would have prevented the issue in case they would have arrived on time. Is there any conspiracy in late arrival of police as the attack was pre planned by sangh parivar goondas as they were carrying pistols, axes, knives etc with them. They were also carrying petrol bombs.  Administratin should be very strict on these goondas and catch the master mnder behind the pre planned attack on minorities who were gathered to hoist indian flag. Will Yogi wake up from sleep.

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Dr Parinitha
January 17,2020

We came on foot, we came on boats, shouting slogans of Azadi.

We stood on roof tops and sat on walls under the burning midday sun,

Listening to the words that we had longed to hear for so long.

Words that had been scripted through the lonely fears of our hearts.

Words that were spoken now with the clarity of courage.

Words that were spoken now with the suppressed strength of pent up anger.

Words that were spoken now with the certainty of belonging to the soil 

Which had become one with the dust of our ancestors.

We stood there in the waves of heat

Feeling the surge and press  of countless bodies around us.

Bodies meshed through the odour of sweat 

And the shared fear of a common persecution.

And hanging from the roof tops,

And tied to the poles,

And clutched in hands slippery with sweat,

And wrapped round the pillars,

And spreading into our blood,

Were three strips of colour with a wheel of spokes,

Sewn together into the shape of our being.

Woven into the folds of our future and the creases of our past. 

Stitched to the seams of the earth, the water, the air and the sky 

That belonged to us and to which we belonged. 

And we stood there from noon to evening,

We the people of India.

Raising our clenched fists like signposts to the future.

Chanting slogans like a new anthem.

Kin to each other through the ties of community.

Born to live and die 

In a nation that was ours to hold on to

And ours to belong to.

Dr Parinitha is a professor of English in Mangalore University. She penned the poem soon after participating in the historic protest against CAA, NPR and NRC at Shah Garden, Adyar, Mangaluru on 15th January, 2020.

Also Read: 

‘The more you try to divide us, the stronger and united we’ll be’: Record turnout in Mangaluru’s anti-NRC protest

Anti-NRC protest in Mangaluru brings ‘media bias’ to the fore

Comments

Abdullah
 - 
Wednesday, 29 Jan 2020

Salute to you siter for your meaningful poem.  This is reality.  However, the enmy is blind/deaf/dumb.   May God give right way of thinking to enmy and in case he is unlucky, let God finish him and let him beg for death.  

Indian
 - 
Thursday, 23 Jan 2020

Waav..What a Heart Touching poetry...

 

Hats off to you ma'am....

 

Love from all Indians...

 

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coastaldigest.com news network
August 4,2020

Mangaluru, Aug 4: The Kasaragod district administration has decided to restore the e-pass system for daily commuters between Kasaragod and Mangaluru amid covid-19 crisis. 

As covid-19 cases began to increase in Dakshina Kannada, the Kasargod district administration had unilaterally newly introduced of daily pass system on July 6 for entry and exit from Talapady border. This had inconvenienced hundreds of employees, who visited Mangaluru daily to eke a living. 

The decision to resume the pass system was taken in a video conference of Kerala Revenue Minister Chandrasekharan with officials and elected representatives on August 3.

The minister said the Kasaragod district administration will resume issuing of passes for daily commuters between Kasaragod and Mangaluru. But they should undergo rapid antigen test for every week to renew their passes.

"Similarly, one-time interstate passes will be issued for those who want to take part in marriages, funeral and other functions in both states. Even they should undergo antigen test after returning from the functions,” the minister added.

As per the previous order, daily commuters, especially employees, had to stay in Mangaluru for 28 days before returning to Kasargod. Later, Kerala government relaxed rules on July 23 allowing only bank employees from Kasaragod to travel daily in their private vehicles to their workplace in Dakshina Kannada.

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News Network
March 28,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 28: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief DK Shivakumar on Saturday appealed to the authorities to arrange transport for migrant workers, stating that it is appalling to see their plight as they are walking hundreds of kilometres to their villages amid COVID-19 lockdown.
"Appalling to see the plight of poor migrant workers who are walking hundreds of kms to their villages. We cannot abandon our citizens, especially children, and put them at risk. Appealing to the authorities to arrange transport. Please take sufficient safety precautions as well," Shivakumar tweeted.
Hundreds of people, comprising mostly of migrant workers and their families, gathered at the Lal Kua in Uttar Pradesh from Delhi, Gurugram and other places, to take buses to their respective destinations amid the lockdown.
While the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had imposed a nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the Uttar Pradesh administration had decided to ply these buses to help thousands of migrant workers who were stuck in the national capital and had started returning on foot to their native places in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, among others.

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