Gujarat: Hindus help reopen mosque after 30 yrs in riot hit locality

February 26, 2017

Ahmedabad, Feb 26: The call to prayer from the mosque near Bakri Pol in the communally sensitive Kalupur area is no ordinary azaan. Heard for the first time in 30 years in March 2016, it signifies the voice of compassion and respect drowning out hatred. Kalupur, a patchwork of Hindu and Muslim ghettos, was bloodied by communal riots in 1984. Since the nearly 100-year-old mosque is located in a Hindu locality — near Ramji, Nagdalla Hanuman, and Shesh Narayan temples — Muslims began to avoid it to avert troubles.

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Polarization intensified during the riots that broke out after the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1993. By then the Kalupur mosque was overrun with foliage and had begun to crumble.

Paradoxically, after the communal riots of 2002, which had riven Gujarat, residents around the mosque were moved by a collective, voluntary desire to save it. Hindus reached out to their Muslim brethren, cleared the wild foliage, and contributed resources for repairs. The mosque reopened in March 2016. A year later, people in the neighbourhood affirm that the reconstruction effort has cemented bonds between communities. So much so, one set of keys to the mosque has been entrusted to Hindus.

"One set of keys is with Poonam Parekh and Kaushik Rami who sell flowers near the mosque," said Aziz Gandhi, social worker in Dariapur. Rami said he lights incense sticks twice a day near the mosque. "We are happy that the mosque that was closed for over three decades is now filled with devotees," he said. The priest of the Nagdalla Hanuman Temple, Chandrakant Sharma, said: "With Haji Usmangani Mansuri and other trustees of the mosque, we renovated the structure." He said that previously Muslim youths had to go to other mosques to offer namaaz. "Now, they they don't have to venture out of their locality," Sharma said. Hamidullah Shaikh, a Dariapur resident, said: "Our Hindu brothers helped us bring labourers to renovate the mosque." It appears a major breach in society has been lovingly repaired.

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Comments

Ajz
 - 
Monday, 27 Feb 2017

Better to send these coastal senseless goondas to Gujarat Kalupur..

saif
 - 
Monday, 27 Feb 2017

Real ACHE DIN not from BJP but from true Indian Hindus of Gujarat Kalupur...really everyone need to salute those Hindus....Its my India

Skazi
 - 
Monday, 27 Feb 2017

Masha Allah ..... But in coastal districts the senseless goondas are fighting each other .....

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News Network
January 8,2020

Mangaluru, Jan 8: In an operation, forest officials of Puttur has arrested two persons as many elephant tusks at Puduvettu in Belathangadi taluk of Dakshina Kannada.

Forest officials said on Wednesday the accused nabbed last night were identified as PK Dinesh from Madikeri and V Kumar from Hassan district.

Both were caught while trying to sell tusks the value of which was estimated to be lakhs.

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News Network
May 30,2020

Chamrajnagar, May 30: Karnataka Cabinet Minister Ramesh Jarakiholi said on Friday that over22 Congress MLAs were in touch with him and he can bring five of them.

"More than 22 Congress MLAs are in contact with me and if the high commands wants, I can bring five of them tomorrow," Jarakiholi told reporters.

Replying on speculation that some MLAs in BJP are not happy and want to join the Congress, he said, "Congress is a sinking boat and nobody wants to go to Congress now."

Meanwhile, sources in BJP have said that some party leaders are not happy including Basangouda Ramangouda Patil Yatnal.

Basvanagowda Patil said earlier this week that "BS Yediyurappa is not his CM, he is the CM of Karnataka. My leaders are Narendra Modi and JP Nadda."

The sources also said that other close aides of Yeddyurappa like Umesh Katti and Murugesh Nirani are no longer happy with him as they are yet to be included in the state cabinet.

The sources said Nirani has stood with Yeddyurappa but has not been included in the cabinet. There is speculation that several MLAs are in touch with Nirani.

Sources said Nirani, Umesh Katti, Basvanagowda Patil and several other leaders held a meeting in an undisclosed location.

Congress leader DK Suresh said the Congress has no role in the developments in BJP. "Yeddyurappa government will be brought down by their own MLAs. Congress has no role in it," he said.

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News Network
April 23,2020

Mangaluru, Apr 23: The scarcity of water in Kukkavu area of Belthangady town in Dakshina Kannada district has forced school-going children to dig a well with their hands.
The children studying in primary schools were seen lifting the heavy buckets of water from the well.

The residents were facing the water shortage from the past couple of days, amid the coronavirus lockdown.
A group of five adolescents managed to dug the well as deep as 12 feet within just a span of four days.

" We are facing water problem now. With the support of my five more friends, we dug this well. At the beginning we just found soil, then in the deeper layers, we also found stones. We got access to the water at 10 feet down," said Dhanush, a class 9th student, while speaking to news agency.

The shortage of water during the summer months is a perennial problem in across several states in India, and the growing population has only added to the woes.

In extreme conditions, poor have to draw water from small water holes.

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