Shanti Souharda Adalat: Religious leaders stress on peace, brotherhood

Mangaluru, Jan 9: The former judge of the Karnataka High Court Vishwanath Shetty said here on Saturday that criminals have joined various outfits and organisations in Dakshina Kannada to “protect themselves.”

But the people of the district should not protect them to maintain peace and communal harmony and instead help police to curb them.

Addressing a gathering at the Shanti Souharda Adalat that was organised by Karnataka Journalists’ Union and Dakshina Kannada district administration, he said: “Suppress the evil. Support the good.”

The adalat had been organised with the intention of finding causes for frequent communal disturbances, “immoral rowdism” in the district and suggesting remedial measures to curb them.

Mr. Shetty warned that if such criminals were not suppressed now they would damage the future generation.

He said that officials, mainly police, face pressure while controlling communal incidents.

In such circumstances people should support police in getting criminals involved in violence arrested and boost the morale of police, he said.

Thwaka Ahmed Musliyar, Khazi of Mangaluru, said that if a Hindus had wholeheartedly welcomed Arab Muslims to India centuries ago.

“Muslims and Hindus are brothers and not enemies. Thousands of Hindus accepted Islam in India after impressed by the character and life style of Muslims,” he said adding that Islam never allows its true followers to indulge in any kind of violence.

Swami Vidyavachaspati Vishwa Santosh Bharati of Barkur said that all religions including Hinduism and Islam advocate peace and harmony. He said that as per the Islamic teachings if a Muslim hurts any other creature, he cannot be a Muslim.

Senior journalist Manohar Prasad suggested the organisers to conduct such adalats or meetings for every two months to review the communal related incidents reported during that period and find out the persons or organisations involved in it and expose them.

Some participants said that transporting cows, “moral policing” and illegal cow slaughter issues were mainly responsible for the frequent communal clashes in the district.

They accused the government of not solving incidents relating to these issues impartially. This in turn resulted in polarisation.

Harikrishna Bantwal, a participant, questioned why police should buckle under the pressures of MLAs and MPs while dealing with incidents relating to communal violence. Police should act impartially while arresting persons involved in communal violence.

“Now there is no pro-people politics. It has become a profession,” Mr. Bantwal alleged.

M.G. Hegde, an activist, said that organisations promoting communal violence can resolve the issues relating to the violence by sitting across the table, themselves. Communal violence was being promoted for political, monetary and selfish reasons, he said.

The adalat passed a resolution that all should support measures being taken to curb communal violence in the district.

They should bring any incidents which could spark communal trouble to the notice of police to take further action.

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