Some Hindu groups behaving like Muslim fundamentalists: Akhtar

January 27, 2016

Kolkata, Jan 27: Claiming that some Hindu groups are now behaving like Muslim fundamentalists, eminent lyricist-scriptwriter Javed Akhtar has said barring such elements Indian society has always been tolerant.

Akhtar"In 1975 I showed a comedy scene in a temple. Today I won't. But even in 1975, I wouldn't have shown a scene in a mosque because that level of intolerance was there. Now the other one is matching it," Akhtar said last night at a literary meet here.

"Now they are joining the club....its a tragedy. Don't say Hindu. Thats a wrong representation. Some Hindu groups," he said at a panel discussion on intolerance.

However, giving the example of Aamir Khan starrer superhit Hindi film 'PK', he said it was the Hindus which made the film click at the box office.

"I really wonder in any Islamic country you would make the same kind of film by taking Muslim symbols will become superhit," Akhtar who has co-written scripts of many Bollywood blockbusters with Salim Khan including 'Sholay', 'Don', 'Seeta aur Geeta' and 'Deewar' said.

He said "we tend to take extreme sides in case of controversies.

"There are people who say intolerance has risen to a dangerous level in the society. I don't believe it. There are people who say there is no intolerance in the society. I don't believe them either. The fact lies somewhere in between. The fact is that Indian society is and was always tolerant. There are certain segments of society, they are always at war," he said.

Attack on the freedom of expression, however, according to him, is not a new trend in the country.

"There was always some kind of attack on freedom of expression. You can say something in an article and in a seminar, but you cannot say the same thing in a documentary and a feature film. It was always like that," Akhtar said.

Amidst the "Award wapasi" campaign by some writers, he has refused to return his Sahitya Akademi award.

"Because I know that this award was given to me by writers so why should I return it?," he said and noted that the jury consists of writers and not policemen or bureaucrats.

"I understand (the case of) Nayanatra Sahgal. She returned it not to get some publicity. Perhaps she felt that this is the way she can protest," he said.

Author Ruskin Bond, who has also not returned his Akademi award, said the literature body cannot stop people from being murdered.

Actress-turned-author Nandana Sen, daughter of economist Amartya Sen and writer Nabaneeta Dev Sen, said there had been concentrated attacks on free thinkers like MM Kalburgi, Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare in the last 12 months which was very disturbing.

When asked about vilification of those who have been expressing their views in public against intolerance, she said, "My father is not afraid of being unpopular and my mother too".

Comments

Yasir
 - 
Thursday, 28 Jan 2016

He is wondering if any Islamic country would make the PK kind of film that will be a super hit. but this duffer doesn't even know that Islam strictly prohibits any symbolic sculpture for worship. you would not have been a known lyricist if you were not fundamental in your field. You better shut your mouth & do your filmy job and not speak of religion or politics without proper knowledge.

rikaz
 - 
Wednesday, 27 Jan 2016

Dinesh, it is not christians who are converting, it is people who are from lower caste want to convert to christianity or islam, they have been deprived by their rights by the upper castes. I think they (so called lower castes) have got full right to change, in fact by doing so they get their due respect with dignity...if you abolish all so called upper and lower caste system in your system, nobody wants to go and take up some other religion.

You people treat those lower castes like a shit.....if they convert to islam or christianity they will be treated like their own and equals...that is the difference my friend....

when you write something think and right...straighten your facts...

Parinatha
 - 
Wednesday, 27 Jan 2016

Mr.Akthar,......first learn what is fundamentalism/........if you want to be perfect in any sector or field ...you must learn fundamentals of the same sector or field......so what your comparison is wrong itself

Sameer
 - 
Wednesday, 27 Jan 2016

Bulls eye. Very well said...

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News Network
July 23,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 23: Karnataka on Thursday recorded a biggest single-day surge of over 5,000 cases and 97 related fatalities, taking the total number of people who tested positive for the virus to 80,863, the health department said. 

The day also saw a record 2,071 patients getting discharged after recovery.

Out of 5,030 fresh cases reported, a whopping 2,207 cases were from Bengaluru urban alone.

As of July 23 evening, cumulatively 80,863 Covid-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 1,616 deaths and 29,310 discharges, the health department said in its bulletin.

It said, out of 49,931 active cases, 49,291 patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable, while 640 are in ICU. Out of the 97 deaths reported on Thursday 48 are from Bengaluru urban, followed by Mysuru 8, Dakshina Kannada 7 and others.

Most of the dead are either with a history of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) or Influenza-like illness (ILI).

Among the districts where the new cases were reported, Bengaluru urban accounts for 2,207, followed by Raichur 258, Kalaburagi 229, Dakshina Kannada 218, and others.

Bengaluru urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 39,200 infections, followed by Dakshina Kannada 4,209 and Kalaburagi 3,370. 

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 24,2020

Nanded, May 24: In a sensational incident, a Lingayat seer from Karnataka was found murdered in his mutt in the Nanded district of Marathwada region of Maharashtra on Sunday.

The seer, who was strangled to death, has been identified as Shivacharya Nirvanarudra Pashupatinath Maharaj, the founder-spiritual head of Nirvanji Pashupatinath Mutt.

Addressing media persons, Nanded Superintendent of Police Vijaykumar Magar, the prime suspect, Sainath Langote first killed his accomplice Bhagwan Shinde and then went to the ashram late on Saturday.

He entered Shivaharya Maharaj's bedroom where he was resting and threw chilli powder in his eyes, blinding him.

Then he quickly grabbed cash of Rs 69,000, his laptop and other valuables in the bedroom worth approximately Rs.1.50 lakh, besides the seer's car keys.

As Shivacharya Maharaj attempted to grapple with him, Langote pinned him down and strangled him, then dragged his body to the sadhu's car parked outside and dumped it into the boot.

"He started the car and sped off towards the road outside, but the car crashed into the main gate of the ashram creating a noise, alerting the other sevaks sleeping inside the ashram," Magar said.

Around 8-10 other ashram sevaks rushed outside to check the ruckus and when they saw their seer's belongings and his body in the car trunck, they attempted to stop Langote, but he gave them the slip.

A short distance away, Langote managed to steal a motorbike and sped off into the darkness and hours later, the police found the body of his accomplice Shinde from a nearby school premises, Magar said.

In view of the sensitivity of the incident, Magar said around five crack teams were formed which fanned out into the district and managed to catch Langote this afternoon.

"The prima facie motive for the seer's murder was clearly robbery and the second killing could be due to rivalry or some differences among them. The absconder suspect has been caught by a police team. We will interrogate him and get further details of the crime," Magar said.

Nanded Congress strongman and PWD Minister Ashok Chavan appealed that the murder should not be politicized, since the police investigations are underway and the autopsy report is awaited.

He said the deceased sadhu belonged to the Lingayat caste, and both Shinde and Langote who belonged to the same community were his followers.

Shivacharya Maharaj had come to Nanded over a decade ago and set up the ashram which he ran along with a band of followers.

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News Network
June 12,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 12: Karnataka Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar on Friday said experts have indicated a surge in coronavirus cases in the state after August 15 and the government was taking all precautionary measures in that direction. Speaking to reporters in Ballari, Sudhakar said, "About 97 percent of over 3,000 active cases in the state are asymptomatic.

Experts after studying the developments in other countries and states have said that there will be a surge in infections after August 15."

He said the government was taking all precautionary measures in that direction.

 As of June 11 evening, cumulatively 6,245 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 72 deaths and 2,976 discharges, the health department's bulletin said.

It said, out of 3,195 active cases, 3,185 patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable, while 10 are in ICU.

Meanwhile, in a tweet pointing out that nearly 60 per cent of the COVID cases in the country are from 10 cities, Sudhakar said, despite being the fourth most populous city in the country Bengaluru has been successful in containing its spread.

"Nearly 60% of total COVID-19 cases in India are found in 10 cities. Despite being 4th most populous, Bengaluru has been successful in containing spread of virus.

I urge people to keep up the fight, continue vigil & together with #CoronaWarriors we can defeat the virus," Sudhakar tweeted.

Bengaluru that does not figure in the list of 10 cities shared by the Minister has reported 581 coronavirus cases till last evening, out of which 258 are active.

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