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
January 30,2020

Bengaluru, Jan 30: There are around 3 lakh Bangladeshis across Karnataka and around 3,000 of them left Bengaluru following the recent crackdown, according to Bhaskar Rao, Bengaluru city police commissioner.

It's the first time a high-ranking official has put a number to Bangladeshis in Karnataka following the debate over the new citizenship law.

At a conclave on 'Construction Workers Safety, Health and Welfare' organised by the labour department and IIMB here, he said the estimate was arrived at based on information sourced from Bangladeshis deported recently.

There's been no study to ascertain the Bangladeshi population in the state, Rao said, adding that most illegal Bangladeshis in Bengaluru are victims of human trafficking.

"They come to Bengaluru for employment. Unlike other cities, Bengaluru has a lot of job potential and pays good salaries too. There are a lot of Bangladeshis working in the construction industry," Rao said.

Workers from Bangladesh demand lower wages. While other labourers demand around Rs 500 to Rs 600 per day, Bangladeshi workers don’t complain about being paid around Rs 100-150,” Rao said, adding that this has encouraged human traffickers to increasingly bring in Bangladeshis.

Suresh Hari, chairman, Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India, however, said they’re not aware of the nationality of their workers as contractors bring workers registered for tasks. “It’s difficult to say where they are from as there’s also construction work outside Credai’s purview,” Hari said.

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News Network
June 23,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 23: Police have nabbed two foreign nationals who were drawing money from ATMs of various banks by using fake ATM cards after collecting details of the card including code while customers used to withdraw money.

Police on Tuesday said that the arrested were identified as Felix Kisiibo (25), Present address Kogilu, Yelahanka, Bengaluru Native address BUGOBERO Village, Khabutoola sub-county, Manafwa District, Uganda and Khairun Abbdulla (32), Present address Kogilu, Yelahanka, Bengaluru Native address House Uzini Zanzibar, Mkele urban, Tanzania.

The duo by inserting Skirmish machine into ATM used to collect details of ATM cardholders, balance and code and then by using fake ATM cards used to withdraw the money without the knowledge of customers.

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News Network
May 1,2020

Bengaluru, May 1: As Mumbai link surfacing in some COVID-19 cases in Mandya district in Karnataka, JDS leader and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy on Friday blamed the district administration for the situation, accusing it of not quarantining 7,000 labourers who 'returned' from the Maharashtra capital.

"The information we have is that there are about 16,000 labourers from Mandya were working in Mumbai of which 7,000 people reached the district. None of them was quarantined properly," Kumaraswamy told reporters in Bengaluru.

He claimed the district, a stronghold of JDS, was staring at a major spurt in cases due to the careless attitude of the district administration. "Government should initiate action against those who are responsible for the laxity," he said.

However, he did not specify when the 7,000 workers returned to Mandya. When asked about Kumaraswamy's claim, officials said they have to verify it. Of the eight cases reported from Mandya on Friday, three had a travel history to Mumbai, a major COVID-19 hotspot in the country, officials said.

A Health Department official said four of the fresh cases were contacts of a patient who tested positive on April 8 and admitted to a hospital. After weeks of coming in contact with him, the four were confirmed for COVID-19, an official said. The Three people with travel history to Mumbai had, in fact, brought the body of a man who died of a heart attack there on April 24, the official added.

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