Tolerance and fraternity

Uppinangady, India:

In the backdrop of communal violence activities, the district administration will be organising peace meetings in the village levels in order to maintain communal harmony.

Deputy Commissioner Dr N S Chennappa Gowda said the administration has tried to reach out to the communities through two peace committee meetings held so far. “Leaders of both communities have agreed to maintain peace” he said. Stating that the peace committee meetings have thrown up suggestions on need to hold this exercise at the village level, Gowda said the administration would take forward this idea once the fallout from Uppinangady incident stabilises. “We will instruct taluk teshildars and executive officers of taluk panchayats to hold such exercise at village level so that misgivings between communities are sorted at the grass roots level and not allowed to build up,” he said.

Acknowledging that democracy gives citizens the right to speech, IGP (Western Range) Pratap Reddy said the police would step in when those holding protests democratically against Uppinangady or any such incidents cross the line. “We are taking steps to video graph all such public protest rallies and clippings of any inflammatory statements made by leaders of any communities would be used against them in a court of law as evidence as and when cases are booked,” he pointed.

Complainant Haji Mustafa Kempi, president of the Kendra Juma Masjid, has filed a case against Mr. Bhat, and other Hindu leaders Na. Seetarama, G.P. Sheshapati Rai, Kishore Kumar Shirady and Karunakar Suvarna. The police have registered the case under sections 159A (promoting enmity between groups) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code.

In the sporadic violence after the samajotsava, seven persons, including a sub-inspector, were injured on Sunday.