BHOPAL: More than 250 people from different walks of life staged a dharna (sit in) at Roshanpura Square here on Wednesday to protest against the communal violence in Orissa and Dewas, M.P.
The dharna, according to the participants was also staged to exhort all the peace loving people to come forward to protect the nation’s democracy.
The communal violence at Orissa and Dewas had shown the ugly face of communal hatred. This should be nipped in the bud, said, Javed, a member of a social organisation Yuva Samvad.
According to him, unless, the right thinking people come forward to raise voice against such elements trying to divide the people on communal line, it would spell disaster to the country’s democracy and its pious tenets of secularism.
The troublemakers, he feared were trying to infuse the poison of communal hatred as a preparation trial to the Assembly elections scheduled in the state later this year. He appealed to all the right thinking people to fight against the menace of communalism in unison.
Kumit Singh, Secretary, Sarokar,( an Organization working for communal harmony), wanted stern action against such people and organizations which spread disharmony in the society.
“Such people are mentally ill we need to treat them”,she added. The communal violence in Orissa where Christians were forced to flee in the forest on the eve Christmas was a shame on the nation as a whole.
The hooligans besides killing people also set Christians house, Churches, convent and other establishment on fire, he regretted. So was the cases of communal violence in the state including the recent incident in Dewas against Muslims. It is to be recalled that in Devas recent communal violence was the result of the killing of a former functionary of an Organization. This was proved that the real culprits were belonging to the same religion but to insight violence it was looked from the communal point of view Such violence, she said would be curbed only when right thinking people come forward to stop the trouble mongers.
Those trying to divide the county on communal lines would not succeed said L S Hadenia adding that the country was secular and would continue to remain so.
According to advocate J P Danopay, the BJP government in the state was trying to follow the Gujarat model to retain power in the state. The BJP, he suspected would adopt an aggressive Hindutva in ensuing assembly polls in the state.
The spokesperson of Catholic Church in M.P, Father Anand Muttugal said, the BJP’s success in Gujarat was the charisma of Chief Minister Narendra Modi and development he had ushered in. The hard core Hindutva, he said failed in Uttar Pradesh and other states. However, he cautioned the people against the gradual rise of communal hatred in country.
Speaking on the issue L.S Herdenia said,” those trying to use communal violence will not succeed in it because the mind of India is secular.”
Round fourteen organizations together are organizing this Dharna. One of the convenors of this movement Upasana says,” we are planning for a long term programme to awake the conscience of the people to resist communal disturbances in state.” The important organizations working are Rashtriya Secular Manj , Yuva Samvad , Progressive Writers Forum , and Madhya Pradesh Isai Maha Saba , Quami Ekta .
Fr. Anand Muttungal
PRO & Spokesperson
Catholic Church, M.P & C.G
