The camp reportedly trained 186 participants in airgun handling, karate, swords, sticks, and other weapons-related techniques.
Published Jan 07, 2025 | 2:34 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 07, 2025 | 4:34 PM
Weapons training camp organised by Sri Rama Sene (Screengrab)
The All-India Lawyers’ Association for Justice (AILAJ) Karnataka State Committee on Tuesday, 7 January, called for immediate legal action against Sri Rama Sene for conducting a six-day weapons training camp in December 2024 in Bagalkot district.
Sri Rama Sene is a right-wing Hindu nationalist group known for acts of vandalism and assault under the garb of moral policing such as the 2009 Mangalore pub attack.
The camp reportedly trained 186 participants in handling airguns, swords, sticks, other weapons-related techniques and martial arts, including Karate.
The Sri Ram Sene has conducted a six-day firearms and combat training camp in Dharwad, #Karnataka, training 186 youths from across the state. Led by state president Gangadhar Kulkarni, the camp focused on preparing Hindu youth to “respond to attacks on Hindu activists and… pic.twitter.com/B6uu7qw6qE
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) December 30, 2024
All-India Lawyers’ Association for Justice (AILAJ) letter addressed to the Director General of Police (DGP), Karnataka
In a letter addressed to the Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP), AILAJ expressed concerns about the camp’s objectives, alleging that such activities aim to militarise Hindu youth and pose a threat to communal harmony.
“There is a danger that the youth trained in the camp will carry out violent activities and disrupt peace,” the letter read.
The association highlighted alleged links between similar camps organised by right-wing organisations and incidents of moral policing, mob lynchings, and violence targeting minorities.
It referenced the murders of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh, academic MM Kalburgi and others as examples of the consequences of such extremism.
“Allowing this to go unpunished amounts to normalising the belief that violent acts in furtherance of this ideology, and obviously aimed at Dalits, Muslims and Christians, in furtherance of Hindutva is perfectly legitimate and can be done with impunity in the state and disrupt peace in the future,” the letter stated.
AILAJ urged authorities to invoke Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act, 1959, and Sections 61 and 189 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita(BNS), 2024, to address the incident and prevent the recurrence of such camps.
The camp was conducted by Sri Rama Sene in Todalbagi village of the Bagalkot district. Sri Ram Sene state president Gangadhar Kulkarni stated that participants from across Karnataka were trained in self-defence techniques.
“We conducted airgun training to teach participants how to protect themselves,” Kulkarni said. He further described the camp as a platform to prepare youth to address perceived threats to the Hindu community.
“Participants were trained to combat increasing attacks on Hindu activists and the Hindu community. This camp is meant to prepare our youth to respond effectively to such challenges,” he said.
“We have prepared these young individuals to face future challenges and defend their communities,” Kulkarni added.
While Bagalkot police have reportedly initiated a probe into the incident, AILAJ criticised what it described as police inaction, stating that no suo motu case had been registered against the organisers.
“The police department has not taken any action against the organisers of this incident so far, and it has been reported in the media that the Bagalkot SP [Superintendent of Police] has stated that a probe is underway. This statement by the SP is unacceptable.
“The police department should have registered a suo motu case against those who gave weapons training, but no case has been registered so far,” the letter stated.
The association also highlighted what it characterised as a disparity in police action, stating: “Recently, there have been many incidents in which the police have registered suo motu cases against activists who protested symbolically in the state.
“Cases have also been registered against activists who protested peacefully for Palestine. The silence of the police department and the government despite such a serious issue in Bagalkot is condemnable,” AILAJ said.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
