Restore communal harmony in Karnataka, citizens urge CM Basavaraj Bommai

From the controversy over the ban of hijab in educational institutions to the boycott of “halal” meat, from right-wing organisations countering Azaan with Bhajans on loudspeakers to the government’s textbook review committee coming under fire for alleged “saffronisation” of the syllabus, Karnataka has been mired in a host of communal charges of recent.

The campaign by right-wing outfits for economic boycott of Muslim businesses during Hindu temple fairs even drew criticism of prominent business heads like Kiran Mazumdar Shaw.

In their open letter, the signatories pointed out that their attempt to meet Bommai for over one month had been futile, compelling them to air their concerns through this form of communication.

“We believe the restoration of communal harmony is an important and urgent task and trust that the government you head will not wish to go down in history as the one that precipitated a steep downturn in the reputation and fortunes of our state through inaction,” said the letter, a copy of which is with South First.

Repeatedly referring to Nadakavi Kuvempu’s description of Karnataka as “Sarva Janangada Shantiya Tota” (peaceful garden for all communities), the signatories urged action from the government to curb instances of communal flareup.

“This is the time for Karnataka to grow and emerge as the leader of the South but in the last two years, we have seen repeated instances of communal disturbances that is putting the State on the backfoot,” author Gita Aravamudan, one of the signatories to the letter, told South First.

Author Chandan Gowda, another signatory to the letter, told South First quite the same thing.

The letter claimed that “the current spate of divisive actions aimed at alienating particular communities and denying them their fundamental rights will not only hamper development but also hurt our state’s reputation, hinder progress and innovation, erode the confidence of entrepreneurs and investors, heighten insecurity, suspicion, fear and resentment among citizens, and cause harm to all sections of society, while also threatening the integrity of our nation. It is not possible to ‘Make in India’ in a climate where people are ‘Scared in India’ and even ‘Scarred in India’.”

The letter alleged that the attacks aimed Muslim, Christian, and Dalit communities were disturbing peace.

It proposed a five-point agenda to put an end to communal flareups in Karnataka.

These include holding the local authorities responsible for communal conflict, demanding that the police do their jobs effectively, that action be taken against hate speech and the dehumanizing of minorities, and curbing the spread of fake news that is fuelling communal hatred.

This is the second open letter this year from citizens of Karnataka expressing concerns over communal disturbances in the state.

In March, the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) had written to the governor and chief minister.