Mangalore: Youths being Misused by Outfits, say Protesters of Home Stay Attack
 
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (PS)
 
Mangalore, Sep 4: Karavali Sauharda Sangharsha Samiti, Mangalore comprising leaders of various like-minded political parties organized a protest meet in front of the DC’s office here on Tuesday September 4 to condemn the attack on home stay party in Padil which took place on July 28.
 
The protestors pointed out that though a few assaulters were arrested by the police, many more were not.

Addressing the gathering, district Congress president and Bantwal MLA Ramanath Rai said that moral policing should be rooted out in the region as it has been sowing the seeds of communal enmity.

Coming down heavily on those belonging to the right wing, he said that if such feelings of communal hatred were to continue, there may be ethnic violence which may hamper the nation’s integrity. "Only a CBI investigation can reveal the truth behind the barbaric attack on girls," he said.

Referring to the recent court verdict on post Godhra violence in 2002, which pronounced 28 years of imprisonment to BJP leader Maya Kodnani and life term to Babu Bajarangi, Rai said the verdict had strenghthened the country's trust in judicial system.
 
JD(S) leader Amarnath Shetty said that the home stay incident had led to a feeling of insecurity among people that Mangalore was not a safe place.
 
Labour leader P Sanjiva said that those who do not fear law have taken the law into their hands. "Innocent youth are being brainwashed to participate in these type of attacks by top-level leaders for their political gains," he alleged.
 
Litterateur Chandrakala Nandavar said that youngsters who were supposed to be assets of the nation had been misused by some groups in the name of patriotism and religion, because of which the whole system had been damaged. She also questioned the media which repeatedly telecasted the scenes of the assaulters beating the girls.
 
JD(S) leader M G Hegde said that secular groups should rise against all odds and that fanatics should be given apprpriate answers. He blamed RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat for the whole episode of home stay attack and questioned his silence.

"If the youth have any real interest in safeguarding religious values and culture, they must engage in the work of bhajana mandalis and cultural organizations," he said, predicting that  another Hindu Samajotsava may be held in the city on October 25 this year to woo the voters.
 
Leaders B Madhava, Ivan D’Souza, P V Mohan, Shashiraj Shetty, Rita Noronha, Sushil Noronha, Sara Abubakkar among others were present.