R B Jagadish
Daijiworld Media Network – Karkala (SP)

Karkala, Jul 2: In the wake of some recent incidents at Hosmar in the taluk, the locals have been strongly suspecting hand of external forces in planning to harbour enmity between different groups and give rise to communal clashes in the region and disturb peace. There have been allegations that persons with suspicious background are being given shelter, religious banners and flags are being removed and thrown away, provocative flex boards are being installed in public places, and eve teasing incidents are on the rise. The citizens have been seeking stern steps from the police department to end this menace.

The above were the views expressed by the participants of the peace meet organized by the police department on Tuesday July 1, in view of several unsavoury incidents that have been occurring in Hosmar and surrounding place since tome time.

The peace meet was organized in the backdrop of a recent incident in which the flag with 'Om' written on it standing at Saraswati Nagar Hosmar had been uprooted and tossed away by unknown miscreants. On the basis of this incident, some miscreants have begun efforts towards disrupting peace. Knowing this, the police department convened the peace meet urgently to nip the problem in the bud.

Tahsildar, Babu Devadiga, and assistant superintendent of police, Annamalai, requested the people not to take law into their hands even under provocative circumstances, and to sound the police department if they witness illegal activities. Annamalai said that steps are being undertaken in Hosmar to check vehicles moving around in the region between 8 and 10 pm, besides placing attendance register in strategic points for the night patrolling police to sign at night. He called upon the general public to convey to the department if they sight any suspicious persons or vehicles.

President of Edu gram panchayat, Sujata, former taluk panchayat president, Sundar, former vice president, Jayapal Jain, police circle inspector, G V Naykar, Edu village development officer, Dharmendra, some Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishat leaders, local Muslim leader, N C Ahmed, and station house officers of Karkala town and rural police stations were present at the meet.