Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Dec 17: In a peace meeting held in the auditorium at the office of the district deputy commissioner (DC) here on Thursday December 16, a plea was made to the people belonging to different religions and communities, and also leaders of the society, to work for peace across the district.

Leaders of different organizations had been invited to the said meeting, which was convened with specific reference to some recent unsavoury incidents that have been a cause for worry. DC, P Hemalata, requested all the leaders to steadfastly work to maintain peace in the society and also for the maintenance of law and order situation, in view of the fact that Muhurram, Hindu Samajotsava, Christmas, apart from zilla and taluk panchayat elections, are lined up in the coming weeks.

District superintendent of police, Pravin Madhukar Pawar, said that peace meetings are also being held within the jurisdictions of various police stations in the district. He requested people from all the religions to extend full support to the police department in maintaining peace.

The DC, however, sprang a surprise by sending the journalists out of the meeting, for reasons best known to her. The purpose behind conducting the peace meeting behind closed doors is not clear as yet.

The general public as well as journalists had been invited to the meeting. However, as soon as the meeting began, the deputy commissioner asked the journalists to go out of the meeting after clicking photographs. On Thursday, the DC had sent letters to a few leaders from Udupi, inviting them to attend the meeting, but no one from Kundapur, which saw disturbances recently, had attended the meeting. In effect, only those from within Udupi town were present at the meeting, it was observed.

Some feel that the DC was worried about the chances of disruptions during discussions at the peace emeting, and that she might have thought that reports appearing on these issues in the media might disrupt peace in the society.