Kabaddi tournament 'for Hindus only' In Mangalore

From The Hindu
Anisha Sheth

A kabaddi tournament being organised by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-affiliated association has raised concerns here.

The Hindu Jagran Vedike, the youth wing of the RSS, is organising a kabaddi tournament for men and women on Sunday. However, the invitation card and press notes for the event carry a rider: only Hindus can participate.

Writer K. Phaniraj said: “RSS-affiliated organisations make no bones about furthering their agenda of making Muslims and Christians second-class citizens of the country.” He added that a public event only for Hindus was “clearly a show of enmity against other communities, which is against the Constitution”.

He said that law enforcement agencies and the district administration must take note of such instances and take suitable action.

State vice-president of the People's Union for Civil Liberties, Suresh Bhat, agreed that the district administration should take action and prevent the event from happening.

Bangalore-based lawyer and adviser to Commissioner on Food Security appointed by the Supreme Court, Clifton D'Rozario, said that it was “the duty of the police” to register a suo motu case when there was an intention to create hatred between communities, incite violence and create a law and order problem.

Commissioner of Police Seemanth Kumar Singh said that he was not aware of the event but would check with Assistant Commissioner of Police (South) to see if there was likely to be any law and order problem. The tournament is being organised to commemorate the “brave Hindu martyrs of Dakshina Kannada” as part of the organisation's 25th anniversary celebrations.

According to an office-bearer of the vedike, who requested anonymity, the martyrs in whose honour the trophy is being held, include Polali Ananth, Sukhanand Shetty, Prem, Dinesh, Manjunath, Candle Santhu, Udaya Poojary, Jagadish Poojary, Narasimha Shettigar and Chetan Shetty.