‘Progressive forces will not allow divisive forces to reap the harvest of hatred sown’

State-level unity march and harmony convention organised in Udupi

Political activist Yogendra Yadav said on Saturday that people and organisations who believe in unity in diversity, inclusiveness, and harmony would not allow some forces to “reap the harvest of hatred” being sown in Karnataka’s coastal belt.

Addressing a State-level unity march and harmony convention organised by various groups under the banner of ‘Sahabalve’ in Udupi, Mr. Yadav said that coastal Karnataka had a fertile land where hatred was being sown. “Everything grows here (in the coastal belt). So they (divisive forces) thought of sowing the seeds of hate too. But we will not allow them to reap its harvest,” he said.

“Like they say mandir wahin banayenge, we say hum souhard yahin banayenge,” he said, adding that progressive forces unite society when divisive forces divide people.

On the language issue and the controversy surrounding it, he said, “Hindi is 200 years old while Kannada is 2,500 years old. How can Hindi speaking people be treated as landlords and Kannada speakers as tenants? They want to make one religion landlords and the other religion tenant.” Mr. Yadav said that the Constitution had guaranteed the people the right to equality, the right to religion and the right to culture and that is secularism.

“Today, the bulldozer is being run over not just some buildings but also on the foundations of India, on the culture of India, and on the Constitution,” he said.

Yasin Malpe, one of the conveners of the convention, said such conventions would be organised in each district in the coming days. A major convention had been planned on October 2. “Harmony committees will be formed in each gram panchayat,” he said, adding that the Udupi convention was the beginning of strengthening the bond among all sections of society.

S. Sasikanth Senthil, who resigned from the Indian Administrative Service while serving as Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada, presided over the function.