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No plans to ban beef in state: Siddaramaiah

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Photo: The New Indian Express

Photo: The New Indian Express

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has made it clear that there will not be any ban on beef in the state.

When he was asked a question by scribes on the beef ban in light of a protest held in Bengaluru on Thursday April 9 against the beef ban in Maharashtra, Siddaramaiah said “Let the people decide what they want to eat. We do not have the right to question their choices”

“Pork, chicken, mutton and let them eat what they want. Who am I to tell them? “Siddaramaiah added.

The protestors on Thursday at town hall premises had cooked beef biryani on the spot and had eaten it in public to register their opposition to the ban in Maharashtra.

Some prominent faces were also seen in the protest including writers Girish Karnad and K Marulusiddappa. The protest was organized by the activists of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI).

BJP unhappy

Meanwhile BJP has strongly criticized the participation of Girish Karnad and K Marulusiddappa in the protest by terming the act as ‘A shameful act which a civilised society cannot accept.’

Leader of the opposition in the legislative council K S Eshwarappa has demanded apologies from both the writers for participating in the protest.

“I know they are famous. Whatever they say will get some publicity. But they should have used their popularity for good causes. They should not use their talents for anti social propaganda. If they do not know to promote good causes, they should shut up. Hindus have been watching them patiently. But nobody knows when their anger will explode.” Eshwarappa said.

No knowledge of law?

Veteran freedom fighter H S Doreswamy has said that Girish Karnad and K Marulusiddappa should have had the basic knowledge of prevailing laws which prohibit the slaughter of cows.

He said that even Jammu and Kashmir where the Muslims are in majority has some laws against the killing of cows. He asked not to compare cow to other animals.

Girish Karnad had said during the protest, “The act of banning beef eating is provocative. I may or may not eat beef but I will stand by the right of others for whom the meat is a crucial source of affordable nutrition. It is about people’s right to food and their right to life.”

(Agencies)

Girish Karnad turns up for Bengaluru beef fest, but cops take away food

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Girish Karnad (sitting, second from right) expressing solidarity with Left activists protesting the beef ban in Maharashtra. (HT Photo)

Girish Karnad (sitting, second from right) expressing solidarity with activists protesting the beef ban in Maharashtra. (HT Photo)

Bengaluru: Calling ban on beef as an act that was against the diverse food culture of our society, Left wing body Democratic Youth Federation of India and Dalit outfits today held a beef eating programme here that was attended by Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad.

The event was organised in protest against the ban on beef in different parts of the country and also supported and attended another famous Kannada writer Dr K Marulasiddappa.

Protesters criticised the beef ban as an attempt to encroach upon the choice of food and against the diverse food culture of Indian society.

Both Karnad and Marulasiddappa did not eat beef,but said they support the event and stand against such ban.

“I don’t want people to say that because I eat beef therefore I opposed the law. No, everyone has the right to practice….” Karnad said.

To a question he said “Who said large part our population doesn’t eat beef? This nonsense is created by Brahmins;this is created by Hindutva protagonists. Vokkaligas, Muslims, Christians, Dalits and many other communities eat….then how is it against the practice of large population of this
country?”

Marulasiddappa said “I have not eaten beef here because I don’t follow that food habit, I have that right, but at the same time I don’t have right to scorn at those who eat it. I have respect towards them.”

Anticipating trouble as the event had invited a lot of opposition, police intervened and took away the eatables made of beef from the organisers.

Criticising the police action as undemocratic, organisers said, “this is against the law, we criticise this act by the police, ours was a peaceful programme, we have in no way affected the law and order situation.”

(PTI)

Solidarity with Teesta Setalvad – Demonstration in Mumbai

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Teesta Setalvad

by Preethy Sekhar, DYFI

A large number of activists gathered outside Dadar Railway Station in Mumbai on Sunday (15-2-2015) evening for a public demonstration of solidarity with Teesta Setalvad & Javed Anand who are being hounded by Gujarat police with false cases. Famous film maker Anand Patwardhan, renowned writer-activist Dr. Ram Puniyani, AIDWA Maharashtra Secretary Sonya Gill, CITU leader Dr.Vivek Monteiro, Dolphy D’souza, Subodh More, Vandana Shah, Sumedh Jadhav and several eminent citizens of Mumbai participated in the meeting organized by Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) Maharashtra committee. DYFI state president conducted Adv.Bhagavan Bhagwan Bhojne, Secretary Preethy Sekhar and State committee member Moin Ansar also spoke.

Anand Patwardhan detailed the long standing criminal record of Gujarat Police which has become a tool in the hands of Sangh Parivar. Cruel encounter killings, diabolic attempts to destroy evidence and frame innocents – these are the credentials of Gujarat Police.

Dr. Ram Puniyani said that Gujarat Police is targeting Teesta because Teesta had shown many BJP leaders their way to Jail. What is now taking place is part of the efforts to insulate the perpetrators of 2002 massacres from the process of law. Fascist forces occupying state power are not going to stop at this. They will try to hunt down everyone who will stand up for justice. All citizens who wants secularism and democracy to prevail must fearlessly resist SanghParivar machinations, said Dr. Puniyani.

Sonya Gill said drew attention to the irony of Police officers accused of infamous encounter killings walking free even as Teesta Setalvad and Javed Anand are sought to be put behind bars. Tireless and courageous work by Teesta and Javed have been instrumental in bringing high-placed criminals to justice. Now the state machinery is trying to frame them in the hope that their work could be obstructed. It is a matter of much pride that Teesta and Javed are undeterred by all the machinations of Gujarat Police.

Dr. Vivek Monteiro explained how BJP has been using the police machinery in Gujarat and elsewhere to frame innocents. It is a pity that judiciary is not able to prevent the bias in our police system against minorities and those who stand up for the rights of the marginalized sections.

Police personnel were deployed in large number at the protest site. Their attempts to disrupt the programme was met with stiff resistance from DYFI activists leading to a scuffle but the programme continued challenging the Police. It was yet another instance of Mumbai Police’s intolerance towards secular organizations exercising the right to assembly.

Slogans like “Teesta tum sangharsh karo, hum tumhare saath hai”, “BJP sarkkar ki dadagiri nahi chalegi” electrified the evening at Dadar, it was a show of determination and unity of secular forces in Mumbai. DYFI leaders declared that, in the days to come, the organization will galvanise the secular collective of Maharashtra and meet the challenges posed by Hindutva forces in the state.

DYFI launches matrimonial site to promote ‘secular’ marriages

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dyfi

Thiruvananthapuram/PTI: CPI-M’s youth wing, Democratic Youth Federation of India, has launched a matrimonial website exclusively to promote ‘secular’ marriages.

The website, “www.secularmarriage.com,” will function as a unique platform for liberal-minded people to find their partners irrespective of caste, creed and religion, DYFI sources said.

The site, launched by celebrity couple–director Ashiq Abu and actress Rima Kallingal at Kochi yesterday, was, however, hacked allegedly by some fundamentalist groups this morning.

“We are trying to set it right today itself,” DYFI state secretary M Swaraj told PTI.

“The hacking of the site itself proves that how deep-rooted is fundamentalism in our society. Secularism, one of the key foundations of our democracy, is at stake nowadays. A fundamental group hacked the site as they cannot digest the concept of secular marriages,” Swaraj alleged.

He said the core objective of the website is to create a secular space at a time when marriages are becoming more religion and caste oriented.

“We hope, the site can perform a significant role in helping those who want to find their partners irrespective of caste, creed and religion,” he said.

Unlike most other matrimonial websites, there is no space to mark bride’s or groom’s caste or religion in the new site, he said.

Interested youth, who want to tie the knot in a secular way, can register on the site and search for their partners there. They can make the alliance after enquiring about the background of the registered members, Swaraj said.

He claimed that they had received several threat letters against launching the site but would go forward with firmness to achieve the mission.

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