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New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Holistic steps needed to bring communities together in Coastal Karnataka
The state government, earlier this week, set up a Special Action Force (SAF) to curb communal violence in Coastal Karnataka. It is a welcome move to improve policing in the region that has witnessed many revenge killings and communal flare-ups. But the SAF alone will not be enough to ensure lasting peace and communal harmony. There is a need for a holistic approach to strengthen the social fabric. By constituting the special force, the government has shown its intent and resolve to tackle the serious issues impacting the districts that are otherwise doing remarkably well in various indices. As per the latest Economic Survey, Bangalore Urban's Gross District Domestic Product (GDDP) is Rs 9,98,659 crore with 39.1% contribution to State GDP, followed by Dakshina Kannada with 5.4%; Bangalore Urban district per capita income is Rs 7,38,910 is the highest among all the districts, again followed by Dakshina Kannada at Rs 5,56,059 and Udupi at Rs 5,33,469. In the Human Development Index, industry, and services sectors, Dakshina Kannada is the second place after Bengaluru Urban. The coastal districts in the state are also known for their top-quality higher education institutions that attract students from different parts of the state, even the country. However, on the flip side, this region remains communally hyper-sensitive, and that could impact its developmental prospects. Frequent communal incidents bring a sense of fragility to peace in the region, requiring constant vigil to maintain it. Even the Government Order (GO) constituting the SAF cites the state police chief's recent letter expressing concern over an increase in communal incidents in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, and the potential of smaller incidents quickly evolving into major challenges to maintain law and order.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Police reformation will reduce communal tensions in Dakshina Kannada: MLC
Mangaluru: MLC Ivan D'Souza said chief minister favoured implementing changes in the police department to address and reduce communal tensions in Dakshina Kannada. D'Souza said here on Thursday that he met the CM on Wednesday and explained to him the situation prevailing in the district. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "I urged him to initiate appropriate action to put an end to inflammatory speeches being made by right-wing leaders. I also urged the CM to bring in reforms in the police force in Dakshina Kannada and the CM was in favour of them," the MLC said. Appreciating the govt's decision to set up Special Action Force (SAF) for Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Shivamogga districts, D'Souza said the force will be able to stop provocative speeches and communal crimes in the region. The MLC expressed his support for the creation of the Anti-Communal Task Force and said he requested the Chief Minister to establish its headquarters in Mangaluru. D'Souza acknowledged certain shortcomings within the police force concerning the recent killings, noting that police do not understand the 'vision' of the govt. Nevertheless, he assured that the administration would implement comprehensive measures to halt sectarian violence throughout the district. District minister Dinesh Gundu Rao will visit the district and conduct a peace meeting, he said. On allegations of the BJP that the district minister failed to give enough time for Dakshina Kannada, D'Souza said Rao attended all Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) meetings and showed real concern for the district's development. Following the mass resignation of Muslim leaders from the Congress, the MLC expressed distress regarding the developments. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "We will make efforts to persuade them to reconsider their decision to step down from their positions," he added. MLC visits Rahiman's house MLC D'Souza visited the house of slain pickup driver Abdul Rahiman, at Kolthamajalu, Bantwal on Thursday. Offering condolences to the family, he assured them that the govt is committed to eradicating the forces behind this crime without any hesitation. He also visited the hospital to meet the injured Kalandar Shafi.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Karnataka to form Special Action Force to address communal crimes, hate speeches in 3 districts
The Karnataka government Wednesday ordered the formation of a Special Action Force (SAF) to tackle communal crimes in the Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Shivamogga districts. It will have three companies, one each for three communally sensitive districts of the state, as per the order issued by the home department. The SAF will have 248 personnel and will be headed by a deputy inspector general (DIG)-level IPS officer. Monitoring hate speech and provocative incidents and collecting intelligence on events that could lead to communal tensions are among the key objectives of the special unit, which will also look into the possible radicalisation of youth. The 248 posts for SAF are being carved out from the Anti-Naxal Force (ANF), whose strength of 656 personnel will now be reduced to 376. The government has decided to reduce ANF numbers as the last known Naxals in the region surrendered recently. The SAF is being formed following a resurgence in murders that have triggered communal tensions in the region. Over the past month, three murders have rocked the region. The first was of migrant labourer Ashraf, who was lynched in Mangaluru. Days later, rowdysheeter Suhas Shetty was hacked to death, prompting the police to impose prohibitory orders in the Dakshina Kannada district. On Tuesday, one Abdul Rahim was hacked to death near Bantwal in Dakshina Kannada district, leading to another round of prohibitory orders in the district. Speaking to reporters Thursday, Home Minister G Parameshwara said the government had announced the formation of SAF soon after the first two murders. Following discussions on how to structure the SAF, it was noted that the focus was on three districts to prevent future communal tensions. 'When a person of one community is killed, another person of another community is murdered. If such a feeling of vengeance continues, how can people live peacefully? We will not stop until it is curbed,' he said. Apart from legal action against the culprits, peace meetings are also being held in the presence of community leaders to address the issue. Dakshina Kannada, he said, is a district with many good people and high-quality education. 'It has great potential to develop. For this, we have to focus on preventing this,' the minister said. On the recent killing, he said that the government has taken it seriously. 'We will take action against everyone involved, and no one will be spared,' he said, calling for restraint from local elected representatives when talking about such incidents.
