Sunday, September 28, 2008

WE HAVE TO RESPECT OUR POLICEMEN

'Karnataka is safer than other states'
Q&A: V S Acharya
Anil Urs / New Delhi September 28, 2008, 0:43 IST, Business-Standard

How has the state government tackled the fallout of the attack on churches?

The state is peaceful. On September 14, when these most unexpected and shocking incidents occurred in Mangalore, we rushed to the place and met all concerned and convinced them. A joint statement for communal harmony was issued by Christian and Hindu leaders. Thereafter, not one incident has been reported from that belt.I stayed there for four days, the chief minister himself visited the area on September 15. Again, we both made earnest attempts to bring back normalcy and peace. Thereafter, our endeavour has been to maintain peace throughout the state. But unfortunately, our political adversaries instigated some anti-social elements, and they started creating problems. Though minor in nature, they drew the attention of the public through the media, and it became national news.
What assurance has the state government given the archbishop?

We told the archbishop and the bishop of Mangalore that we are committed to protecting every community and such incidents will never recur. They should also cooperate and have confidence in us. I visited the bishop when he was in the hospital at Falnir. I also visited a few injured Christian friends in various other hospitals. Congress leaders Janardhan Pujari and Margaret Alva have wrongly stated that nobody visited these areas in Mangalore. I have visited the scene of crime and every hospital to see policemen and Christian nuns, and have assured them of help and assistance.
Was the Karnataka government caught unawares? Why did it fail to anticipate more attacks in the subsequent days?

Yes, even I was caught unawares. We never expected such a development as we were busy celebrating our first 100 days in office and charting the roadmap for the next 100 days. We were also busy with our party’s national executive council meet in Bangalore. The shocking news came to us at 10.30 pm when we were holding a special meeting to review the situation after the Delhi blasts on September 13. Thereafter the chief minister and I were fully involved in maintaining peace.
Why did the crisis spread to Bangalore?

We did not anticipate this since there was no reason to. But even the two stray incidents are totally unrelated. In one case, it looks like a rear door was broken when the police were present in the front. Some miscreants took away records and money and it looks like a dispute within themselves, that is, between a Malayalam and a Kannada group. This was confirmed later when we met a few local Christians. We would not call the Bangalore incidents alarming, but we are sorry that they happened.
In the coastal districts and Chikmagalur, the conversion issue has been alive for many years. Did your government anticipate a collision with the church on the issue?I

n the coastal regions, there was and is an apprehension of forceful enticement by taking advantage of people’s helplessness. There have been conversions in these areas in the recent past, especially among the fishermen community and a few below the poverty line. The Roman Catholic Church and, by and large, the principal Protestant Church have denied this. They have said they are against conversions through inducements and against those churches that indulge in such conversions. The bishop of Mangalore is on record saying they are opposed to such conversions and the New Life Church and Pentecostal Church are a problem for them as well. For example, in a Milagres church, I believe all 53 families have gone over to New Life. This was brought to my notice by the bishop of Mangalore.
How do you propose to tackle the issue of conversion through inducement?

People must come forward to locate and isolate these sections who indulge in conversions, and complain to the police. The police will then handle the issue. People should not take the law into their own hands.
Will the BJP government look into complaints of such conversions?Sarva Dharma Sambhav — treating all religions respectfully — is our party’s policy and one of our five guiding principles. The chief minister has been saying from day one that people should not take the law into their own hands; let the government handle it.
Were the Sangh Parivar outfits told to keep away from the Hindutva agenda when your party came to power for the first time in the south?

No, I don’t think so. People know what Hindutva is. It is a tolerant philosophy. The BJP should go about the task of governance.
Is there a call from the RSS to treat religion and governance as one?

No. They know what are our limitations are and how we should conduct ourselves. That is not a problem for us.
What is the RSS’s view on the crisis? Did it offer any advice?

They say it should not have happened. They are opposed to violence and say that everybody must be treated equally and whoever takes the law into their hands must be tackled. In their view, forceful conversion is the root cause of all this unnecessary violence.
Your party is accusing the opposition of creating trouble for political gains. Do you have any proof against them?

We are collecting evidence. The results are coming in and they are encouraging.
In retrospect, do you regret the police action on Christian protesters last Monday in Mangalore?

Any police action does not look happy retrospectively. People marched with lathis. Our policemen are the best response we have to tide over such a situation. We have to respect our policemen, but somebody threw stones on their heads from above (from the top of buildings) and beat them up with sticks. That being the case, we are at a loss to say who is right and who is wrong. In all, 45 policemen were injured and 26 members of the public. Anyway, it is important that the situation was controlled within two days. Also, there were no major casualties, no loss of life, no damage to property. This is the physical balance sheet.
The central observers’ report could be damaging for the state’s image. How do you plan to tackle its fallout?

We will tackle it. Nothing much has happened. The situation is by and large normal. There are many other states where the situation is really bad. Compared to them, Karnataka is safe. Their (central observers’) statement cannot contradict the situation prevailing here. We will give sufficient evidence and also ask people to come forward and give evidence.
Do you see any long-term repercussions on foreign investment flow into the state, especially since Christian groups are planning to raise the issue aboard?

Everybody knows the issue has settled down. Some vested interests are out to tarnish India’s image, BJP’s image.
Has the Centre invoked Article 355 in spirit, if not in letter?
Article 355 has not been invoked. Two letters of an advisory nature have come. We have no problem with that. If they go further and unnecessarily interfere, we will react.


ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಭದ್ರತೆಯ ಹಿತದ್ರಷ್ಟಿಗಾಗಿ 2 IPBಗಾಗಿ ಕೇ೦ದ್ರಕ್ಕೆ ಪ್ರಸ್ತಾವನೆ:ರಾಜ್ಯ ಗ್ರಹ ಸಚಿವ ಡಾ.ಆಚಾರ್ಯ
ಕೃಪೆ ಗಲ್ಫ್ ಕನ್ನಡಿಗ
ಉಡುಪಿ:ಸೆ,27.ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಭದ್ರತೆಯ ಹಿತದ್ರಷ್ಟಿಯಿ೦ದಾಗಿ ಎರಡು ಇ೦ಡಿಯನ್ ಮೀಸಲು ಭದ್ರತಾ ತ೦ಡಕ್ಕೆ ಕೇ೦ದ್ರ ಸರಕಾರಕ್ಕೆ ರಾಜ್ಯದಿ೦ದ ಪ್ರಸ್ತಾವನೆಯನ್ನು ಕಳುಹಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಅದೇ ರೀತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇತ್ತೀಚಿಗೆ ರಾಜ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿನ ಚರ್ಚ್ ಮೇಲಿನ ದಾಳಿಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಕೇ೦ದ್ರ ಸರಕಾರದಿ೦ದ ನಿಯೋಜಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟ ತನಿಖಾ ತ೦ಡವು ವರದಿಯನ್ನು ಸ೦ಗ್ರಹಿಸಿಕೊ೦ಡು ಹೋಗಿದೆ. ಆ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ನಮಗೇನು ಮಾಹಿತಿಯಿಲ್ಲವೆ೦ದು ರಾಜ್ಯಗ್ರಹ ಸಚಿವರಾದ ಡಾ.ವಿ.ಎಸ್.ಆಚಾರ್ಯರವರು ತಿಳಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
ಅವರು ಉಡುಪಿ ಸಮೀಪದ ಕಾಪು ವಿಧಾನ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿನ ಶಿರ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ಶನಿವಾರದ೦ದು ನಡೆದ ಕಾಪು ಹೋಬಳಿ ಮಟ್ಟದ ಪ್ರಥಮ ಜನಸ್ಪ೦ದನಾ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಿ ನ೦ತರ ಅವರು ಮಾಧ್ಯಮ ಪ್ರತಿನಿಧಿಗಳೊ೦ದಿಗೆ ಮಾತನಾಡುತ್ತಾ ಈ ವಿಷಯವನ್ನು ತಿಳಿಸಿದರು.
ಸ್ಪೋಟಕ ಮಣಿಪಾಲದ ಮುಖಾ೦ತರ ಹೋಗಿದೆ ಎ೦ದು ಮಾಹಿತಿಯಿದೆ. ಅದರೆ ಉಡುಪಿಯ ಮಣಿಪಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ತಯಾರಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ ಎ೦ಬುವುದು ಸತ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ದೂರವಾಗಿದೆ ಎ೦ದು ಸಚಿವರು ನುಡಿದರು.
ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಚರ್ಚ್ ಗಳಿಗೆ ಭದ್ರತೆಯನ್ನು ನೀಡಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಮಾತ್ರವಲ್ಲದೇ ಇತಿಹಾಸದಲ್ಲೇ ಪ್ರಥಮ ಭಾರಿ ಈ ರೀತಿಯ ಘಟನೆ ನಡೆದಿದೆ ಎ೦ದರು.
ಉಡುಪಿಯ ಪೋಲಿಸ್ ಅಧೀಕ್ಷರ ಕಚೇರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಡಿವೈಎಸ್ಪಿಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಪ್ರಶ್ನಿಸಿದ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗೆ ಅವರು ಈ ರೀತಿಯಾಗಿ ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯಿಸಿದರು:-ನಾವು ಆ ವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಮತ್ತು ಸ೦ಬ೦ಧಪಟ್ಟ ಇಲಾಖೆಯ ಮೇಲಾಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳು ಈ ವಿಷಯದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಕ್ರಮಕೈಗೊಳ್ಳಲಿದ್ದಾರೆ೦ದು ಅವರು ತಿಳಿಸಿದರು.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Laxmi Acharya

"The Roman Catholic Church and, by and large, the principal Protestant Church have denied this. They have said they are against conversions through inducements and against those churches that indulge in such conversions." - I disagree with this for conversion is the main feature of Xty. Jesus has asked the people to go and spread the good news. If you go through the agenda of the Popes conversion plays an important role. 3rd millionium is earmarked for the conquest of Asia.Church history is the history of conversions and destructions.
As far as the police are concerned the cinema media is responsible for the people to loose their respect on the police. The media prtrays the rulers also negatively.
THe people irrespectively damage public property knowing that the govt is going to pay for it.

Unknown said...

I was little late to understand the fact that the entire issue was blown out of proportion by opposion parties. It was clear that the oppositions were trying to take advantage of the situation but they could not succeded. (As you mentioned in your earlier blog: trying to fish in the troubled water). There are so many other issues related infrastructurs / agriculure etc but these minority loving opposision parties never seems to bothered about.

I hope that BJP will complete its glorious 5 years, making our beloved karnataka one of the top state in India.

Anonymous said...

Dear HM,
We are in a do or die situation now. If the Congress ever manages to come back again in the centre, even God cannot save this Nation.
Development and visible changes at the ground level aka Gujarat is our only way to counter the anti-national Media.

Anonymous said...

Dear Sir,

As per what i have seen in so many years you are the first politician to have raised the issue of injured poicemen in a riot.
The cacophany that was raised after the Mangalore unrest was akin to some genocide happening. If not for this blog the general assumption in rest of the country was Christians to be the only victim.
For 26 injuries to local public there was 45 policement who were injured. Offcourse secularists and Teesta Setalvad will find out some different reason for the injuries to policemen all dealing with various form of self injury.

How many times we have seen the reports of policemen beating up innocents fellows who were just showing their anger by pelting stones and burning vehicles in sight.
In fact in your new initiative for strengthening Police network in Karnataka you can train the policemen on getting pelted by stones and be strong enough to face a beating.
This has become a common feature. Once I had wirnessed an Accident where a cyclist trying to cross the road when the signal was red was hit by a truck. The entire fault was of the cyclist but all of a sudden youths from a nearby slum pounced on the truck and started buring it. In the ruckus some of them entered a shop on the corner and started looting. Soon it became some kind of sports activity.
Few of them misbehaved with woman drivers caught in the melee. Policemen arrived after 10 minutes of mayhem. The injured cyclist was lying unattended when the anger against the accident was played.
Then policemen arrived and started caning the lumpen thugs. But the number of the youths were very hgh and even some policemen were beaten.In few minutes a Corporator were there raining slogan against Police brutality.

Sir Sadly he was a BJP Corporator and the city was Pune.

This sad state is all because of the politics that has become the reason for all this.

Policemen are a maligned group and hence they have simply no rights. Demonising Policemen creates news.Fault is secondary to votes. So any trouble Policemen are the fall guys. Hence in such scenario your gesture of visiting Policemen is fresh wind.
You could have brought peace in even less time had the secular circus had not happened. Their sole purpose was not to solve the problem but to aggrevate it more and more.
In last 2 days more than 30 people have been killed in Assam in communal voilence. Compare it with the coverage of mangalore unrest and you will see the reality of secular circus.

Anonymous said...

Dr Acharya,
Some questions :
What do you / Western media / the UN call planned activity to wipe out a identity ?
So if Hinduism is an identity, why the double standards, shoving under the carpet, call it what you will when Hindus have been over the centuries systematically targetted under various guises for ethnic cleansing ?

Why is no Hindu organisation calling this what it is ?

Will protecting our identity, our way of life be left to the likes of the Bajrang Dal, whereafter Hindus will be identified by the thuggish Bajrangis or will some one else speak up for us normal Hindus ?