BEST OF LUCK MY BROTHERS & SISTERS

Mangalore- In an ostensibly provocative act to disturb communal harmony among different religious communities in India, Rashtriya Hindu Andolan, a little known Mangalore based Hindutva outfit has called for the morning Muslim call to prayer (Adhan) to be banned across the country, Indian media reported today.

Activists from various right wing groups organised a protest in Mangalore in front of the office of Deputy Commissioner, demanding the authorities to impose ban on the Adhan call during early morning. “Every citizen has the right to practice his own religion and tradition in India. But their way of practice should not harm others,” said Vijayalaxmi, an activist from Sanatana Dharma, one of the many smaller and larger organisations participating in the protest.

The protest follows a series of violent incidents witnessed in Mangalore in recent days, which many Muslims believe is a forerunner to events to come in the future. The day Narendra Modi led BJP to a historic victory at the centre, a group of inebriated right wing hooligans attacked two Mosques in separate places of the district.

One group burst crackers, entered a madrassa in Vittla village and shouted slogans of victory. In an another incident in the neighboring village of Hoode, Mohammed Ais, a chicken stall owner was beaten up by a gang after getting into an altercation with him about the results of the elections.

In the coastal region of Kundapur, an ornamental pot at the entrance of the Holy Rosary church was found broken by miscreants, and a signpost leading to St. Antony Church in Koteshwar was also found uprooted.

State Vice president of Sri Rama Sene Kumar Malemar, Nagesh Bajilakeri of Hindu Yuvasena, Rajesh Poojary, Udayshanker Devadiga, Rajesh Pavitran,Lokesh, Vivek Anchan and Leelavati were also present among others in the protest.

Recently, dozens of Hindutva activists including a controversial swamiji, who had earlier tried to commit suicide, staged a protest in front of the office of Deputy Commissioner in Mangalore to pressurize the authorities concerned to strictly impose ban on Azan during early morning.

The protest was held under the banner of Rashtriya Hindu Andolan and some of the protesters were displaying the banner of Hindu Janjagruti Samiti, an extremist Hindutva outfit. The protest comes a day ahead of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, Sanatan Sanstha activist Vijayalakshmi said that even though India has granted religious freedom for all the people, followers of one religion should not misuse this freedom to disturb the followers of other religions in the society.

Using a derogatory word for Azan, she said that when Muslims shout using loudspeakers every morning they should know that it would disturb sleep of a majority of people in the society.

Hindu Janajagruti Samiti activist Vivek Pai said that the right to sleep peacefully is also comes under the ambit of fundamental rights of every Indian citizen. “The use of loudspeakers should not be permitted from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. The supreme court also had directed to impose ban on playing loud music or making any type of noise between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. However, this ban has not been applied to the early morning Azan,” he said adding that in some places Muslims deliberately cause noise pollution through loudspeakers in the early morning.

He said that those who use loudspeakers for Azan before 6 a.m. in the morning should be arrested and punished.

Rashtriya Hindu Andolan activist Ramesh Nayak said that many Masjids are located in the area of schools, colleges, hostels and hospitals. Loudspeakers used by such Masjids will always cause problems for students and patients, he added.