Bangalore: Massive rally against cow slaughter Bill held

 

 

Bangalore, 28 June 2010: Karnataka's leading intellectuals and writers, including Prof U R Ananthmurthy and Girish Karnad, have come down heavily on the state government over the proposed anti-cow slaughter Bill and threatened of a sate-wide agitation against if the ''anti-poor, anti-farmer and anti-democratic'' legislation was not revoked. The Jnanapeetha Award winning writers joined a host of other luminaries in lending their support against the ''ill-motivated'' Bill at a mass public rally held at Shivaji Nagar, in Bangalore on Monday. Launching a scathing attack on the BJP government Prof Ananthmurthy said the Bill was communally motivated and brought to the floor of the Houses in order to make criminals out of ordinary Christians and Muslims. Dumping a copy of the proposed bill in the dustbin to mark his protest, he said that people who eat beef too have humanity unlike members in the BJP led state government who are planning to cut down the staple diet of community. ''The farmers would face difficulties in taking care of cattle after they stop milking. If the bill is implemented such cattle would have no takers and it would cause a great imbalance,'' he said. Insisting that the proposed Bill was not only detrimental to Muslims, Prof Ananthamurthy said the lives of ordinary farmers will also be hugely affected by the move and they will be frightened to take up the rearing of cattle, leading to shortage of milk. Expressing concern that the move would spark caste struggle, he said, cutting across religious lines people should oppose the Bill which was an interferance in the dietary habits of crores of people. Mr Karnad said the BJP government was operating with Hindutva agenda and backward and minority communities are in danger at this point of time.The BJP is not talking about protecting cattle out of compassion but it is rather part of a hidden agenda, he said. JDS spokesman and MLC YSV Dattha said his party would not allow tabling of the Bill in the Upper House, although it has secured the nod of the Lower House. Raitha Sangha president KS Puttannaiah ridiculed the government saying, the farmers in the state will have to tie their cattle inside Vidhana Saudha if the anti-cow slaughter Act comes into force. Samatha Sainik Dal chief M Venkataswami dared the government to implement the Act and warned the chief minister that the Dalits, backward castes, Muslims, Christians, farmers and writers have forged a unified front against the draconian measure. Voicing his concern over the proposed Act, Devanooru Mahadeva, Dalit leader and writer, urged the Governor to send the copy of the Bill to the President of India seeking her intervention. Former MLA and the president of Anti slaughter movement AK Subbaiah presided over the meeting, which was attended by people from all walks of life and representatives of various pro-people organisations. including Samatha Sainika Dal and Karnataka Komu Soharda Vedike. Those who addressed the meeting warned the state government of carrying out a massive agitation throughout the state, if the bill was not withdrawn. Former Union minnister CK Jaffer Sharief, Mangalore MLA UT Khader, MLCs Naseer Ahmed and Abdul Azeem, farmer leader Kodihalli Chandrashekhar, journalist Gauri Lankesh, former minister BT Lalitha Naik, former MLA Srirama Reddy, left party leaders Gurushanth and Siddanagowda Patil, writers Prof Rahmath Tarikere, KR Nagaraj, Fakir Mohammed Katpady, Pattabhirama Somayaji, Induhdar Honnapur, Bhanu Mushthak, Allamaprabhu Bettadur, Dr Mogalli Ganesh, Dr. L Hanumanthaiah, Dr Banjagere Jayaprakash, SDPI president Abdul Majeed, PFI state president Ilyas Thumbe, DSS leaders Mavalli Shankar, Mohan Raj, activists Patapat Nagaraj, Karnataka Muslim Muthahida Mahaz state secretary SM Iqbal, Beef Merchants Association state president Khasim Aijaz Khureshi, human rights activist Kalkuli Vittala Hegde, Mangalore beef merchants association chief Ali Hassan, among others, were present on the dais. Karnataka Komu Sauharda Vedike convenor KL Ashok made introductory remarks. Ahinda leader Prof Narasimhaiaha tabled the resolutions. Prof Narasimhaiah compered the programme. Raitha Sangha leader Veerasangaiaha delivered a welcome speech. Indian Muslims For Peace and Harmony president Syed Shafiullah Saheb proposed a vote of thanks. source: CDN