Campaign against communal outfits from tomorrow

BANGALORE, APRIL 12. The newly formed Sahiti, Kalavidaru and Nagarikara Vedike will launch on April 14 a 10-day State-level campaign against communalism and communal organisations "masquerading as saviours of democracy and the culture of the land." April 14 is B. R. Ambedkar's day.

The convenor of the vedike, Indudhara Honnapura, told presspersons here today that a number of writers, artistes, and citizens would participate in the campaign launch at the Kohinoor Grounds behind Ramakrishna Math at Hanumanthnagar here. The Jnanpith Award winner, U.R. Ananthamurthy, the poet Chandrashekhar Kambar, the painter S. G. Vasudev, the thinker, G. Ramakrishna, and the MLC, L. Hanumanthaiah, would address the gathering.

The vedike's cultural troupes would tour the districts and perform cultural fetes to "counter and expose" the BJP's political and cultural game plans. Audiocassettes of the recorded speeches of writers, artistes, and thinkers would be circulated in all the districts, he said.

The campaign would draw support from cultural organisations such as Samudaya, Bandaya, Janamata, Janasamudaya, Manasa, Janavadi Mahila Sanghatane, Christian Sanghatane, Lekahakiyara Sangha, Janadani, Dudiyuva Mahileayra Sangha, and Arivu Sanghatane, he added.

Clarifying that the campaign would be a continuous process and a united effort of talented people in the fields of art and culture, Dr. Ananthamurthy said the vedike would make all-out efforts to prevent the BJP from coming to power in the State. Terming the BJP's politics "illusory," he said that people should not make room for the BJP.