Communalism is the root cause of terrorism in India: Abdussalm Puthige

Mangalore, Jan 25: Even though there is clear consensus about threats of communalism, terrorism and corruption among the followers of all religions and political parties in this country, such menaces entre the society using their metamorphosis skills, said Abdussalam Puthige, editor-in-chief of Vartha Bharathi Kannada daily.

He was delivering the presidential address at an interaction programme with the intellectuals on communalism, terrorism and corruption organized by Universal Welfare Forum (Uniwef) in the city on Friday evening.

Mr Puthige said, even hardcore communal leaders and terrorists do not want to identify themselves with communalism and terrorism. Everyone raises voice against those menaces. Despite this fact, they penetrate into the society by wearing the masks of “religion” and “nationalism”.

He also lamented about the society's failure to recognize the major threats, thanks to the exaggeration of a menace called 'terrorism'.

Presenting the statistics, he said in 2012 the number of deaths caused by terrorism in United States of America was 12. In United Kingdom it was 10. On the other hand, thousands of people died in the same year in these two countries due to road accidents. In India also communalism has claimed more lives than deaths caused by terrorism, he pointed out.

Stating that the communalism is the root cause of terrorism in India, he said that one of characteristics of communalism is “blindness”. One who suffers from the deadly disease of communalism cannot recognize any of the crimes or blunders committed by the members of his community. At the same time he cannot see the goodness of the members of other community, he said.

Mr Puthige called upon the intellectuals of all the communities to understand these facts and try to find out solutions for the real problems faced by the society.

S P Chengappa, president of Mangalore Bar Council, speaking on the occasions held political parties responsible for increasing communal disharmony and riots in coastal Karnataka and other parts of India. He went on the claim that recent communal violence in Muzaffarnagar was the result of an understanding between two different political parties with different ideologies.

Dr Ravish Tunga, eminent psychiatrist, said that anti-social elements have been constantly poisoning the minds of the people in the society.

Rafeeuddin Kudroli, president, Uniwef, delivered the key note address. U K Khalid, Secretary, Uniwef, compered the programme.