Terrorism: Framing Muslim youth in Karnataka

[email protected] (CD Network)
April 7, 2013

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Bangalore, Apr 7: The three Muslim youth - Muthi-ur-Rahman Siddique, Aejaz Ahmed Mirza and Mohammed Yusuf Nalbandh - who recently walked to their freedom after a six-month ordeal of being branded as terrorists and charged with waging war aginst the country, said that they still carry the stigma of 'terror accused' despite the fact that National Investigation Agency (NIA) itself did not found even a small proof against them.

The trio unleashed their feelings at a programme organized by a coalition of seventeen organizations in Bangalore on Saturday to formally release a fact finding report titled 'Permanent Suspects- Framing Muslim Youth in Karnataka' prepared by People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Karnataka, People's Democratic Forum (PDF) and Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR). The report is based on testimonies of Muslim youth in Hubli and Belgaum.

Introducing the report, Professor Sreedhara of Peoples' Democratic Forum, stated that a need was felt for a probe into how people from one community are being targeted, and the report documents the stigma attached to persons even falsely charged in terror cases, and the loss of life, dignity and livelihood.

Mr Siddique who was a staff at the head office of Deccan Herald Bangalore, when he was arrested by cops in August 2012 said that there existed an institutional bias against people belonging to the Muslim community in the state apparatus and the media.

He questioned the hypocrisy of the media in demanding an apology and compensation from the state for his illegal incarceration, when they themselves are not willing to apologise for the malicious manner in which they portrayed him to be a terrorist.

Mr Mirza, a scientist, lamented that he not only lost his job at DRDO, where he was one of the very few Muslims ever to be appointed, but he and his entire family lost their mental peace after his arrest.

Mr Nalbandh, who was Mr Siddique's room-mate, spoke about the trauma caused to his aged mother, who had to face the intense public scrutiny to which she had no answers.

Speaking on the occasion, Manisha Sethi of Jamia Teachers Solidarity Association (JTSA), Delhi, said that shared her experiences in documenting the numerous false terror cases heaped on innocent Muslim youth across Delhi. She also spoke about the Batla House encounter case, and the travails of the innocent Muslim youth who lost substantial periods of their lives behind bars because of the false cases foisted on them by the Delhi Police Special Cell.

Advocate S.A.H. Razvi of Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), detailed the manner in which most terror cases are concocted, and innocent people are framed, which is best illustrated by the arbitrary manner in which investigations are conducted.

The event, titled “Needle of Suspicion- Targeting of Muslims in Terror Cases” was co-organised by People's Union For Civil Liberties- Karnataka (PUCL-K), People's Democratic Forum (PDF) Association For Protection Of Civil Rights(APCR), National Confederation Of Human Rights Organisations (NCHRO), Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike (KKSV), Alternative Law Forum(ALF), South India Cell For Human Rights Education And Monitoring (SICHREM), Praja Rajakiya Vedike(PRV), Network Of Women In Media, India (NWMI), Maraa, Pedestrian Pictures, Aneka, Sangama, Vimochana, Concern (IISc), Indian Social Institute And Lesbit.

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News Network
September 17,2024

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Mangaluru: In an act of extraordinary selflessness, a young lecturer and mother, Archana Kamath, tragically passed away just days after donating a portion of her liver to a relative. She was 33.

Archana, who had devoted her career to shaping young minds as a lecturer at Canara College and most recently at Manel Srinivasa Nayak MBA College, was a loving mother to a four-year-old boy. Her sudden passing has left her family, students, and colleagues reeling in shock and grief.

The story of her untimely demise began when a relative of her husband, CA Chethan Kumar, required a life-saving liver transplant. 

With no other matching donors in sight, Archana stepped forward, her heart full of compassion. Her blood type matched, and without hesitation, she made the brave decision to donate a part of her liver—an act that would ultimately cost her life.

The surgery, performed 12 days ago in Bengaluru, seemed successful. Archana appeared to recover well and was discharged, bringing hope and relief to her loved ones. 

But just days after returning home, she suddenly fell ill and passed away on September 15 in a Mangaluru hospital. The cause of her sudden decline remains a mystery, compounding the sorrow of those who knew and loved her.

Her final act of love saved a life—the relative who received her liver is said to be recovering well. But Archana’s loss is felt deeply by her husband and their young son, who are now left to navigate a world without her warmth and strength.

As family and friends grapple with this tragic turn of events, Archana’s memory will live on in the hearts of those who knew her as a caring educator, devoted mother, and a woman whose ultimate sacrifice was made out of love.

The full story of her passing is still unfolding, and her untimely death has left an irreplaceable void in the lives of all who knew her.
 

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News Network
September 20,2024

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Mandya: The Deputy Superintendent of Police of Nagamangala town in Mandya district has been suspended for "negligence and dereliction of duty" in connection with the clashes that broke out between two groups during a Lord Ganesh idol procession, police said on Friday.

This is the second suspension of a police officer over the clashes on September 11 following which mobs went on a rampage targeting several shops and vehicles leading to tension here.

The situation in the town has since returned to normalcy and most of the shops have started operating. However, adequate security forces continued to be stationed here as a precautionary measure, according to police.

Sumeeth A R, DySP (Nagamangala), was suspended on Thursday for negligence and dereliction of duty, Mandya Superintendent of Police Mallikarjun Baldandi told PTI.

"He (Sumeeth) was not present at the spot nor was he at the police headquarters when the incident occurred. He arrived late at the spot despite the sensitive nature of events," he said.

Earlier, Police Inspector Ashok Kumar posted at Nagamangala town police station was suspended for dereliction of duty in connection with the violence.

A total of 55 people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

According to police, an argument broke out between two groups, when the Ganesh idol procession by devotees from Badarikoppalu village reached a place of worship on September 11, and some miscreants hurled stones, which escalated the situation.

The police had used mild force to disperse the crowd to control the situation.

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September 9,2024

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Mangaluru: The Unicode Consortium has announced the inclusion of Tulu script in its latest version, Unicode 16. This update adds 80 characters to the Unicode Standard, marking a significant milestone for the Tulu-speaking community.

According to officials, the journey to this achievement began in 2001 when a member of the Unicode Consortium helped fix the Kannada script in Unicode and simultaneously advocated for the inclusion of Tulu.

Despite initial misunderstandings with the Tulu Academy in Mangaluru, the groundwork was laid for future developments. Initially, three Tulu experts had worked on the subject, including S A Krishnaiah, a Tulu scholar.

"In 2014, efforts to create a Tulu Wikipedia gained momentum, leading to its launch on August 6, 2016. By 2017, the Tulu Academy recognised the need for Tulu Unicode, forming a committee to finalise the characters with technical guidance. Concurrently, another proposal for the Tilari script was submitted," Krishnaiah said.

After extensive correspondence, the script was officially added to Unicode under the name Tulu-Tigalari. While there are minor differences between the Tulu Academy's list and the finalised Unicode version, most characters have been included. Notably, Tulu digits and some diacritic marks necessary for writing Sanskrit in Tulu script were added, he said.

According to him, the inclusion of the Tulu script in Unicode will have a significant positive impact on digital communication for Tulu speakers, including enhanced digital presence. Tulu speakers can now use their native script across various digital platforms, including social media, websites, and messaging apps, fostering a stronger online presence.

The availability of Tulu in Unicode will facilitate the creation of educational materials, such as textbooks and online courses, in the Tulu script, supporting language learning and literacy, he said.

The development of Unicode-encoded fonts, keyboard software, and converters will streamline the use of Tulu in digital communication, making it easier for users to type and share information in their native script, he said.

Being part of the Unicode Standard gives Tulu global recognition, encouraging more software and application developers to support the script, thereby increasing its usability and visibility, the Tulu scholar said.

Overall, this will empower Tulu speakers to communicate more effectively and confidently in their language, both locally and globally.

It is estimated that over 1.8 million people worldwide speak Tulu. Most Tulu speakers live in the coastal areas of Karnataka and Kerala, India, in regions known as Tulu Nadu. There are also Tulu speakers in the Gulf countries and the United States, he said.

Tulu is a Dravidian language and is related to Kannada, the official language of Karnataka. Tulu has a rich oral tradition, but there isn't much written in the language. Tulu's script is similar to Malayalam and originated from the Grantha script.

A long-drawn fight is ongoing to include Tulu in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The Dravidian University at Kuppam in Andhra Pradesh has a special Tulu chair, he added.

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