KPCC Peace and Harmony Delegation Meets Religious Leaders Across Udupi District
Udupi: In light of several recent distressing incidents in the coastal region, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) appointed a senior party delegation to conduct a thorough study of the situation and recommend measures to curb such occurrences. On Tuesday, the KPCC team met with the District Commissioner, senior police officials, religious leaders, including those from Paryaa Puttige and Pejawar Math, as well as heads of various organizations to discuss the matter.
Led by AICC General Secretary and Rajya Sabha member Syed Naseer Hussain, the delegation also included former Legislative Assembly Speaker and KPCC Vice President A.R. Sudarshan, KPCC Working President Dr. Manjunath Bhandari, and former ministers K. Jayaprakash Hegde and Kimmane Ratnakar.
The delegation first visited the Udupi Sri Krishna Matha to have darshan of Lord Krishna. They later held extensive talks with Sri Sugunendra Theertha Swamiji of the Parya Puttige Matha at Geetha Mandira, discussing ways to foster a harmonious atmosphere in the coastal region.
Following the dialogue, Puttige Swamiji shared that several suggestions had been offered. “We discussed possible steps to establish peace and harmony. I conveyed my views as well,” he said.
He emphasized that provocative incidents must cease in society. “Spreading false information and misleading people should be stopped. These issues require strict action. Communal cases must be tried separately and swiftly. If justice is delivered promptly, such unfortunate events can be prevented,” he informed the delegation.
“All religions and sections of society should be treated equally. Politics and religion must remain separate. Religious matters should not enter politics, nor should politics interfere in religion. When everyone engages in dialogue together, it creates an atmosphere of harmony,” Puttige Swamiji added.
Invitation to Chief Minister: The Swamiji also stated that he has invited Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to attend the upcoming Sri Krishna Janmashtami celebrations at Udupi Sri Krishna Math next month. “His presence would send a positive message to society,” he noted.
After the meeting, the delegation visited Pejawar Math and discussed with Sri Vishwaprasanna Theertha the necessary steps to restore harmony in the coastal region. Pejawar Swamiji freely expressed his opinions regarding the matter, according to one delegation member.
Meeting with Udupi Bishop: On Tuesday, the delegation met with district Christian leaders at Ave Maria Hall within the Mother of Sorrows Church premises, led by Udupi Diocese Bishop Rev. Dr. Gerald Isaac Lobo, to discuss restoring communal harmony in the coastal area.
Bishop Dr. Lobo suggested establishing peace clubs at every school level to raise awareness among students about harmony. Similarly, he advised organizing peace meetings involving the police department and district administration at the gram panchayat, taluk, and Zilla Panchayat levels to engage the public in these discussions.
Prashanth Jattanna, a member of the CDC, urged the police to thoroughly investigate complaints related to Love Jihad and religious conversions targeting Muslims and Christians. He stressed that failure to do so could adversely affect society unnecessarily.
Subsequently, the delegation visited Jamia Masjid, where they held discussions with Muslim religious leaders and others from the community.