Human Chain for Harmony Held Across Districts in Karnataka

Opposing the threat to communal harmony and to mark the 70th Death Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, thousands of citizens formed human chains in all districts of Karnataka on Tuesday, January 30. Souhardategagi Karnataka (Karnataka for harmony), a forum floated for the cause of communal harmony, gave the protest call, in which writers, activists, various political and civil society groups participated.

The main objective of the protest is to “save the idea of India from the dark forces of obscurantism and communalism,” said KS Vimala, coordinator of Souhardategagi Karnataka.

People from various walks of life formed human chains simultaneously in all the district centres and cities of the state. The participants pledged to safeguard peace and harmony across the communities.

Earlier, the organisers of the event had requested the people belonging to all faiths, castes and languages to participate in the initiative.

In recent times, Karnataka has witnessed incidents of communal violence in the districts of Uttara and Dakshina Kannada. Earlier this month, Deepak Rao and Basheer became victims of communal violence in Dakshina Kannada, both of them were brutally murdered, resulted in communal tensions in the state.

Civil rights activists in the state argue that the opposition BJP party and its affiliated organisations in the state are resorting to communal polarization tactics, as the state assembly elections are due in May this year.

Actor Prakash Raj participated in the human chain near Mysore palace. “Human chain for harmony in Karnataka ...a movement by the citizens ...Come let’s join hands for harmony....let’s challenge forces who induce hatred and disrupt our Society,” Raj appealed through his social media handle.