Date:03/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/03/stories/2008090356740100.htm

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Coastal area police on alert for festive season

Sudipto Mondal

This is in the wake of recent communally motivated attacks

Police to revive ward-level citizens’ committees
‘There will be an increased vigil during processions’

MANGALORE: All police stations in coastal Karnataka have been directed to revive “mohallas” or ward-level citizens’ committees that will actively engage in inter-community dialogues ahead of the festival season, Inspector-General of Police (Western Range) A.M. Prasad has said.

The coming months will mark several important events in the religious calendar — the holy month of Ramzan, Dasera, Sharada Puja, Id-Ul-fitr, Deepavali and Moharram.

Speaking to The Hindu on Tuesday, Mr. Prasad said that police stations had also been instructed to conduct citizens’ council meetings on a regular basis.

Mr. Prasad said that the recent communally motivated attacks in the city were “most worrisome”. In the wake of the violence, there would be an increased vigil during religious processions and congregations, he said.

Mr. Prasad said, “No provocative slogans will be allowed, routes for processions will be strictly enforced, nobody will be allowed to brandish weapons in public, use of loudspeakers will be banned, and channels of communication will constantly be kept open.” He added that the District Crime Intelligence Bureau and the Anti-Rowdy Squad were on high alert and were actively involved in gathering intelligence.

Superintendent of Police N. Sateesh Kumar told The Hindu that there would be additional security arrangements this year, in the wake of the recent incidents of communal violence. The latest incident occurred on Monday morning when miscreants claiming affiliation to the Hindu Yuva Sene stormed the K.M.C Hospital, Attavar, alleging that the doctors were negligent while attending to a patient. The activists retreated after hospital authorities agreed to waive part of the treatment charges.

On Sunday evening some persons stormed Father Muller’s Hospital, Kankanady, and assaulted a doctor and several nurses. They alleged negligence by the hospital authorities resulting in the death of a minor girl. The protesters shouted “anti-minority slogans” and threatened to replicate in the State the ongoing communal violence in Orissa.

Two incidents of stabbing occurred on August 27 — one in Bajpe town and the other in B.C Road area of Bantwal taluk. In retaliation, two brothers belonging to a minority community were stabbed at a bus stop near the Jyothi Circle. Police records say that two persons from Bajpe have been arrested in connection with the stabbing at Jyothi Circle.