Date:19/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/19/stories/2008111952710300.htm

Karnataka

Rally to spread peace to arrive in Chitradurga today

Staff Correspondent

It will converge on Bangalore on November 25 where a convention will be held
‘Organisation is concerned about terrorism, which is establishing strong roots in society’

Chitradurga: The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has taken out a rally with the objective of spreading the message of peace and condemning terrorist and anti-social activities.

Speaking to presspersons here on Tuesday, the organisation’s district unit functionary, P.M. Zabiullah, said that the rally, which began on November 10, would converge on Bangalore on November 25 where a massive convention would be held.

The convention would be attended by the organisation’s national president, Maulana Sayed Jalaluddin Umari, and vice-president Mohammad Jafar, he said.

Mr. Zabiullah said that the rally had started simultaneously from Bidar, Bijapur, Belgaum and Mangalore.

He said that the rally from Bidar would arrive in Chitradurga on Wednesday around 2.30 p.m. Leaders of several organisations, political parties and heads of religious institutions would join the rally, he said.

Mr. Zabiullah said that the organisation was extremely concerned about regional fanaticism and terrorism, which were establishing strong roots in society. Innocent people were becoming victims of anti-social elements out to destroy the secular fabric of the country. On the one hand, terrorist activities were on the rise, and on the other hand, regional chauvinists were dividing the nation in the name of language. . Religious prayer halls had also been targeted to disrupt social harmony and create communal tension and hatred among people, he said. Mr. Zabiullah said that a handful of people were trying to mislead society for their personal gains.

“The organisation is strongly against any type of terrorism. We demand that the guilty be punished. However, no innocent person should be punished in the name of curbing terrorism,” he said.

Recently, even members of right-wing groups had been arrested and detained for allegedly being involved in terrorist activities, but political parties which condemned “jehadi terrorists” had not condemned the “terrorist activities” of right-wing groups, he said.