Shame: Journalists gheraoed, attacked during madrasa visit in Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Jul 7: In a shocking incident, four journalists were gheraoed and attacked by a large crowd when they had visited a madrasa at Suralpady village near Bajpe on the outskirts of the city, to seek clarification from its management committee members regarding the case of an alleged social boycott'.

The incident took place on Tuesday morning within a few minutes after Bharath Raj, Nagesh Padu, Wilfred D'Souza and Mohammed Irshad Uppinangady representing different television channels spoke to a junior cleric of the Juma masjid, which runs the Noorul Uloom Madrasa, on the issue.

According to Mr Irshad, one of the victims, after giving some information regarding the case, the junior cleric went inside the mosque building and made an announcement on the mic in Beary language requesting the local residents to come to the mosque. He also accused the journalists of trying to spread rumours about the mosque and madrasa.

Within a minute, around 100 people gathered and surrounded the journalists. One journalist, who was attacked by a miscreant in the group, managed to escape and contacted a police officer over phone to seek his help.

Until the cops reached the spot, the group of local residents surrounded the other three journalists and subjected them to rigorous questioning and also damaged their cameras. However, the police managed to disrupt the crowd and escorted the journalists to safety.

Mr Irshad said that none of the journalists had stepped inside the mosque. However, some local youth accused them of entering the mosque with footwear. “They behaved like goons. Some of them separated me from the other journalists and took me inside the madrasa, where they asked me to swear by the mosque that I don't make it an issue,” he said.

Later the journalists filed a complaint in the jurisdictional Bajpe police station against the assailants. Police sources confirmed that an FIR has been filed. Strongly condemning the incident, Dakshina Kannada District Working Journalists Union (DKWJU) has urged the police to arrest all the culprits immediately.

A delegation from the DKWJU on Wednesday met Kumar, Additional Deputy Commissioner, DK and Dr Sanjiv Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mangaluru and submitted memorandums asking them to protect the interests of the journalists and take action against the culprits.

Background

In fact, the journalists had gone to the mosque after Baba Padarangi, a local resident, who runs a small periodical, accused the management committee of the mosque and madras of trying to socially boycott his family.

According to Mr Padarangi, the committee members of the Juma masjid took revenge against him for questioning teachers of the madrasa, being run by them, over making children stand in rain during prayer.

Mr Padarangi said that his 12-year-old and 6-year-old daughters have been attending classes at the Noorul Uloom Madrasa, located adjacent to the mosque. Classes are held in the madrasa between 6.30 a.m. and 8.30 a.m. Students are made to assemble at the start and end of the classes.

Mr. Padarangi said he saw children being made to stand in open in the madrasa for assembly when it's raining. He raised his objection before the management committee members of the madrasa and mosque. As children continued to stand in rain, Mr Padarangi raised the issue with two madrasa teachers, Usman and Mohammed Shafi.

Mr. Padarangi said the mosque committee suddenly convened a meeting on September 4 and then ordered keeping him and family members out of the community for not behaving properly with madrasa teachers. His children also were reportedly suspended from madrasa.

Meanwhile, Mr Padarangi field a complaint with the Deputy Commissioner K.G. Jagadeesha and Police Commissioner M. Chandra Sekhar seeking action against the mosque committee.