˜DK, Udupi districts witness around 300 communal clashes in two years'

Mangaluru, Jan 14: In the past two years, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka have witnessed a total of 294 communal conflicts out of which, 98 were incidents of moral policing by fundamentalist groups, according to a compiled report submitted by Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The survey was jointly conducted by Komu Souharda Vedike and Dakshina Kannada unit of People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and the findings of the survey were submitted in a compiled report to the chief minister through the deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada.

In the compiled report, a record of figures and incidents of communal conflicts that have occurred in the year 2013 and 2014 have been listed. The committee that compiled the incidents and prepared a report have taken figures into account based on newspaper reports.

The report provides a list of 121 communal incidents that took place in 2013, out of which 45 were incidents of moral policing. In 23 such incidents, the accused were activists from saffron organisations while the accused in 16 incidents belonged to the Muslim community. In the remaining six incidents, there is no information regarding the culprits.

As per the figures compiled by the committee, 2014 witnessed a total of 173 incidents which were communal in nature. Out of these incidents, 53 were related to moral policing by fundamentalists. While the accused in 29 cases were Hindutva activists, those in 14 incidents were Muslims, according to the report.

Compared to the incidents in 2013, the year 2014 witnessed more number of communal incidents altogether in the twin districts, along with an increase in cases of moral policing. This is a major concerning development which stands prominent in the findings of the committee. The report also points out the failure of the Karnataka Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, also known as Goonda Act, in being a deterrent to incidents of moral policing.

The report lists lack of awareness among police personnel, saffronisation in the system, political pressure in nomination and transfer of police officials as causes for the increase in moral policing and conversion-related incidents. The report also urges that much attention should be given to these aspects and appropriate measures should be taken to check them.

The report also states that few communal clashes have sparked from minor reasons such as miscreants taking down banners put up by organisations and similar reasons.

Among the total incidents, there were 22 incidents of communal conflicts sparked by cases of illegal cattle trafficking in 2014, while there were eight incidents in 2013. Similarly, communal incidents caused by provocative or inflammatory speeches were eight in 2014, while there were 59 such incidents in 2013.