‘Hindu’ not native to India; given by Mughals, endorsed by British: Kamal Hassan

Agencies
May 18, 2019

Chennai, May 18: Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan who drew flak from all political quarters and Hindu groups for his remarks on Nathuram Godse, on Saturday once again stoked a possible controversy by saying that the word "Hindu" is of foreign origin and not native to India.

Taking to Twitter, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Haasan shared a poem on Friday in Telugu saying "the name Hindu was given by foreign rulers".

Haasan said the term 'Hindu' was given by Mughals or by others who came earlier to rule, adding that the British who later ruled the nation seconded the term.

He said that neither the Alwars and Nayanmars, poet-saints in southern India during the first millennium CE, gave the religious note "Hindu".

Citing a Tamil proverb - "Living in harmony has a million benefits", the MNM chief opined that shrinking the nation within religion is commercially, politically and spiritually wrong.

"Neither 12 Alwars nor 63 Nayanmars gave the religious note "Hindu". We were named "Hindu" either by Mughals or those who ruled earlier. British who ruled and returned seconded that adjective. When we have our own identities how ignorant to embrace an outsider given name as our name or religion. Though our identity as "Indian" is recent it would live beyond times. To think of shrinking our wide nation within religion is commercially, politically and spiritually wrong. If we live together we would get crore benefits. How many times this proverb has been told to Tamilians," he said in his tweet.

Haasan who has been receiving backlash since past few days for his remark that the "first terrorist in independent India was a Hindu" said on Friday that every religion has its own terrorists and one cannot claim oneself as "sanctimonious".

The actor-turned-politician maintained that history has shown that all religions have their extremists.

Reacting to the incident in which stones were thrown at his rally in Tiruchirapally recently, Haasan said, "I feel the quality of polity is going down. I don't feel threatened. Every religion has its own terrorist, we cannot claim that we are sanctimonious. History shows that all religions have their extremists."

Issuing a clarification over his remark that the "first terrorist in independent India was a Hindu", he had said, "I have said the same thing before. It's not the first time but it's been blown out of proportion."

On being asked to respond to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment during an interview to a news website, Haasan said, "I do not have to reply to Prime Minister Modi. History will answer him."

"I am not afraid of being arrested. Let them arrest me. If they do that it will only create more problems. It is not my warning but only advice," he added.

Following his remarks on Godse, the BJP and its Tamil Nadu ally AIADMK and some Hindu outfits slammed Haasan on the issue saying he cannot mix up an assassination with terror and link it to Hindus.

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News Network
December 16,2025

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Melkar (Bantwal): The 9th Annual Day celebration of SMR Public School, titled “EXCELLENTIA”, was held on December 15 with great enthusiasm and dignity, marking a significant milestone in the institution’s journey towards academic excellence and holistic development.

The programme was inaugurated by Dr. U. T. Iftikar Ali. The chief guests were Dr. Akhtar Hussain, Mr. P. Moosabba Beary, Mr. Zakaria Jokattre, and Dr. T. M. Abdul Rahuf—whose inspiring addresses motivated the students and appreciated the school’s contributions to education.

Mr. Abdul Nasir, Mr. Ibrahim Gadiyar, Mr. Razak Golthamajal, Mr. Sali Koya, Mr. Arshad Hussain, Mr. Ismail Balanoor, Mr. Feroz Bawa, Mr. Sahul Hameed, Mr. Abubakkar, Mr. Hameed K. Mani, Mr. Abdul Majeed (Principal, Melkar Women’s College), and Mr. Abdul Lathief (Former Principal, Melkar Women’s College) were the guests of honour.

The Annual Report was presented by the Headmistress, Ms. Fathimathul Zaheera, highlighting the school’s achievements and progress during the academic year. The Presidential Address was delivered by the Chairman of SMR Public School, Dr. Haji S. M. Rasheed, who emphasised the vital role of education in shaping students’ futures and stressed the importance of discipline, dedication, and consistent effort in achieving 100 per cent academic results.

Secretary of SMR Public School, Mr. Rifath Ahmed, and PTA President, Mr. Sandeep Kumar, were also present on the occasion.

The Annual Day celebration showcased the collective efforts of students and teachers and reaffirmed the school’s commitment to quality education and all-round development. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to all dignitaries, parents, and well-wishers for their support. The 9th Annual Day—EXCELLENTIA—was a memorable and successful event, leaving a lasting impression on everyone present. 

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News Network
December 15,2025

Udupi, Dec 15: What was meant to be a post-pilgrimage gathering turned tragic in Padukere village of Brahmavar taluk, Udupi district, late Sunday night, when a clash among youths escalated into a fatal assault, leaving one man dead.

The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Santosh Mogaveera, a resident of Padukere.

According to preliminary information, the incident took place during a late-night drinking party involving a group of local youths who had recently returned after completing their pilgrimage to the Sabarimala shrine. An argument reportedly broke out among the group and soon escalated into a violent confrontation.

During the ensuing brawl, Santosh Mogaveera was allegedly assaulted and collapsed at the spot after sustaining serious injuries. He was rushed by local residents to a private hospital in Brahmavar, where doctors declared him dead.

On receiving information, senior police officials, including Brahmavar Circle Inspector Gopikrishna, Kota Police Sub-Inspector Praveen Kumar T, Station ASI Manthesh Jabagoudar, and head constables Pradeep and Ashok, visited the spot and conducted an inspection.

Police have taken four youths into custody in connection with the incident. A case has been registered at the Kota police station, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the death.

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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