‘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 19,2025

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru CEN police have arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly posting provocative and misleading content on an Instagram page named “mr_a_titude”, targeting the Bajpe police.

Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H identified the arrested as Abhishek M, a resident of Katipalla in Mangaluru.

A case has been registered at the Bajpe Police Station under Sections 353(1)(c), 353(2), 56, and 57 read with Section 189 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the post.

According to police, the accused uploaded a photograph of a hotel on the Instagram page and alleged that accused persons in a murder case under the Bajpe police jurisdiction were being given “royal treatment” by the police, including being served beef meals daily from the hotel.

The post further accused the police of supporting criminals, misusing their authority, and betraying public trust. Police said the content was provocative in nature and aimed at inciting public outrage against the police.

Following the post, a case was registered at the Bajpe police station, and further investigation was transferred to the CEN police station.

Police records indicate that the accused has a criminal history, with multiple cases registered against him, including murder, attempt to murder, assault, and robbery at the Surathkal Police Station, and one case at the Kaup Police Station.

The Commissioner said the accused was traced and arrested using technical evidence.

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News Network
December 7,2025

SHRIMP.jpg

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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