More dangerous situation than Emergency, says Arundhati Roy as cops nab activists

coastaldigest.com news network

August 28, 2018

Newsroom, Aug 28: Internationally acclaimed Indian writer Arundhati Roy has termed the current situation “more dangerous” that it was at the time of Emergency imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The comments comes after the Pune police raided the houses of nearly a dozen leading civil rights activists across the country and arrested at least five of them over allegations of Maoist links. The raids were carried out in Delhi, Faridabad, Goa, Mumbai, Ranchi and Hyderabad. Those arrested include Maoist ideologue Varavara Rao, lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj, and activists Arun Fereira, Gautam Navlakha and Venon Gonsalves.

“This potentially is more serious and more dangerous than the Emergency. This time it is the State itself that is unleashing a law and order problem on minorities, Dalits, Christians, Muslims and Leftists and anyone else who disagrees-through its proxies in the media, its murderous vigilantes and hate-speech vendors,” Ms Roy was quoted as saying by news agencies.

“The events that are unfolding are being fuelled by an intent to do away with democracy and turn this country into a Hindu(tva) State,” she said adding that “Everyone who disagrees with a particular ideology is being criminalized, incarcerated or, assassinated by shadowy right-wing killers.”

The novelist said that “the simultaneous State-wide arrests are a dangerous sign of a government that fears it is losing its mandate and is falling into panic.”

“While killers are being garlanded and protected by people in high places, anybody who speaks up for justice or against Hindu majoritarianism is being made into a criminal. What is happening is absolutely perilous. In the run up to the elections, this is an attempted coup against the Indian Constitution and all the freedoms that we cherish”, she noted.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

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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