Human rights activist Yogendra Yadav said the ‘Bulldozer culture’ has not only razed buildings but has damaged the foundation of the country’s democracy.
“If such culture lasts long, then all those who believe in secular ideologies will suffer. Those in power are ruining the country. The rich cultural heritage of harmony is deteriorating,” Yogendra Yadav lamented while addressing a gathering during ‘Samarasya Nadige’ and convention organised by Sahabalve and Sauharda Sanghatanegalu in Udupi on Saturday.
“We will stay strong when it comes to the country’s unity. Today’s convention has sent a strong message that some may have sown seeds of hatred in the name of religion, but we will not allow them to harvest it through the effort of reuniting people,” said Yadav.
He said anti-nationalists are causing problems in society and attempting to bury the peaceful co-existence.
“In the name of religion, people are forced to hate one another. They are provoked and forced to fight for ridiculous reasons,” he said.
The divide is widening and miscreants are taking advantage of it. Secular minds will not allow the country to be divided. The country has a beautiful legacy in which people of different faiths can coexist peacefully, he emphasised.
“Secularism is the ‘Moolamantra’ of the Indian Constitution. The Constitution has given us the right to equality, the right to religion and the right to culture,” he said.
On the Sedition law, Yadav said, “Those uniting people from all religions are nationals and those trying to create a divide in society in name of religions are anti-nationals. All of us know who the anti-nationals are in India.”
Earlier, ‘Samarasya Nadige’ (harmony walk) was launched at Martyrs Memorial in Ajjarakadu.
People from different walks of life took part in the harmony walk. Kambala buffalo, tiger dance, Nasik band, Kangeelu dance, Dollu Kunitha, Daff, tableaus of Narayana Guru, Ambedkar, Gandhiji, Swamy Vivekananda, Mother Teresa, Haji Abdulla, Dr T M A Pai and Vaddarse Raghuram Shetty were part of it.
‘Hindi is not national language’
Activist Yogendra Yadav said that efforts are being made to impose Hindi.
“My friends in New Delhi say that Hindi is our national language and it is written in Constitution that Hindi should be our Rashtra Bhasha,” he said and added that there is no such mention in the Constitution.
They are trying to consider those who speak Hindi as owners of the land and all others as tenants. We should declare in Udupi that there is no tenant in this country and all of us are owners, said Yadav.