Bhatkal: A renowned Kannada poet and writer of Karnataka and the Padmashree award winner, Mr. SK Nisar Ahmed Shaikh paid his visit to the Sahilonline office today and in his brief conversation with the media people here expressed his thoughts about education, culture, religion and terrorism.

He was on his personal visit to Udupi and on his recreational tour to Murdeshwar he visited Bhatkal Noor Masjid for the evening prayers. He happened to meet the SO editor there, who invited him to his office and he happily accepted the invitation. Thus in a short meeting he spoke to the press persons here and discussed some important issues with them.

When asked about his opinion about the present situation of Karnataka and the recent arrests of Muslim youths, he questioned, ‘blaming the entire community for the actions of some few miscreants, can we call this justice?’ Any person cannot be tagged as terrorist just with doubts, may he be anyone. He cannot even be punished for the same, unless and until proved guilty in the court of law, he said.



He said that India is a multi-lingual, multi-cultural, multi- religious and multi- casted country. India is not a single country but similar to a combination of various countries. Expressing his thoughts about Bhatkal and its residents, he said that the Bhatkali people are very sincere and kind hearted, who spend their lives in charity and helping needy. He said that he had personally witnessed such things here, the place has beautiful culture and the people here are spendthrifts.

When one of the representatives questioned him about Riyaz Bhatkal, he said that when a white cloth gets stained, the people happen to notice only the stained spot and this issue is similar to it. Taking the intellectual approach, he questioned that if the milk gets curdled then how can the cow be blamed for it. He said that we have chained the religion, but it is our duty to spread the message of religion in the proper way.

Speaking about the history he said that the advent of Islam is India is presented in a much altered manner. The image of Islam is highly damaged by presenting it in such a way that it is told that when Islam reached India, it was with sword in one hand and the Quran in another. He regarded it as completely false and baseless. ‘It was just to spread the hatred about the religion in people’s mind and meddling with history in this way is a very sad part’, he added.

He said that there is no difference between the miscreant activities which took place in Mangalore and other coastal areas of the state in the name of moral policing and terrorism. No religion gives the message about violence and aggravation. Instead, it gives the message about respecting other religions. India has observed wars and violence at the time of almost all the rulers. The Kalinga of Ashoka had killed thousands of people belonging to its own religion. He explained that there is no truth in the saying that the Muslim rulers had propagated wars and aggravation and involved themselves into mass killing and the likes.

Expressing his displeasure about the present educational system, he said that the disable and business minded people are running the educational institutions today. He termed today’s education system as a type of ‘business’. Talking about Kannada language he said that today learning Kannada is regarded as unimportant and shameful. Remembering his previous times, he said that when he was pursuing his education in Kannada, people use to make fun of Kannada students calling them ‘Kannada Pandits’, ‘but today the same people appreciate us saying that you have done a great job by learning Kannada’. He further added that everyone has their own mother tongue, but people should make a point to learn Kannada along with other languages. Especially Muslims lag behind in Kannada, he said. He expressed his view that Kannada language should be used even in Masjids.

The principal of Anjuman Degree College Dr. Zameerullah Shareef, the former secretary of Anjuman Hami-e-Muslimeen and an active member Mr. Syed Abdul Azeem Ambari, editor in chief of Sahilonline Mr. Inayatullah Gawai, President of Anjuman High School Mr. Mohiddin Khatali, social worker of Udupi Mr. Yaseen Malpe and various reporters of Karawali Munjau, Prajawani, Deccan Herald, Naqsh-e-Nawayath and Vartha Bharathi were present on the occasion.



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