Bhatkal: The Bhatkal Majlis-e-Islah-o-Tanzeem has called for a Bhatkal Bundh on 11th of October, to continue their protest against the Kannada daily Kannada Prabha, which had published a fake and baseless report on 2nd of September, targeting the Muslims of Bhatkal and the famous eight mosques in the town regarding them as prohibited areas. Enraged over the issue of the silence of district authorities regarding taking legal actions against the newspaper and the concerned reporter, in spite of continuous reminders, the Bhatkal Tanzeem has decided to take a further step and call for Bhatkal Bandh.

Speaking on this occassion, the Tanzeem vice president Mr. S M Parvez has said that under the influence of some fascist powers, a particular group of media is involved in strongly defaming the name of Uttara Kannada, Bhatkal and the Muslims of these areas on the national level. And as a part of the same mission, the Kannada Prabha, has once again erupted the issue of defaming Bhatkal and its Muslims by publishing some utterly false and baseless reports and we strongly oppose such a gesture, he said.

In a press conference, which was organized at the meeting hall of the Bhatkal Tanzeem, Mr. Parvez has appealed to the entire Bhatkal population especially the business group of the town to shut down their business establishments on Thursday, 11th of October, for the better purpose of community and the nation. He requested that all kind of business be avoided completely. Also, all the parents along with their own selves even restricate their children from going out of their houses. All the market, bank related and other works be taken care of, one day post or prior, so that there is a complete display of unity and the bandh receives cent percent results. The complete display of unity by the people of the town will only help to the degrade aims of the ill-minded miscreants.

The Bhatkal Tanzeem had issued a press release on the occasion. It was stated in the release, that the concerned newspaper had blamed the dirt-free business of Bhatkali people along with alleging our religious institutions and even the holy mosques of being involved with training the terrorists and has crushed the sacredness of our blessed entities with their corrupted thoughts. It has played with the feelings of the Muslim community. Further it is stated that, under the heading of ‘Close ties of terrorists with the Uttar Kannada district’, the newspaper has said that any incident related to terrorism that takes place in any part of the nation, the involvement of Uttar Kannada and its Muslim population has become a common thing in it. It has disgustingly tried to relate all the illegal activities carried out anywhere in the nation with the Muslims of UK.

The press release has also informed that the Islam is religion of peace and unity, love and mutual understandings. The religion teaches about the love of nation and it is a main objective of the religion. The best examples are the Muslims of Bhatkal and their community establishments. The main reason behind publicizing such baseless reports is creating hatred and disharmony among the Muslims and Non-Muslims of the area, who have been living in peace for continues years, expect for some disturbances which were healthily resolved by the peace loving people of both the communities. Weakening the Muslim community with their dirty plots and creating disturbances among the sects is the main motive behind this.

According to the release, any incident of communal disturbances in the town and around, the Tanzeem had always been forward with its support to resolve the issue. Now, in the regard of entirely false and brutal report of Kannada Prabha, the Tanzeen has taken various steps under the legal limits. It had also presented a memorandum to the higher authorities of district and the state, demanding the arrest and legal actions against the concerned reporter. Under the guidance of Tanzeem all the eight organizations have also filed the cases against the concerned under the panel code 153/A. All the possible steps are being taken by the Tanzeem in this regard. Apart from all this, looking at the seriousness of the issue, the Tanzeem had come up with the decision of calling of Bhatkal bundh on 11th October, to intensify their point and protest.

The press conference was presided over by the first vice president, Mr. SM Parvez.

Tanzeem General Secretary Muhiddin Altaf Kharuri, Inayatullah Shabandari, Parvez Kashimji, Syed Muhiddin Barmawer, Maulana Syed Zubair Market along with others were present on the occasion.

Congress and JDS announces their support

The congress and JDS has announced its full support to the Bhatkal Tanzeem in regard with the Bundh which would be observed on 11th of October.

In a press conference called by the Congress at the Bhatkal Circuit House, the Bhatkal MLA JD Naik strongly opposed the article published in Kannada Prabha saying that it was completely false and baseless. He requested the district authorities to take strong actions against such dirty minds. He assured his full support to the Tanzeem on behalf of his party and also appealed to the public and institutions of Bhatkal to cooperate with the Tanzeem to make the bundh successful.

KPCC member Parvez Kashimji, Venkayya Devadiga, Zilla Panchayat member Jaya Shree Moger, Subrayya Naik, Chandru Devadiga, Vittal Naik, Sudheer Naik, Masood Shingeri, TD Naik along with other Congress leaders were present.

A separate press meet was even called by the JDS unit, where Inayatullah Shabandari announced his team support to the Tanzeem.


Santosh Naik, MD Naik, MM Naik, Manju Gowda, Ishwar Naik, Zainul Abideen, Vankatesh Naikh and others were present on the occasion.