Southern States - Karnataka   

Intellectuals plan peace meet

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore Nov. 25. Writers, artists, and thinkers will hold a peace and communal harmony meet at Chikmagalur on December 7 and 8 if the State Government fails to ban the "Shoba Yatra" at Bababudangiri. Eminent writers, artists, film-makers, and other intellectuals from all over the State will attend the meet.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, the writers, Girish Karnad, K. Marulasiddappa, G.K. Govinda Rao, Gauri Lankesh, V.S. Sreedhara, and Sudra Srinivas, said the purpose of holding the meet was to assert the cultural importance of Bababudangiri.

Mr. Karnad told presspersons here on Tuesday that the Government should ban religious functions such as Datta Jayanthi celebration, Shobha Yatra, Datta Maala, and yagnas on the hills.

Disturbed by the constant political references to the Dattatreya Peetha at Bababudangiri, he and others visited the hills on November 21 and talked to the local people who were frightened as the situation was tense following the newly introduced so-called religious practices such as the Datta Maala.

Allowing such practices would only add to the already tense situation at Chikmagalur and surrounding localities, Mr. Karnad said and urged the Chief Minister to ban religious activities at the famed hills.

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