Over a dozen of civil society organisations, including women and dalit outfits, have planned a protest march in Kalaburagi on August 30, the day rationalist scholar M.M. Kalburgi was assassinated two years ago. The rally will begin at Jagat Circle where a floral tribute will be offered to the slain scholar at 5 p.m. and then march to district administrative complex, where a memorandum will be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner demanding the arrest of the killers.
Addressing a media conference here on Monday, Meenakshi Bali, president of Pragna Kanoonu Salaha Samithi, said that progressive intellectuals, social activists, academicians, students and other civil society members would participate in the rally. She slammed government and investigating agencies for making little progress in Kalburgi murder case.
“Our rulers often claim of having large security forces and competent investigating agencies. But, they have utterly failed to investigate and nab the murderers of Kalburgi. We will continue to agitate and force government until we get justice,” she said.
K. Neela, leader of Janavadi Mahila Sanghatan, attributed the “failure” of investigating agency in making a breakthrough in the case to “lack of political will.” She cautioned that such inefficiencies would eventually encourage anti-social elements and communal forces to disturb peace.
“If the murderers of one of the greatest scholars of our time are not brought to the court, it would be a huge moral boost for communal forces that oppose to progressive and radical ideology. The communal unrest and violence that we see in coastal area would be a regular affair in rest of the Karnataka as well. State government should not allow this to happen,” she said.
She said that the attack was not just on an individual, but an ideology which advocated communal harmony, rational and scientific thinking and progress of all human beings with a special focus on those oppressed communities.
“The government should answer people’s questions as to why the investigation is heading nowhere and the culprits are not nabbed even two years after the assassination,” she said.
Lingayat leader R.G. Shetagar, Dalit leader Arjun Bhadre, activist Mallesh Sajjan and others were present.
