1,500-km-long human chain planned early next year

For the first time, a 1,500-km-long human chain will be formed on January 30 (Martyrs’ Day) to promote harmony in the State.

Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, G.V. Sriram Reddy, general secretary of the State Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), said that the formation of the human chain titled “Souhardetagagi Karnataka” was necessitated to register protest against the failure of the Congress government in containing communal forces on one hand and also to create awareness among people to fight communal forces that have unleashed a reign of fear, and maintain communal harmony in the State.

“Karnataka has always been in the forefront of maintaining communal harmony. But off late, communal forces have started attacking the rights guaranteed under the Constitution and also destroying the democratic fabric,” he said.

“In coastal Karnataka, one is not sure as to when communal violence would break out going by the recent happenings. In addition, scholar M.M. Kalburagi, journalist Gauri Lankesh were brutally killed. The Congress government has failed to contain communal forces, and the disunity among the secular forces was another reason for the forces to go on the offensive. Left with no alternative, formation of a human chain was thought of to promote communal amity,” he said.

Left parties, progressive organisations, writers, littérateurs, thinkers, among others will be in the lead in which over 15 lakh people are expected to participate in forming the human chain starting from Basavakalyan in Bidar district to Chamarajanagar.

Another chain will be formed from Belagavi to Challakeri to get linked to the main chain. The third one will be from the coastal districts to Madikeri.

He said details are being worked out on whether a public meeting should also be held on the same day. “All like-minded people, irrespective of their political or other affiliations, could participate in the programme aimed at maintaining peace and harmony,” he said.