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– ಸುಧಾಂಶು ಕಾರ್ಕಳ

ಮಧ್ಯ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಮತ್ತು ಉತ್ತರ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಲಕ್ಷಾಂತರ ಜನರಿಗೆ ಧರ್ಮಸ್ಥಳ ಪುಣ್ಯಕ್ಷೇತ್ರ. ವರ್ಷಕ್ಕೊಮ್ಮೆ ಮಕ್ಕಳು-ಮರಿ ಕಟ್ಟಿಕೊಂಡು, ಚಾರ್ಮಾಡಿ ಘಾಟಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಸುವಾಗ ಹಿಂಸೆ ಅನುಭವಿಸಿಯಾದರೂ, ಅಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಹೋಗದಿದ್ದರೆ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಸಮಾಧಾನವೇ ಆಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಅಷ್ಟೇ ಏಕೆ, ಈ ಭಾಗದ ಸಾವಿರಾರು ಮಂದಿ ಬಾಲ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೂದಲು ಕೊಡುವ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರ ಮಾಡಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದು ಇಲ್ಲಿಯೇ. ಬಡ ಬಗ್ಗರ ಮನೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸರಳ ವಿವಾಹದ ಮಾತು ಬಂದರೆ, ಅವರಿಗೆ ನೆನಪಾಗುವುದು ಧರ್ಮಸ್ಥಳ.

ಪ್ರತಿ ಭಾನುವಾರ ರಾತ್ರಿ ಈ ಭಾಗಗಳ ಕಡೆಯಿಂದ ಧರ್ಮಸ್ಥಳಕ್ಕೆ ಹೊರಡುವ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಬಸ್ ಗಳು ಭರ್ತಿಯಾಗುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ಇದೇ ‘ಭಕ್ತಿ’ ಕಾರಣ. ಊರಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾರದರು ಒಬ್ಬರು ಧರ್ಮಸ್ಥಳಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾರೆಂದರೆ ಮನೆಗೊಬ್ಬರು ಮಂಜುನಾಥನಿಗೆ ತಮ್ಮದೂ ಕಾಣಿಕೆ ಇರಲಿ ಎಂದು ತಮ್ಮ ಕೈಲಾದಷ್ಟು ಹಣ ಕೊಟ್ಟು ಕಳುಹಿಸುವುದುಂಟು. ವೀರೇಂದ್ರ ಹೆಗ್ಗಡೆಯವರು ಜನೋಪಕಾರಿ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡಿ ಸಜ್ಜನ, ಸಂಭಾವಿತ, ಮಾತನಾಡುವ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ ಎಂಬೆಲ್ಲಾ ಬಿರುದುಗಳನ್ನು ಗಳಿಸುವುದು ಸಾಧ್ಯವಾಗಿದ್ದು ಇಂತಹ ಲಕ್ಷಾಂತರ ಭಕ್ತರ ಸಾವಿರಾರು ಕೋಟಿಗಳ ದಾನದಿಂದ.

ಇದೇ ಭಾನುವಾರ (ಅ.13) ರಂದು ನೂರಾರು ಮಂದಿ ವಿವಿಧ ವಾಹನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಧರ್ಮಸ್ಥಳಕ್ಕೆ ಧಾವಿಸಿ ಹೆಗ್ಗಡೆಯವರ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಪ್ರತಿಭಟನೆ ನಡೆಸಿದರು ಎಂಬ ಸುದ್ದಿ ಟಿವಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೋಡಿದಾಗ ಇಂತಹದೊಂದು ಸನ್ನಿವೇಶ ಈ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತಿರುವುದು ಇದೇ ಮೊದಲಿರಬೇಕಲ್ಲವೇ ಎನಿಸಿತು. ಖಾವಂದರಿಗೆ ಬಿಸಿ ಮುಟ್ಟಿದೆ. ಮಾತನಾಡುವ ಮಂಜುನಾಥನ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ನೇರಾ ನೇರಾ ಮಾತನಾಡುವವರ ಸಂಖ್ಯೆ ಜಾಸ್ತಿಯಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಹೀಗಾಗಿದ್ದು ಆಶಾದಾಯಕ ಬೆಳವಣಿಗೆ.

ಸೌಜನ್ಯ ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರ ಮತ್ತು ಕೊಲೆ ಪ್ರಕರಣದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಒಂದು ವರ್ಷದಿಂದ ಸತತವಾಗಿ ಅಬ್ಬರವಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಪ್ರತಿಭಟನೆ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತಲೇ ಇತ್ತು. ಫೇಸ್‌ಬುಕ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಪ್ರತಿಭಟನೆಗೆ ಅನೇಕರು ಬೆಂಬಲ ಸೂಚಿಸುತ್ತಲೇ ಬಂದಿದ್ದರು. ಬೆಳ್ತಂಗಡಿ, ಮಂಗಳೂರು ಭಾಗಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಆಗಾಗ ಪ್ರತಿಭಟನೆಗಳು ನಡೆಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದವು. ಪ್ರಕರಣ ಆಗಿ ಒಂದು ವರ್ಷದ ನಂತರ ಟಿ.ವಿ9 ಸ್ಟುಡಿಯೋದಲ್ಲಿ ಸೌಜನ್ಯ ಪೋಷಕರು ಏನನ್ನು ಇದುವರೆಗೆ ಮುಚ್ಚಿಡಲಾಗಿತ್ತೋ..ಅದನ್ನು ಹೊರಹಾಕಿದರು.

ಆ ಮೂಲಕ ಸೌಜನ್ಯ ಪ್ರಕರಣ ಮತ್ತೆ ಮುನ್ನೆಲೆಗೆ ಬಂದಿದೆ. ಎರಡು ಬಾರಿ ಪ್ರಕರಣದ ತನಿಖೆಯಾದರೂ, ನಿಜ ಆರೋಪಿಗಳನ್ನು ಪೊಲೀಸರು ಬಂಧಿಸಲಾಗಿಲ್ಲ. ಮಾನಸಿಕ ಅಸ್ವಸ್ಥನೊಬ್ಬನ ತಲೆಗೆ ಈ ಪ್ರಕರಣವನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟಿ ತನಿಖೆಯ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರವನ್ನು ಮುಗಿಸುವ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥಿತವಾಗಿ ನಡೆದಿದೆ ಎನ್ನುವುದು ಆರೋಪ. ಇನ್ನೂ ಗಂಭೀರವಾದ ವಿಚಾರವೆಂದರೆ ಇಂತಹ ಅದೆಷ್ಟೊ ಪ್ರಕರಣಗಳು ಧರ್ಮಸ್ಥಳ ಸುತ್ತ-ಮುತ್ತ ಆಗಿಹೋಗಿವೆ ಎಂಬ ಸುದ್ದಿ. ಸೌಜನ್ಯಳ ತಾಯಿ ಟಿ.ವಿ ಸ್ಟುಡಿಯೋದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೇಳಿದರು.. ನೇತ್ರಾವತಿ ನದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಆಗಾಗ ತೇಲಿ ಬರುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಅನಾಥ ಹೆಣಗಳು ಸೌಜನ್ಯ ಪ್ರಕರಣದ ನಂತರ ನಿಂತಿದ್ದಾದರೂ ಹೇಗೆ?

ಹಾಗಾದರೆ ಈ ಮೊದಲು ನೇತ್ರಾವತಿ ನದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇರಳವಾಗಿ ಹೆಣಗಳು ತೇಲಿಬರುತ್ತಿದ್ದವೆ? ಇದುವರೆಗೆ ಯಾಕೆ ಸುದ್ದಿಯಾಗಲಿಲ್ಲ? ಆಯುರ್ವೇದ, ಯೋಗ, ಸ್ವ ಉದ್ಯೋಗ ತರಬೇತಿ, ಪ್ರಕೃತಿ ಚಿಕಿತ್ಸೆ, ಶಿಕ್ಷಣ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಗಳು, ಪಾಳುಬಿದ್ದ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನಗಳ ಪುನರುತ್ಥಾನ – ಹೀಗೆ ನಾನಾ ಕಾರ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು ಬರುತ್ತಿರುವ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಮೇಲೆ ಈಗ ಅನೇಕ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳಿವೆ.

ಸೌಜನ್ಯ ಹತ್ಯೆ ಅಷ್ಟೇ ಅಲ್ಲ..ಇದುವರೆಗೆ ಆಗಿ ಹೋಗಿರುವ ನಾನಾ ಪ್ರಕರಣಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆಯೂ ತಕ್ಕ ತನಿಖೆ ನಡೆಯಬೇಕು. ಪಾಪಕ್ಷೇತ್ರ, ಪುಣ್ಯಕ್ಷೇತ್ರ ಎಂದು ಯಾವ ಸ್ಥಳವೂ ಇರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಆದರೆ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ನೆಲೆಸಿರುವವರು ಆ ಸ್ಥಳಕ್ಕೆ ಒಂದು ಘನತೆ ತರಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯ. ತಮ್ಮ ಮಗಳ ಹತ್ಯೆಗೆ ಸೂಕ್ತ ತನಿಖೆ ಕೋರಲು ಪ್ರತಿಭಟನೆ ನಡೆಸುವುದನ್ನೂ ಬೇಡ ಎಂದು ಫರ್ಮಾನು ಹೊರಡಿಸುವವರಿಂದ ಯಾವ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರಕ್ಕಾಗಲಿ ಯಾವ ಘನತೆ ದಕ್ಕೀತು? ಧರ್ಮಸ್ಥಳಕ್ಕೆ ಭೇಟಿ ನೀಡುವ ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ಈ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳನ್ನು ಕೇಳಬೇಕಿದೆ. ಅವರ ದೇಣಿಗೆ ಹಣ ವಿನಿಯೋಗ ಆಗುತ್ತಿರುವುದು ಹೇಗೆ ಎನ್ನುವುದನನ್ನು ಕೇಳಲೇಬೇಕಲ್ಲವೆ.

ಸರಕಾರ ಸೂಕ್ತ ತನಿಖೆ ಆದೇಶಿಸುವ ಮೂಲಕ ಮುಚ್ಚಿ ಹೋಗಿರಬಹುದಾದ ಸತ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊರತರಲೇಬೇಕು. ಅವ್ಯವಹಾರ, ಅನಾಚಾರಗಳು ಬಯಲಾದರೆ, ತಪ್ಪಿತಸ್ಥರ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಕ್ರಮ ಕೈಗೊಂಡು ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನವನ್ನು ತನ್ನ ವಶಕ್ಕೆ ಅಂದರೆ ಜನತೆಯ ಆಡಳಿತಕ್ಕೆ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು.

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– Sudhanshu Karkala

Many want Narendra Modi to become PM because of one reason – he ‘allowed’ or ‘did not avoid’ the post-Godhra riots. They speak of development only to mislead the voters. The actual trump card is his ire against a particular community.

If development was the criteria, the BJP would have chosen likes of Shivrag Singh Chauhan or Raman Singh, who also match Narendra Modi when in terms of so-called development in their respective states. They stand behind in the race to top post, because they had no post-Godhra like riots, or did not have an opportunity like that, in their respective states.

Nobody should forget the fact that he advanced elections to Gujarat state assembly soon after post-Godhra riots only to sail through the image of ‘saviour of Hindutva’, he had acquired by allowing the riots in his state. That showed he is the politician of distinct species, which catch fish in troubled waters or warm themselves in the flames that burn innocents. Is there any better word than ‘mouth ka saudagar’, to explain him?

L.K. Advani, the former future prime minister of India, had done a similar exercise to come up in politics and make his party popular. He took out yatra in the name of Ram mandir in Ayodhya, which, in fact, did impact the party prospects in the following elections. Undoubtedly that Yatra played a prominent role in promoting him to the stature, he enjoys now. His growth was at the cost of lives of hundreds who were killed in riots, followed by the Yatra.

Being a former disciple of Advani, Narendra Modi, who had watched Advani’s growth from the close quarters, followed his guru to climb the ladder in politics. Otherwise, he would have not allowed the riots within months after coming to power in Gujarat. (He came to power in October 2001 and riots were in Feb 2002).

Following the riots, he advanced the elections and returned to power, as he had polarised the voters on the communal lines through his controversial conduct during the riots. He planned his public speeches or interviews with media such that nowhere he either felt apologetic or remorseful for what had happened right beneath his nose. Since then, he has been successful in tailoring his image. Otherwise, he would have not hired a global PR firm to manage his public appearance.

The particular section of media, which is busy projecting Modi as the only efficient administrator, world-class orator, missed, rather deliberately, the event where he lost the track of his speech in English as the written speech copy fell down. If any other politician had done that the media would have not bothered to miss it.

For the country’s sake and to safeguard its diversity, politicians with communal agenda should be kept at bay.

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– Sudhanshu

Now it is quite clear. No hope left for the non-Congress-non-BJP men and women in Karnataka. Of course, they started losing hopes when a big chunk of JD(S) MLAs forged an alliance with the BJP to replace the Congress-JD(S) coalition. Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, national president of the JD(S), often updated his political ideology as ‘secular’ – a status to attract ‘likes’ from some parties at the national level.

Whenever the senior Gowda did his best to paint his party green, his son H.D.Kumaraswamy replaces it with a thick layer of saffron. Despite being the head of the Janata Dal (Secular), HDK once surprised many admitting that he had so far not found meaning of the word – secular. No person in Indian history would have become Chief Minister without understanding meaning that his party stands for.

Kumaraswamy repeated his ‘secular’ statement in the recently concluded Legislature session. He said the words like ‘secular’ were coined by parties for their political benefits. He did not stop there. He told the House that former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa would not have lost his seat had he ‘adjusted’ with him a little. In other words Kumaraswamy would ignore any corruption or loot of public money if the offender ‘adjusts’ with him a little. And, that man holds the post of Leader of Opposition. He would probably, going by his own words, ignore all misdeeds of the Congress government if people in power ‘adjust’ with him.

While the father continues to bat for ‘secular’ tag for his party, his son is ready for an alliance with the BJP. He held talks with prominent BJP leaders not to field their candidates in the Lok Sabha by-polls. The equally shameless BJP, who had tasted JD(S)’ so called ‘Vachana Droha’ (breach of promise), are ready for an ‘understanding’. A national party aiming to rule the country in 2014 has no candidates to field in the by-polls to Lok Sabha. That too in a state, where the party ruled till recently, and sent 19 MPs to Lok Sabha in the last 2009 elections.

The state’s principal opposition party is led by an ideologically bankrupt and intellectually challenged person. He has no respect for intellectuals either. During the budget session, he hit the headlines by making scathing remarks regarding the incumbent CM’s past, rather than the budget document. He has continued his earlier practice of ‘blackmailing’. Many times he had threatened leaders of opposite parties to ‘expose’ them in open. But, seldom he came out with the explosive expose. The credit of exposing BSY should go to one ‘AK’ and a section of media, not HDK. Had the AK not delivered important documents to select media houses, BSY’s misdeeds would not have come out.

Whenever there was a story in leading publications, he would hold a press conference so that other publications also carry forward the issue. Even a couple of days ago during a heated exchange of words with Siddaramaiah in the Legislative Assembly, he warned Home Minister K.J. George that he would bring out ‘truths’ about him, when the latter came in support of the CM. Where is the need to threaten someone of exposing them, if he is genuinely interested in ‘exposing’ something illegal? Should such threats be read as invitation for ‘adjustment’ from now on?

Keeping this state of the party and its leadership as background, if one predicts the future of the JD(S), the result is disappointing. The party which took shape under the principles of socialism is going to be a family’s fiefdom or in the best case, a party restricted to the region dominated by a particular caste. The present leaders of the party are showing no signs of improving its status. The sad thing is, ultimately people of the state will suffer with the absence of an able, efficient Opposition to the ruling party. If the watch dogs sleep always or wag their tails to attract ‘adjustments’ with those in the ruling, the state has every chance to go to dogs.

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– Sudhanshu Karkala

Going by the Supreme Court’s verdict, Afzal Guru deserved the capital punishment “in the interest of satisfying the collective conscience of society”. It was true the nation was shaken when Parliament was attacked.

But, why there is so much discomfort around when unanswered questions in the Afzal Guru case are raised? A national news channel anchor-head declared on February 9 that he would not include anybody who would argue Afzal Guru as innocent on his panel throughout the day. The media, by and large, focused only politics around ‘timing’ of his execution, rather than more serious issues related to his trial.

The Supreme Court didn’t state that he was ‘directly’ involved in the attack on parliament. Without cross-examining the prosecution witnesses, the trial went on recording the prosecution’s version. Though there were glaring contradictions in the depositions of the prosecution witnesses, the ears concerned remained deaf. Why the strong judiciary of this robust democratic country has not justified its verdict, beyond doubt? Does it want someone to be killed to satisfy a collective conscience?

Afzal Guru himself had admitted that he was a part of JKLF movement and surrendered to police in J&K after he was disillusioned with the idea and disappointed with both India and Pakistan equally. However, he was continuously harassed by the Special Task Force in J&K. In fact, one of those allegedly involved in the parliament attack was initially introduced to Guru by one of the officers in STF. Why people at helm of affairs do not want to probe this statement?

Recently in Bangalore a film producer was acquitted of a murder. In fact the collective conscience of the news channels viewers was that he was the accused and he deserved punishment. In the court the prosecution failed to prove him guilty and he was acquitted. Even if a junior most advocate in the office of the advocate, who defended the film producer and realtor, had come forward to defend Afzal Guru and worked with conviction, he had chances of taking the case to a new front.

A copy of the mercy petition is available on-line in the form of a book. It carries the mercy petition along with details of trial court’s proceedings. The petition has raised many poignant questions why he does not deserve capital punishment. Afzal Guru did not want pardon, because, he said, if he seeks pardon it is admitting to the crime, which he had not committed.

The Hindu, national newspaper, stands out in its coverage of the episode. Whoever reads the articles and news reports in the newspaper will end up with doubts over the prosecution and the way the trial was conducted. The way the whole episode unfolded made many doubt that the police framed Afzal Guru in this case only to avoid being criticized for not tracing the real perpetrators.