The Hindu : Call to strengthen secularism

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 15, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mangalore

Call to strengthen secularism

By Our Staff Correspondent

MANGALORE, MARCH 14. The former Chief Minister, M. Veerappa Moily, and the former Minister for Higher Education, B.A. Mohideen, on Sunday gave a call to strengthen the secular fibre of the country by defeating fundamentalist forces. They were speaking at a function to mark the latter's entry into the Congress, at the Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee office here. It was an emotional moment for Mr. Moily as well as Mr. Mohideen as the latter joined the Congress. Regaining his composure, Mr. Moily said it was time that all secular forces came together to defeat the fundamentalists.

Things were going in the right direction under the leadership of the All India Congress Committee President, Sonia Gandhi, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President, B. Janardhana Poojary, and the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna.

Karnataka was spearheading the reunion of secular forces, Mr. Moily said. Leaders and workers of the All India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD) and the Janata Dal (Secular) also joined the Congress.

Mr. Moily said the coming elections would see the Congress and its allies wage a "Dharmayuddha" against fundamentalists, detractors of democracy, and elitist parties for which polarisation of all secular and democratic forces had become imminent.

He said all secular parties had the same philosophical base when it came to secularism.

But the petty differences that divide them should be eliminated to pave the way for better coordination between the parties.

Referring to the Rath Yatras of the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, Mr. Moily said the voters of India could not be lured by populist and demagogic methods.

On the Bharatiya Janata Party's alleged tactics to woo the Muslims, Mr. Moily warned the Muslims that they were being invited for a deadly embrace — Dhritarashta Alingana — of the Sangh Parivar.

Mr. Mohideen said that despite being away from the Congress for over 25 years, he had never failed in admiring the secular characteristics of the party. Only Congress could defend secularism and democracy, he said.

Along with Mr. Mohideen, a number of workers of the AIPJD and the Janata Dal (S), including Nazeer Ullal, Hamid Kandak, and others joined the Congress.

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