The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Secular parties should come together, say intellectuals

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Sunday, Jan 04, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Secular parties should come together, say intellectuals

Special Correspondent

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

TIME FOR PLAINSPEAKING: Writer U.R. Ananthamurthy and the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda at a consultative meeting in Bangalore on Saturday.

Bangalore: Prominent intellectuals of Karnataka participated in a consultative meeting, chaired by Janata Dal (Secular) president H.D. Deve Gowda on Saturday, and analysed how communalism, divisive caste politics and big businesses have come to hold sway over politics of the State.

While the overarching concern expressed by the 15 writers, critics and social activists who participated in the meeting here was on the need for all parties with a secular agenda to sink differences and come together before the Lok Sabha elections, there were several sharp questions raised about the opportunistic role played by every political party, including the Janata Dal (Secular), on vitiating the political atmosphere.

Jnan Pith Award-winner U.R. Ananthamurthy set the tone of the meeting by calling upon all political parties to face the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a united force so that “secular vote does not get divided.”

The former judge and social activist Ko. Chennabasappa said that defections were being justified on the ground that an MLA could not ensure the development of his or her constituency unless in the ruling party. This, he said, was a “dictatorial” move aimed at obliterating all opposition. Critic Ki. Ram. Nagaraj demanded strong anti-defection laws that prevented an elected MLA from contesting elections within five years.

The former Kannada Sahitya Parishat chairperson Chandrashekhar Patil said all parties had contributed their mite to communalising politics and fighting elections on caste lines.

Dalit Sangharsha Samiti leader Indudhar Honnapura said that the Janata Dal (Secular) had “made space for the BJP. "

Mr. Deve Gowda, he said, should give an assurance that such a thing would not recur if voted to power again.

T.N. Seetaram described the JD(S)-BJP coalition as a “big tactical error”.

Mr. Deve Gowda briefly explained the circumstances under which political decisions were taken by his party at various points of time.

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