SOUTH
The 'Chalo Udupi' march, under the slogan 'Food is our choice, Land is our right', was inaugurated on Tuesday in Freedom Park, Bengaluru.
The rally, attended by hundreds of Dalit activists, was in protest against the rising atrocities against lower castes across India by right-wing activists under the guise of 'Gau Rakshan'.
The protesters, who eventually plan to march to Udupi in Coastal Karnataka, were seen singing, dancing and holding pictures and banners depicting the atrocities against Dalits. The organisers have said that they are inspired by Una Chalo organised by Jignesh Mevani. Incidentally, Jignesh Mevani is expected the attend the grand finale of the march in Udupi on October 9.
The 'Udupi Chalo' Jatha has organised a large public convention on that day, and more than 25,000 Dalits, backwards classes, progressive thinkers and writers are expected to attend.
The trigger for the movement was the recent murder of Praveen Poojary, a backwards class youth, who was killed by right-wing miscreants for carrying cows in his goods auto.
Route of the March:
Devanura Mahadeva, a renowned Dalit writer and Kannada writer, said that there were many kinds of terrorism in society and India has introduced 'Gau terrorism' to the world for the first time.
"I don't understand a beef ban in a country where beef is being exported. Ghosts are more active in our country than human beings," he said.
Former Advocate General Prof. Ravivarma Kumar added that atrocities against Dalits had increased in the country since the saffron party (BJP) came to the power in the Centre. Nijagunananda, a pontiff of Bailuru Math, agreed, saying that country was being destroyed by people who consume ghee, not by people who consume non-vegetarian food.