‘Everyone has a story about friends breaking up’

Govind D. Belgaumkar reports on the rising tide of communalism in coastal Karnataka, in The Hindu:

“The January 24 pub attack in Mangalore was just one of a series of acts of moral policing in the region…. To make matters worse, fundamentalists from the Islamic and Christian fold, have begun to follow suit. While they are no match for their Hindutva counterparts, Islamist organisations such as the Karnataka Forum for Dignity and a Christian group, the Social Action Committee, are involved in violently curtailing interaction between boys and girls belonging to different communities.

“Hatred based on religion is not limited to organised groups of fundamentalists. It has spread across the social canvas and enveloped large sections of the police, bureaucracy and media. It is not difficult to find voters on the street who say religion will be a factor while voting. Everyone seems to have a story about friends breaking up because of religion.”

Read the full article: Communalism in coastal Karnataka

Also read: How girls pissing in their pants help Hinduism