Bengaluru Violence: Impartial Inquiry Needed
It is said that the pen is mightier than the sword. Those who use this sword must have the wisdom, discretion, and must be pro-people. In the hands of immature people, this sword can very well become dangerous. It is because of the might of the pen that even if newspapers make the slightest mistake or write with pre-conceived notions, they can fan fires of controversies that might even lead to deaths and extensive destruction. Usually, in the print media, sub-editors first read articles, understand the nuances, and then publish them based on their judgment. But this changed with the advent of Facebook and social media when ‘the pen’ went astray and lost its sense of direction. The might of the pen in the hands of immature people who believe that it can be brandished whenever and however they please has done more damage to society than benefitting it. The trend of people abusing caste, religion, party, and individuals by using fake accounts has increased. Anti-social elements are using social media effectively to disturb the peace and order in the society. Ironically, the interest shown by social media to curb writers with social commitment is not shown towards those who want to disturb peace. The cyber-crime cells of the police department set up to prevent such crimes have been turning a blind eye to these incidents. There is no doubt then that the violence that took place in Bangalore on Tuesday night is a result of all these developments.
A relative of Pulakeshi Nagar MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy had made certain derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad in a Facebook post. Such distorted writings against a great soul reflects the personality of the writer and does not in any way affect the image of the great man. Many evil minds have spun webs of lies not only against Prophet Mohammad but also against noble men such as Jesus, Gandhi, and Ambedkar. But such rowdy elements have themselves become irrelevant over time whereas noble men have only grown in their stature and have become role models to the world. If anyone is deeply hurt by the writings against the Prophet Mohamad in Facebook, there are several options available in a democratic set up to take action against the writer. Cases can be filed against him in many police stations in the state and protests can be held to demand action against him. Moreover, attempts can be made to change the writer’s thinking and perspective by ensuring that the teachings of Prophet Mohammad reach him. But what happened in Bangalore is just the opposite with a group of people attacking the residence of the legislator. They also attached police and set vehicles on fire. Eventually, three people died in police firing. But what did the protestors achieve by causing the deaths of people, injuring several others, and leaving behind a trail of destruction of property? The loss of precious lives and the destruction in the arson and violence have created misleading impression on the teachings of the Prophet and not succeeded in achieving anything. Ultimately, a situation has emerged in which those hurt by the criticism against the Prophet are now forced to stand as accused.
It is being suspected that a few political leaders are behind Tuesday’s sudden and unexpected violence. How could so many people assemble in such large numbers in such a short time? It is difficult to believe that the Facebook post by a miscreant would result in a gathering of such a large number of people. There is no doubt that on the pretext of protesting, miscreants deliberately set fire on the MLA’s house and destroyed public property. It is clear that the protest was organized due to political malice so that protestors could indulge in such misconduct. Therefore, the police should identify the political forces responsible for this instead of arresting innocents on whom they can lay their hands. The names of a few senior politicians who are now sidelined are being thrown around for having caused the violence and the veracity of these rumours can be established only through a serious inquiry. Conspiracies are being hatched within the BJP to unseat the Yediyurappa government in the state. Recently, on the Facebook page of BJP leader Murugesh Nirani, derogatory statements were written against Vedic Gods, but the episode was closed with his apology. Subsequently, BJP leader K.S.Eshwarappa issued inflammatory statements in the media by referring to ‘Kashi and Mathura’. Now, a relative of Congress legislator has abused Prophet Mohammad and a few people have misused the situation and have resorted to violence. That this happened despite the clarification issued by MLA Srinivasa Murthy and apologizing shows that it was pre-planned. It is therefore important that an independent agency investigate the abusive remarks against the Prophet and the subsequent developments.
About 1500 years ago, the Prophet was responsible for introducing several revolutionary changes in society. The Prophet dreamt of an egalitarian society, opposed social discrimination, and provided land rights to women. He encouraged widow remarriage and banned the practice of levying interests. He announced compulsory Zakath for the rich and prohibited liquor. The Prophet’s views on religion, economy, and society changed the entire world. This being the case, a miscreant abusing the Prophet does not have any impact on the Prophet, rather it only reveals the personality of the writer. Those who took to the street for justice and caused destruction and losses protesting against the humiliation caused to the Prophet are those who have shown the greatest disrespect to the teachings of the Prophet.
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Axar shifts focus to next IPL after KKR all but end DC's campaign
New Delhi (PTI): A beleaguered Axar Patel admitted that both his team's batters and bowlers let the side down after Delhi Capitals suffered a humiliating eight-wicket defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders, virtually ending their IPL 2026 playoff hopes, while indicating the team had already begun looking ahead to the next season.
DC endured a miserable outing at home, managing only 142/8, which Kolkata Knight Riders chased down in just 14.2 overs, powered by a blistering unbeaten 100 from Finn Allen and his destructive stand with Cameron Green (33 not out) as the visitors tore apart the bowling attack.
With just eight points from 11 matches, DC are eighth on the table, while KKR revived their playoff hopes with a resurgent run, moving to seventh with nine points from 10 outings, though their road to the knockouts still remains difficult.
"For now, we'll go back and think about the mistakes we made. After that, obviously there's still a long journey ahead and next year will come too. So we'll think about what plans we can make for next year and what approach we should take," said Axar after the match.
"Based on that, we can also look at the players sitting on the bench and decide who can be given opportunities and what changes we can make," he added, hinting at a possible major overhaul next season.
With 200-plus totals becoming the norm this season, 142 was always going to be inadequate, and Axar admitted the score was well below par while also pointing out at poor judgement shown by the spinners while defending the modest total.
"I think the runs were definitely below par and at the same time the spinners made quite a few mistakes. Looking at the way the pitch behaved, I feel the spinners did make errors.
"At the same time, we lost five wickets in two-three overs, and I think that's where the momentum slipped away from us. That's probably something we need to think about because the same thing happened against CSK...we started well, and then suddenly wickets kept falling," he added.
He admitted the solutions to the issues could be found but players need to show the right mindset and character.
"See, you can't solve it in a complicated way. So, I think it's more about applying the right mindset. Even if you lose one or two wickets, you can still spend time at the crease and play through it. I think that's what needs to be applied, when wickets are falling in clusters, you need to absorb the pressure for an over or two," opined Axar.
KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane was pleased to see a struggling Finn Allen finally rediscover his touch with the bat.
"I'm really happy for Finn Allen. He was struggling first four or five games, working really hard, but the way he batted tonight was fantastic. But I want to praise our bowlers again.
"We did well because of them. And they've been doing it so well consistently, especially those middle overs and the death overs. Our spinners, Sunil Narine, Varun (Chakravarthy) and Anukul Roy, have been fantastic," he said.
"Fielding-wise, yes, we are working really hard. Our fielding coach has been really strict with us. And that's what has been helping us. The result which you've been seeing about the catches and the ground fielding, credit goes to our fielding coach as well," he added.
