Just as the accused in Gauri Lankesh murder case are getting arrested one after another, BJP MLA Basanagouda Yatnal, addressing a public meeting, has said “if I was the home minister, I would issue orders to shoot the intellectuals en masse”. Yatnal’s statement can be interpreted in many ways. He has also defended the murder of Gauri Lankesh, along with criticizing the police for arresting the accused. He has also encouraged the antisocial elements to murder more rationalists and thinkers in the days to come. In the recent days, Yatnal has lost track of what he speaks and has continued the display of his ignorance and senility with his statements.  

Let’s understand the term ‘intellectuals’. They are the same people who were behind the fight for freedom of this country, than the brainless ones like those in the RSS. People like Yatnal need to understand this clearly. A country gets its identity from the scientific and rational thoughts it encourages to thrive in its environs. Rationality has played a major role in the post-independence period in the progress of the country.

Most freedom fighters were also intellectuals, who had received their education in England. They planned the progress of India very well with the exposure they got. Brahma Samaj was established by an intellectual. Owing to intellectuals like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, India could end inhuman traditions such as Sati and child marriage. The movements he started, helped India become a progressive nation. Outfits like RSS has remained mute about the practice of casteism and untouchability within Hindu dharma.

Swami Vivekananda was an intellectual himself. There is a major difference between his stances in Hindu dharma and the stances of RSS. Vivekananda told those engaged in Gau Raksha to first rescue the human beings. He tore into the safe confines of Hindu dharma and criticized it like no one else did. If he was alive today, the goondas of Sangh Parivar would have assaulted him in the same way as they attacked Swami Agnivesh. Or, some elected representative like Yatnal would have issued orders to shoot him in public to death.    

Bhagat Singh, who laid down his life opposing the British rule in India, was also an intellectual par excellence. While he was in jail, he wrote books that explained why he turned an atheist. He had opened himself up to many ideologies and was a voracious reader who read a lot even when he was in jail. He was very young when he was sent to gallows. He scared the ruling dispensation, the British, with his knowledge and determination.

At the same time, Veer Savarkar, the most revered idol of people like Yatnal, was busy writing mercy petitions to the British and sought their mercy to escape the prison. This country got its independence because of people like Bhagat Singh, Ambedkar, Subhash Chandra Bose and such intellectuals and not because of the Savarkar or Godse, Hedgewar or such believers of Manu. If India had followed them, the country would still be wallowing under the British rule.   

Not only that, the Dalits, Shudras and other ‘lowly’ communities would still be serving the priestly class, and remaining subservient to them forever. Yatnal uses the platform of ‘Kargil Divas’ to criticize the intellectuals. Thus, he has insulted the sacrifice made by the soldiers for the country. Millions of soldiers have laid down their lives for the country, and not all of them have stood on the borders shooting down the Pakistani soldiers. Most of them died fighting the zamindari system in their villages, to rise beyond that and join the army. And every civilian who died in the fight to restore human rights and fundamental rights of citizens is a soldier indeed.

While soldiers defended borders of the nation, a civil rights worker defended the lives of people within the borders of the nation, to obtain Right to Information act, human rights act etc. Many people have been killed for their fights against the system.Persons like Pansare and Dabholkar who fought against superstitions, Kalburgi who raised his voice against the brahminical hegemony, Gauri Lankesh who raised her voice against Sangh Parivar violence – all of them are no less than any soldier who safeguarded the nation. They were killed because of their ideologies. People like Yatnal who would want rationalists dead, are the real enemies of the nation.

Yatnal and the likes are the ones who want to skew the noble interpretation of Hindu dharma, that was popularized all over the world by none other than Swami Vivekananda. Yatnals of the nation, are the real enemies of Hindu dharma and they are the reason as to why people have begun to turn their backs to Hindu dharma. The call given by Yatnal has been some sort of an encouragement to commit more crimes in the name of dharma. In this background, the police have to register a suo motu case against him for interfering with the investigation of Gauri Lankesh murder and for conveying a negative message to the society along with egging the miscreants to do more such crimes.

The state unit of BJP has to issue a clarification against Yatnal. If not, people will assume they are silently concurring with Yatnal’s words and its implications.   

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London, Nov 22: A bomb disposal squad deployed as a “precaution” to the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport concluded an investigation into a "security incident" on Friday after making a “suspect package” safe.

The South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow, which was briefly shut owing to the incident reopened following the incident.

The Gatwick is around 45 km south of London.

Two people detained during the enquiries have since been allowed to continue their journey as the airport was opened.

“Police have concluded their investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick Airport. Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator,” Sussex Police said in an updated statement.

“Two people detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel,” the statement added.

Earlier on Friday, the incident caused severe disruption at the busy airport’s South Terminal, while the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport remained unaffected.

“Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20 am on Friday (November 22) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage,” a Sussex Police statement said.

“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with. As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport. This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible,” it said.

Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of frustrated travellers being moved away from the terminal building.

Gatwick said it was working hard to resolve the issue.

“A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident," the airport said in a social media post.

“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”

Train and bus services that serve the airport were also impacted while the police carried out their inquiries.

In an unrelated incident in south London on Friday morning, the US Embassy area in Nine Elms by the River Thames was the scene of a controlled explosion by Scotland Yard dealing with what they believe may have been a “hoax device”.

“We can confirm the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X.

“Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device. An investigation will now follow. Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down,” it added.