Jingle bells echo! This Kasargod church’s joyful roadshow enthralls locals, promotes unity message
Four guests at four halts of the roadshow emphasize significance of unity during Christmas season
Manjeshwara(Paivalike): Amid Christmas merrymaking, Jingle bells resonated in the air as Christ the King Church in Kayyar village, Kasaragod, orchestrated a joyous tableau and roadshow to spread festive cheer and promote a message of unity among the locals. The roadshow, which covered areas including Paivalike, Jodukallu, Kokechal, and Kayyar, under Paivalike Panchayat limits on Saturday(Dec 23) featured guests from both the Muslim and Hindu communities, enhancing the spirit of togetherness. The events at the roadshow included a compelling portrayal of the birth of Jesus Christ and Christmas carols.
Fr. Vishal Monis, Parish Priest Christ the King Church, shared the roadshow's intent, aiming to extend happiness beyond the Christian community. “The speakers at different spots hailed from different communities, breaking the norm of intra-community events. In a mixed society, where all religious people live together it becomes necessary to spread happiness. When we are happy, that is when the Christian community celebrates, we also feel that this happiness should spread amongst other communities.”
At Paivalike, Ashraf Martya, a Kannada language teacher at the government school here, praised the church's initiative to convey a message of oneness among the locals. He commented, "Such events should be conducted to convey the message of harmony across Tulunadu. For the betterment of society, we all should follow the path of Jesus Christ, who propagated messages of spreading love and peace." Similarly, Kashnappa Pujari Derambala, Trustee of Sadashiva Temple Ambaru, stressed the importance of living peacefully irrespective of religion, caste, and creed during the second halt of the roadshow in Jodukallu.
Meanwhile in Kokechal, Mohidduin Kunhi K., Principal of Kamil School, highlighted the similarities between Christianity and Islam, urging coexistence. He stated, "Jesus Christ showed us the way of living in coexistence and spreading love. Jesus was the first to propagate the idea of loving your enemies."
At the roadshow's endpoint in Kayyar, Ashok Bhandary, a CPI(M) leader and Kudal ward Panchayat Member, emphasized, "God is one, there are different religions. Hence, fighting under the tag of religions is not correct. We all, as a society, should consider the message of Jesus Christ and spread love among each other."
Residents and attendees praised the efforts of the church authorities in organizing such events to promote understanding of different festivals. Ravi Kumar, a resident of Muligade, expressed, "India is such a diverse country; we must understand each other's festivals and celebrate together." Civil police officers on duty, Radeesh and Rakesh, commended the enthusiastic celebrations, stating that it helped them better understand the vivid culture and programs in the border district.
Simultaneously, Anil a excavator(JCB) operator in Kayyar village, who is a native of Bagalkote’s Gaddankeri, expressed that he gets homely vibes as people speak in Kannada here in a Kerala village, “Very happy to see people speak in Kannada here, we always work in the day return to our rooms in the evening that routine continues, but today we saw this unique tableau organised here, immersed ourselves into the program. Such events promoting peace should be organised everywhere.”
The program aimed at bridging communities and celebrating diversity in the spirit of Christmas was organized by the Church Parishad, CKYM (Christ King Youth Movement), and ICYM (Indian Catholic Youth Movement) under the guidance of the Parish Priest Fr. Vishal Monis.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
