Former PM Deve Gowda pays tribute to Basaveshwara in London
London, Oct 27: Former prime minister H.D Deve Gowda paid tribute to Basaveshwara at an event here, saying the 12th century Kannada social reformer fought for eradication of caste discrimination which still prevails in India.
The event on Friday was organised by the Basaveshwara Foundation, a non-profit organisation based in the UK that has erected a statue of Basaveshwara on the bank of river the Thames.
Former mayor of the London borough of Lambeth and Chairman of the foundation Neeraj Patil welcomed the former prime minister along with MP Kupendra Reddy on behalf of the Indian-origin and Kannada communities.
Members of the two important Kannada diaspora organisations - Kannadigaru UK & Sandalwood UK, joined Gowda on the occasion.
"Basaveshwara fought for eradication of caste discrimination and social justice in Indian society and unfortunately India still remains divided along caste and religious lines and this must end, there is no place for discrimination in the modern world," said the former premier.
Gowda paid tribute to Basaveshwara for his contribution towards democracy and social justice in India.
He said "I am extremely delighted to see the statue of an Indian philosopher in the backdrop of the British parliament overlooking the river Thames. This makes every Indian and Kannadiga proud".
The project was approved by the planning department of the London borough of Lambeth and subsequently by the British Cabinet minister for culture media and sports as per the Public Statues Act, 1854. The Basaveshwara statue and its vicinity is the intellectual property of the Basaveshwara Foundation.
The Basaveshwara statue erected at the Albert Embankment is not only the first statue to be unveiled by an Indian prime minister in the UK, but is also the first conceptual statue approved by the British Cabinet in the vicinity of Parliament.
It is located at Albert Embankment in London opposite the British Parliament.
The approval was given as a mark of respect to Basaveshwara for promoting democratic ideals, social justice and gender equality during the 12th century.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had unveiled the statue in 2015.
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Belagavi youth’s murder case projected as road accident, cracked in Uttara Kannada; Three arrested
Karwar: Uttara Kannada police have cracked a murder case in which a Belagavi youth was killed and his body burnt inside a car to make it appear like a road accident.
Addressing a press meet in the city, Superintendent of Police Deepan M.N. said three accused from Old Hubballi have been arrested in connection with the case. The crime was a pre-planned act driven by personal enmity, he said.
The case came to light on April 8 morning when a car (KA-04/MJ-8996) was found completely burnt in a roadside ditch near Talekumbri bus stand in Yellapur. Only charred human remains were found inside the vehicle. Initially, it was suspected to be an accident caused by overspeeding, and a case was registered at Yellapur police station based on a complaint filed by the deceased’s father, Jagannath Dhapale.
However, the father later expressed suspicion that his son’s death was not accidental, prompting a detailed investigation.
Taking the matter seriously, two special teams were formed under the leadership of Yellapur Inspector Ramesh Hanapur. On analysing technical evidence and CCTV footage, police found that it was a planned murder.
The accused have been identified as Abdul Raheem Basheer Ahmed Mujawar (32), Maulasab Bavahan Wada (36) and Dadapeer alias Aftab Mehboob Saab Balasangi (22), all chicken traders from Old Hubballi.
Police have seized the car used in the crime along with two scooters. The accused have been remanded to judicial custody.
Investigations revealed that the accused killed Nitesh Dhapale due to personal enmity and later set the car on fire along with the body to project it as an accident.
SP Deepan M.N. appreciated the efforts of Inspector Ramesh Hanapur, PSIs Rajashekhar Vandali and Siddappa Gudi, and the entire team for solving the complex case.
