HINDUTVA - Indian Social Institute

arrived and hurled stones. This triggered overnight sticks-and-stones battles on the campus, leaving six
students injured and several vehicles, including a state bus and a media van, in flames. All the roads
leading to the university have been sealed. The issue has been resonating on Twitter since yesterday,
with festival supporters and opponents bashing each other in 140 characters. Writer and Dalit rights
activist Meena Kandasamy, an invitee to the festival, tweeted how she had to be escorted out in a police
vehicle. Last year, too, Osmania’s Dalit students had planned a beef festival but were dissuaded. With
their number growing from 1,200 in 2011 to 2,000 this year, they were more determined this time. Vicechancellor
S. Satyanarayana said he had not been approached for permission and asserted the event
could not be allowed given the history of caste tensions on the campus. However, the organisers poohpoohed
the idea that holding such an event required permission. They received support from P.L.
Vishweshwar Rao, a former professor of communications and journalism at the university, who said
students had the right to eat a particular food. He said the police and the university administration had
failed to protect the students participating in the festival. “Beef is a basic Dalit food. We want this upper
caste hostility towards it to end,” said Kancha Ilaiah, a Dalit ideologue who teaches at the university.
Some 200kg of beef was bought for the festival, organised by the Telangana Students’ Association,
Progressive Democratic Students’ Union, the CPM-affiliated SFI and students from the English and
Foreign Languages University across the street. The guest list of activists included Ilaiah, S. Simhadri,
Gali Vinod Kumar, Vishweshwar Rao, Hangya Bhukya, Gogu Shyamala and G. Aloysius. A couple of
days ago, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had said the festival would be opposed on the ground of hurting
religious sentiments. (Telegraph 17/4/12)
Road block: VHP activists held (26)
Tirupur, April 17, 2012: As many as 162 Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists were arrested when they
staged a road block agitation at Perumanallur on Monday in protest against the proposed ‘Prevention of
Communal and Targeted Violence Bill'. G. Nachimuthu, divisional secretary of VHP, said introduction of
such bill, as planned, would be anti-Hindu and will not curb riots taking place between majority and
minority communities as propagated. The agitators accused Congress-led UPA government of following
in the footsteps of Britons who adopted ‘divide and rule' policy, by planning this Bill. Mr. Nachimuthu said
the Bill, which would usurp the rights of Hindus, should not be passed at any cost. (The Hindu 17/4/12)
RSS backs bigger role for Modi (26)
New Delhi: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has been backed by the RSS yet again to play a bigger
role at the national political stage. This was clearly spelt out by the RSS in the latest issue of its
mouthpeiece Panchjanya, by stating that people outside Gujarat are “eagerly” waiting for Mr Modi. The
RSS has also praised Mr Modi for his “faith in Hinduism” and promoting communal harmony in the state
despite some elements desperately trying to project him as “anti-minorities” post-Godhra riots. “Now
people of the country are waiting for him (Modi) to play a national role outside Gujarat,” the article said.
Speculations are rife in the Sangh Parivar, including the BJP, that after the Gujarat Assembly polls which
are scheduled by the end of this year, Mr Modi would be brought into the national politics. He is also
touted as the Prime Ministerial candidate of his party. However, some of the top BJP leaders, it is learnt,
are also eyeing for the post. Praising Mr Modi for his good governance and the social harmony in Gujarat,
the editorial in Panchjanya said Supreme Court’s appointed SIT’s clean chit to Gujarat CM in Gulberg riot
case is a “tight slap” for those who tried to “demonise” him and project him as “anti-Muslim”. (Asian Age
17/4/12)
Vedike stages protest seeking withdrawal of textbooks (26)
Shimoga, April 19, 2012: Activists of the Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike staged a protest in the city on
Wednesday urging the State government to withdraw Social Science textbooks proposed to be
introduced for Class 5 and 8 in the State from the next academic year. Organisations such as the