Bengaluru:In a glowing show of communal harmony, a temple in Bengaluru turned venue for the Republic Day celebration of Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation (SKSSF).
The Ganapati temple at Sudhamma Nagar hosted Manushya Jaalika, a human chain by SKSSF activists and allocated its flag post to hoist the national flag.
On January 25, SKSSF functionaries were in search of a place where the national flag could be hoisted ahead of forming a human chain. Manushya Jaalika, a decade-old programme of SKSSF, is aimed at strengthening communal harmony and celebrating togetherness. Incidentally, federation functionaries came to notice the flag post of the temple on a street.
Following a request extended by Malabar Muslim Association (MMA) functionary P P Siraj, temple authorities welcomed their Muslim brothers to hold the programme. Besides, temple functionaries and priest Pandit Narayana Swami came forward to attend the programme and join hands for national integration.
Narayan Swami said the secular fabric of the country could be kept intact only if its secular tradition is revived.
“Previous years, the programme was held at premises of Malabar Muslim Association (MMA) mosque. This year, we decided to shift the location,” said SKSSF Bengaluru district president Aslam Faizy.
The incident, according to Faizy, will help strengthen the relations between the Muslims and Hindus here. MMA president Dr A A Mohammed hoisted the national flag.
“This kind of programmes insists that majority of the common men are not in favour of the social and political deterioration in the country,” he said.
Started in 2007, Manushya Jalika is the venue for political and religious leaders apart from activists of various organisation to join hands for national integrity. Apart from Muslim clerics and cultural activists, the programme is attended by Hindu and Christian priests across Kerala, other states and the Gulf nations.
This year, the programme was held in 14 districts of Kerala apart from five places in Karnataka and three in Tamil Nadu. Students in West Bengal, Assam and Andhra Pradesh off campuses of Malappuram based Darul Huda Islamic University also took an oath for unity and national integration by taking part in Manushya Jaalika. The programme was also held in 40 centres across UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
SKSSF state general secretary Sathar Panthaloor said the programme was successful in terms of public participation and could convey the message of togetherness to people from all walks of life.
(Source: twocircles.net)