The Asian Age

Dadri lynching incident an alarm bell: DM

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Dadri ( Greater Noida), Oct. 8: Gautam Buddh Nagar district magistrate N. P. Singh on Thursday termed the Dadri lynching incident as an “alarm bell,” even as he claimed that there is a “trend” of individual crimes being given communal colour in western Uttar Pradesh region.

“Dadri incident is just an alarm bell to wake up from, where we are heading to,” Mr Singh said, addressing a gathering of locals, including heads of different religions assembled at Dadri tehsil.

“There is a trend in western UP wherein individual crimes are being given communal colour. In villages, people throw away animal carcasses, even village authoritie­s don’t dispose them off properly and such things are meant to incite people,” he claimed.

Noting that communal fights resulted from attempts to exert religious superiorit­y, he said that the Constituti­on of India was above any religious book as it was preventing the country from becoming Pakistan, Syria or Egypt. “Fights due to religion begin between two communitie­s when one tries to establish its religious superiorit­y over the other. Geeta and Quran have no fundamenta­l difference and those who don’t know it are easily made to fight by miscreants,” he said.

“The holy books of any religion should not be superior to the Constituti­on of India. Where will our Constituti­on and democracy go if we hold them superior to it.”

“Indian Constituti­on is

‘ The holy books of any religion should not be superior to the Constituti­on of India. Where will our Constituti­on and democracy go if we hold them superior to it.’

ensuring that we don’t become a country like Pakistan, Syria or Egypt,” he said.

Appealing and guiding the locals for religious harmony and peace, he called upon them to take the “side of truth” in times of crisis like Bishada.

Criticisin­g a section of intelligen­tsia, he said, “Being neutral does not mean one has to be a ‘ napunsak ( impotent).’ A section of intelligen­tsia at times behaves like that.”

He said that even if anyone’s sentiment is genuinely hurt they have no right to decide for themselves next course of their action. “Will you shoot any one just like that for hurting your sentiment?”

Pointing to the ideologica­l poisoning of the youth, Mr Singh emphasised on good education and values for them to save them from negative influences of different ideologies.

“It is a matter of deep concern that the youth is getting ideologica­lly poisoned. We have to remember they are not growing in isolation. We will have to make sure that they are inculcated with good education and values.”

“In order to prevent them from getting negatively influenced from ideologies, they need brain mapping at an early age,” he said. Pointing to growing influence of social sites on youth, he said, “They are getting more influenced by social sites. A section of them is becoming more aggressive whereas another section of them is becoming more reclusive.”

The district magistrate is planning a 3- month package course for local youth in the age group 1825 years for skill developmen­t, spiritual guidance, and profession­al counsellin­g to save them from “negative” ideologica­l influence.

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