Mangaluru: Addressing a peace assembly at the Zilla Panchayat hall, Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja sparked a lively debate with his strong remarks questioning the type of education being imparted in religious institutions and calling for ideological consistency post-election victories.
Poonja emphasized that educational content in mosques, madrasas, temples, and churches must cultivate patriotism and communal harmony. He challenged whether madrasas, in particular, are fostering peace or inadvertently fueling division. “We must introspect on the kind of education being passed on in religious centres. If it doesn’t teach harmony, we are missing the point,” he said.
The MLA drew links between communal unrest and incidents like alleged love jihad, cow slaughter, and drug trade, stating these must be addressed strictly through legal and police action — without blaming an entire community or district. “Administrative lapses shouldn’t be masked by blaming people or painting the district with a communal brush,” he added.
Expressing concern over recent police actions, Poonja criticised midnight visits to homes of RSS and Hindu leaders without prior criminal cases, suggesting it fuels distrust. “If they are photographed without reason, we owe society an answer,” he noted, asserting such actions invite rightful protest.
Regarding cultural events, he questioned restrictions on the Ganesh festival, arguing that limiting celebrations to 11 pm might eventually raise societal resentment. He recalled past bans in schools and stressed the region has historically celebrated peacefully without communal clashes.
Cautioning against attributing student murders in the region to communal reasons, Poonja urged the Home Minister to thoroughly investigate motivations behind such crimes. “Let’s not label crimes communally without evidence,” he concluded.
The speech stirred sharp reactions across the spectrum, with some praising his boldness while others warned against oversimplifying complex communal dynamics.