Kannada activists, a part of an intensifying local tension, will be meeting with the Karnataka Home Minister in reply to recent upsetting incidents involving Sabarimala pilgrims from Karnataka, a neighbouring state that prides itself on being home to most of the pilgrims. It comes after pilgrims in Tamil Nadu have been reported to be physically assaulted while passing through Tamil Nadu, especially for displaying the Kannada flag on their cars.
The Incident: Assault on the Kannada Flag
The controversy started earlier this week, when a group of Ayyappa devotees traveling to the Sabarimala shrine in Kerala from Karnataka was intercepted by a crowd in Tamil Nadu. Eyewitness accounts and victim accounts tell us that the local crowd was offended by the yellow-and-red Kannada flag waved on the pilgrims’ vehicle.
Abuse turned from verbal to physical. The attackers demanded the immediate removal of the flag and physically assaulted the pilgrims when they resisted. This is the latest incident in a series of harassment reported targeting Karnataka-registered vehicles in neighboring states before peak pilgrimage time.
Kannada Activists Need to Get Going
Frustrated by systematic attacks on ‘sons of the soil’, a number of Kannada leaders and activists have launched a formal protest. They hope to call an emergency meeting with Karnataka's Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara to come forward with the memorandum.
Their demands in the most salient:
- Interstate Coordination: The Karnataka state will need to make a quick communication with the Tamil Nadu state for pilgrims heading across their frontiers.
- Legal Response: Identifying and detaining the people behind the recent assault.
- Symbol Protection: Ensuring that pilgrims can have the right to celebrate their cultural symbols (Kannada flag) without fear of being crushed.
Escalating Concerns About Pilgrim Safety
The pilgrimage to Sabarimala is a divine tradition of the millions in Karnataka. But multiple incidents of discrimination and mismanagement in the Kerala and Tamil Nadu border have brought the state closer to the news as the weeks have seen reports of violence and mismanagement in recent weeks. Only weeks ago, hundreds of Karnataka pilgrims had protested near Erumely, and stated that their vehicles were being blocked for hours because their vehicles were not being allowed access while those passing through from other states were seen to be allowed to cross freely.
“But this is no way for those in spiritual pursuits to be bullied over regional flags. We are one, and every citizen deserves the right to travel safe,” said one representative of a top pro-Kannada outfit.
Advisory for Pilgrims
“To resolve the issue via the diplomatic channels of the two state governments, activists have advised pilgrims to stay on guard and travel in teams. The Home Minister’s office, too, has said it is handling the matter seriously, and is seeking a report from the Tamil Nadu police.”
