Clarify Evil Forces Supporting Baliga Family – Prof Nayak

Clarify Evil Forces Supporting Baliga Family – Prof Nayak

Mangaluru: Prof Narendra Nayak held a press meet at Vinayak Baliga’s house premises, Kodialguttu here on May 13.

Addressing the mediapersons Narendra Nayak said, “The GSBs are a hard working intelligent, enterprising community. Having been subject to innumerable migrations and displacements, the most recent one being four centuries ago from Goa they have learnt to adapt to surroundings and thrive under even hostile conditions. Though I am not a religious or even practicing GSB my parents were born in that community”.

The GSB community in Mangaluru had been split upon a number of issues, disputes between the followers of Swamijis of Kashi math, the controversy about the renovation of the Venakatramana temple and such. I have never bothered about those except a few times one of them being the pollution of the tank at the temple colony three decades back which was purely on environmental damage. I have been very critical about some of the attitudes of the community.

But the recent brutal murder of Vinayak Baliga on the 21 of March 2016 brought me into the picture as there were many needles of suspicion pointing at some of the community being behind the murder and the professional killers being appointed by them. This was confirmed when the prime accused Naresh Shenoy, head of an organization called as Yuva brigade absconded. A look out notice and a nonbailable warrant has been issued against him and some others. As stated by the police commissioner of Mangalore city, he is to be interrogated along with the others to find out who are the others behind the crime.

Till recently only some of us belonging to various secular, progressive organizations and some activists including RTI activists have been following up the issue and have had various agitations as a signal to the various political parties and vested interests that the Baliga family has support from us.

No GSB organization, Hitarakshana vedike, Bhajana mandali or any GSB ‘community leaders’ came to the help of the Baliga family. Since he was the sole breadwinner his aged parents and unmarried sisters have no one to provide for them they are neither in a position to fend for themselves or to seek justice for his murder. Perhaps that must have been realized by the masterminds behind this murder. None of you bothered to visit the commissioner of police or Baliga’s house or issue a statement to the press asking for speedy investigations into this matter and the quick arrest of the culprits.

But, the moment newspapers published a report about one Vishwanath Bhat a top functionary of the Kashi math got arrested you swung into action lodged protests, called meetings and acted as if the heavens have collapsed. The mistake was that this person had been summoned for questioning by the police and not arrested.

No one has cast aspersions on the GSB community as a whole. Just because the main accused is a GSB does not mean that the community was attacked and it is a fact that Vishwanath Bhat is an employee of the Kashi math and he has been questioned by the police. An FIR has been registered at the Urwa police station no.043/2016 against one Shashank Shenoy who has made threats against me and has claimed that he is a devotee of Kashi math. I have not made any mention of the math in my complaint. You have also made a statement that the GSB community has full faith in Venkataramana and will pray for justice which he alone can deliver. If that was the case you could have done the same about the issue of news items in the media. There was no need to complain to the police and issue press notes. Perhaps that hint must be only applicable to the Baliga murder issue!

Those who went on a delegation to the police commissioner have acted as if they are the only ones bothered about the welfare of the community! They are trustees of the temple and devotees of the Kashi math. As everyone know the GSB community has affiliations to three of them Kaivalya and Gokarn math being the other two. Even those who are the trustees of the Venkatarmana temple at Car street, Mangalore are elected to be the caretakers of the temple.

The Bhajana mandalis and so-called Hitarakshana vedikes are unregistered bodies. The trustees of the temple have even claimed that uttering a word about the temple affairs would amount to contempt of court! Well late Vinayaka Baliga had filed cases against the perceived irregularities in the administration and utilization of funds of the temple, he had also challenged the transfer of a large parcel of land belonging to the temple to Kashi math, he had also demanded transparency in the day-to-day administration and financial affairs of the temple and had also proposed a scheme for that.

One has to wonder why any mention of these would amount to contempt of court! Perhaps making such threats would shut the mouths of those who would like to question the administration. I am also told by the family members of Vinayak Baliga who were present at the meeting held on the 9th of May at Konchadi that his murder was blamed to divine retribution for having committed the sin of questioning the temple administration! I was also told that a few ‘Evil forces’ (dushta shaktis) were being blamed for bringing disrepute to the temple administration and the Kashi math. Let me remind you that a murder of a GSB whose mastermind accused no 1 who is a GSB appears to be revenge for questioning the affairs of a temple in a court of law is enough and more to ‘enhance’ the reputation of a community. It does not need any others to do that. As for your claims of religious sentiments being hurt – hope they were not hurt when a devotee was murdered in cold blood on the way to the temple by hired killers on the orders of the accused no 1 who is a GSB himself and is now at large evading the long arms of the law. I also fail to understand that as how investigations into a crime by the authorities in charge of law and order can amount to ‘defaming’ a community or a math or temple.

We are also told that one of the Tantris of the temple has given a clean chit to the accounts maintained. If that is the case we have to wonder as to why the court has appointed a chartered accountant for a re-audit of the accounts! Perhaps that statement of one who is connected to the temple which is a party to the suit could amount to contempt of court which you have been threatening people with!

Let me once again remind you that India is not a theocratic or a religious state like Pakistan or Saudi Arabia where religious preachers and institutions are a law unto themselves. In India, all citizens are equal and subject to laws of the land. None can claim immunity to them. I have been already threatened with dire consequences for daring to question the self-appointed leaders of the community. I will continue to do so regardless of such because Baliga deserves justice. His family has told me to inform the GSB community and its so-called leaders that they are in no need of your charity and they are capable of taking care of themselves. They need justice and if you people stand for justice for the GSB community help them for that. He was murdered on the 21 March and it is nearly two months now.

I have also come to know that there have been proposals to take to the streets to protest. It would be wonderful to do that. That would bring the issue to the attention of more and more people. I do hope that you would organize a meeting or a protest or hand over some memorandum to the administration for speedy justice for Vinayak Baliga instead of trying to protest the due process of law. If you are truly interested in the welfare of the GSB community you would do that than protest imagined attacks on the community.

Remember that you the so-called leaders of the community are being questioned and that is not an attack on the community. Though, the huge majority of the community are silent as of now the seething resentment against the injustice done to Vinayak Baliga will erupt sooner or later. When the flood hits lots of deadwood will be swept away. All your efforts to ‘protect’ the interests of the community against the attacks are self-proclaimed grievances.

I have almost never involved myself in the affairs of the community so far. But, when there is a murder and people try to support the accused than the victim it would be a crime to remain silent. In my four decades of public life, I have taken up many issues and fought many battles. I should say this is the first time that I have had to take on the so-called leaders of the GSB community. I would welcome any of you to a debate at a public place or a TV channel to discuss these issues. None of the GSB Hitarakshan Vedike members were willing to participate when invited to panel discussions in which I was there. GSB Hitarakshan Vedike members have been on TV channels with people of your own group supporting each other and trying hard to convince the gullible viewers. Please note that these one-sided so-called panel discussions have been flops and people have seen through your designs. I want justice for Vinayak Baliga and whoever that may be behind the crime face trial for the dastardly crime that has been committed.

Speaking to the mediapersons Vinayak Baliga’s sister Usha said that at the Kashi Math branch in Konchadi Temple, a meeting was held by the GSB Hitarakshana Vedike on May 9. Konchadi Ratnakar Kamath, Kota Sridhar Kamath, NarayanShenoy from Bengaluru, Kundapur Radhakrishna Shenoy, Narasimha Acharya from Venkataramana Temple, Maroor Padmanabh Pai, Kasturi Sadashiv Pai and Advocate Satish Bhat were present on the dais.

During the meeting, a one minute silence was observed for the departed soul of Vinayak Baliga. Ratnakar Kamath speaking on the occasion said that Vinayak Baliga’s family should get justice. Ratnakar also said that if the Baliga family members are present here they should not listen to the ‘evil forces’ trying to spoil the name of Kashi Math.

Usha further said that Pandit Narasimha Acharya said that there is no connection to the murder of Vinayaka Baliga and Temple administration. There is no misappropriation of the Temple funds and all the accounts clear. He was the secretary when the Temple was renovated.

My brother was killed on March 21, but the members of GSB Hitarakshana Vedike did not come to console us or meet our family members. We have lost our only brother. When our brother was killed where was the GSB Hitarakshana Vedike? Was my brother not from the GSB community? she questioned.

Further speaking, she said that social activists from various communities came forward to help us, we did not go to anyone but they showed real concern towards us because our brother worked for the betterment of the society. He was fighting against corruption. She also stressed that the GSB Hitarakshana Vedike which now claims that we are being supported by the evil forces, we would like to know who the evil forces are?

Shweta Pai, Santhosh Bajal, Advocate Vasudev Rao, Devadas, Raghu Yekkar and others were also present.

Related news:

• Anticipatory Bail – Naresh Shenoy Knocks at High Court’s Door
• Prof Nayak Seeks Justice in Baliga Murder case
• Baliga Murder – Naresh Shenoy’s Close Associate
• Police Raid House of Vedavyas in Mannagudda in Baliga Murder Case
  
• Baliga Murder, DSO Holds Padayatra to Arrest Naresh Shenoy
• Anticipatory Bail for Naresh Shenoy in Baliga Murder Case Rejected
• Baliga Murder – Police to File Objection to Naresh Shenoy’s Bail
• ‘Politicians are Dumb and Mangalureans are Deaf’ – Dr Narendra Nayak
• Baliga Murder Case – Accused Shiva Arrested?
• BJP Leaders Involved in the Murder of Vinayak Baliga – Mithun Rai
• Baliga Murder Accused Sent to Three-day Police Custody
• ‘Lookout Notice Issued against Yuva Brigade’s Naresh Shenoy’ – Police
• ‘BJP Directly Involved in Murder of Vinayak Baliga’ – Ramanath Rai
• Has Murder Suspect Fled to Dubai? Baliga Family Expresses Fears
• CPI(M) Demands Thorough Probe into Vinayak Baliga Murder Case
• Vinayak Baliga’s Work Gains Momentum at National Level
• Nikhil Shenoy in City on Fact-finding Mission in Baliga Murder Case
• Baliga Murder – Police Raid House of Naresh Shenoy of Yuva Brigade
• Police Look out for Shiva and Shrikant Wanted in Baliga Murder Case
• Activists Demand Special Investigation Team in Baliga Murder Case
• Baliga Murder – Fingers Pointed at Yuva Brigade Leader
• An Open Letter to Fellow-Mangalureans on Vinayak Baliga’s Murder
• Vinayak Baliga Murder – Two Suspects Arrested
• Murder of Vinayak Baliga, RTI Activist who Fought for Justice
• RTI Activist Vinayak Baliga Hacked to Death at Kodialbai