Youth help keep secular fabric of this village intact

MANGALURU: In a district that's known for being communally sensitive, a social organization in Konaje, about 20 km from here, has taken the lead in maintaining harmony among communities.
Ayyappa devotees of the group visit the local Rifayi Juma Masjid to seek blessings from the Ustaad before starting their pilgrimage to Sabarimala. This has been going on for the past eight years.
Harish Konaje, 37, who started this practice, said it began with a simple puja. "After the puja, we used to distribute lunch among students of a local government school. There is a madrasa also nearby. We thought they (children from there) would not come to the government school to take meals, so why not take food to them. It started like this and before going to Sabarimala that year, we sought blessings from the head of the masjid there," he said.
"We spend about half an hour with the Ustaad. Every year we meet a new religious head and he is naturally curious about our pilgrimage, about Ayyappa Vratham (the set of spiritual exercises to enable a person begin the journey towards becoming a devotee), Mandala Vratham (initiation of a devotees by wearing a tulsi mala or Rudraksha mala), the austerities followed during Mandala Vratham etc,'' he said.
The organization, Saptha Swara Kala Thanda, has around 35 members - all between the ages of 18 and 55 years. They distribute books to students and conduct camps for children.
Abdul Rahiman AK, former president of the Mangala Grameena Yuvaka Sangha and friend of Harish, says the youngsters have ensured that their area was not affected during communal clashes elsewhere in the district.
Harish, a photographer and videographer, says they verify the antecedents of those joining the group. "Elders keep a watch on us and we don't want any adverse comments from them. We are careful about how we behave in public. In case there are any adverse reports we take immediate corrective action,'' he said.
The group meets for an hour at 8pm every Wednesday. "We take stock of the situation of what we did and what has to be done next week. This has been going on for 15 years,'' Harish said.
The group also holds two-hour "Bala Gokula" sessions for students every Sunday, wherein children are taught moral science. "We have contacted 13 teachers, who give discourse on various subjects," he said.
The group jumps into action whenever there is an untoward incident which may lead to communal disturbance. "Ten members from each community get together and discuss the fallout. We are also watchful about others entering our area, particularly during communal disturbances. They are like people who throw garbage into neighbours' compound. We are wary of them. Due to this act of vigilance, our area has been safe. We wish youth in other areas also do this so that minor incidents do not flare up," Harish said.
"Peace meetings should be held regularly not just when communal clashes happen. This way we can prevent from such situations arising in the first place and control them from going worse," he added.