National vice-president of Society for Communal Harmony K. Vijay Rao, former A.P. Minister V. Sobhanadreeswara Rao and CPI(M) leader Ch. Baburao at a press conference in Vijayawada on Friday.
| Photo Credit: G.N. RAO
The Andhra Pradesh chapter of Society for Communal Harmony is organising “United for Harmony”, a national-level meeting on communal harmony at P. B. Siddhartha College of Arts and Science, Mogulrajpuram in Vijayawada on April 13.
Rajya Sabha member and Chairman of the Minority wing of the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) Imran Pratapgarhi will be the chief guest, while public interest lawyer in the Supreme Court and recipient of Ramon Magsaysay Award Prashant Bhushan, will grace the event.
In the run-up to the Sunday’s meeting, Mr. Prashant Bhushan will participate in an interactive session with students of Siddhartha Law College at Kanuru on the topic “Electoral Reforms for Strengthening Participative Democracy in India” at 11.30 a.m. At 3 p.m., he will participate in a get-together with the Bezawada Bar Association members and discuss “Constitution under Assault and Rule of Law”, followed by an interactive session with young lawyers on “Bench and Bar Relationship”.
“Andhra has a long history of communal harmony. People here are known to have lived a peaceful co-existence, which seems to be facing threats today,” said national vice-president of the society K. Vijay Rao.
Addressing at a press conference here on Friday, he spoke about how societies engaged in both cultural absorption and co-existence in the past and diverse groups maintained their distinct identities, while integrating and showing respect for each other’s traditions. Stating that communal harmony was the need of the hour, he urged people from all walks of life to participate in the event and strengthen communal harmony.
Former Minister Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao pointed to the instances of communal violence and tensions “that are eroding this harmony.” He said secular values should be protected in order to allow peace to prevail.
He slammed the BJP government at the Centre for “resorting to communal polarisation for political gains. He said such vicious designs were highly condemnable. Referring to the Waqf Amendment Bill, he alleged that it was the BJP’s ploy to capture properties belonging to the Muslim minorities in the country.
Senior CPI(M) leader Ch. Baburao said the country was in dire need of harmony. “Of late, Andhra Pradesh has been witnessing communal and religious disturbances that pose a grave threat to the unity among people,” he said, calling upon leaders from all parties to sink differences and become part of the initiative to usher in harmony again.
Representatives of various parties and organisations were present at the press conference.
Published – April 11, 2025 10:29 pm IST
