Udupi: Harsh Mander, renowned social worker , writer and the current director of Centre for Equity Studies formally inaugurated the annual core communication fest – Article 19, here on Thursday.

He lit the candles in memory of the many deceased journalists  who were victims of intolerance in the past years. On the occasion while addressing the students he said that they should be aware and make a difference to the social misgivings in their communities.

He added, “Nearly 50,000 children sleep on Delhi streets every night, yet, all of us have become comfortably indifferent to the disadvantaged section. What he refers to as the “exile of poor from our consciousness.” Pointing to this alarming trend he said that it indicated our ability to normalize everything.

Expressing another problem he spoke about “unempirical, uninformed prejudice about Muslims that have seeped into even drawing room conversations.”

“We lost the father of our nation (Mahatma Gandhi) and two of our Prime Ministers to terrorist attacks, and none of it was committed by an Islamic  outfit or individual,” he said, thus we must overcome this prejudice.  

Addressing the youth he also spoke about, “Love Jihad” which has captivated the imagination of the public that Muslim boys lure Hindu girls to fall in love with them, and later convert them.

Bringing the writers into this enmesh of social prejudices and apathy, he commented on the role of a writer. “The most important thing a writer can do is to kindle empathy. As Amartya Sen mentions in his book ‘The Idea of Justice’, it is empathy that always makes people fight against injustice,” he said.

“Writers must speak out against injustice, to affirm possibilities, to affirm hope,” he added. “I urge you to recognize this normalization of inequality so that it can be cured,” he appealed to the students.

Bob Swaim, a French filmmaker, Dr. Nandini Lakshmikantha, director of SOC, Dr. Padmarani, assistant director and Raviraj Kini, faculty coordinator of Article-19 were present.