The Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee celebrated Deepavali with communal harmony at the party office in Mallikatte, Mangaluru. The celebration was held to spread a message of unity and social togetherness.
Leaders and workers representing diverse religious backgrounds came together to light traditional lamps, delivering a message of social togetherness in the coastal district.
Organised under Padmaraj Poojary
The celebration was organised under the leadership of District Congress President Padmaraj R. Poojary, with large participation from senior party leaders, office-bearers and women representatives.
Addressing the gathering, Poojary said celebrating festivals inclusively is a fitting response to divisive political forces attempting to polarise society. He said the objective was to uphold the heritage of peace, harmony and brotherhood in Dakshina Kannada by bringing all communities together.
Those present
Prominent figures present included Legislative Council Members Dr Manjunath Bhandary and Ivan D'Souza, former minister B. Ramanath Rai, and chairpersons of various boards and corporations.
The gathering lit lamps together, with leaders from different communities taking part in the same celebration at the party office.
Dakshina Kannada has a long tradition of communities celebrating festivals together, and the Congress said the event was meant to keep that spirit alive at a time of political polarisation.
For now, the party says the message from Mallikatte is simple: festivals belong to everyone, and celebrating them together is itself an answer to those who seek to divide.
