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Mysore: Noted theatre personality and writer Girish Karnad on Saturday alleged Hindutva forces of receiving hard currency from NRIs and using those funds for spreading communal hatred in the country.

Addressing a public meeting organised to mark the conclusion of a month long campaign, "Dwesh bittu desha kattu" (shun hatred and build the nation) here, Karnad came down heavily on Hindutva forces led by VHP and Bajrang Dal.

"I want to know from where the funds for organising conclaves like Virat Hindu Samavesh at Bangalore on such large scale come from" he asked adding that fundamentalist forces are misleading NRIs by using funds given by them to some good cause for wrong purpose .

Tracing the origin of Hinduism and Hidutva forces, Karnad said no scripture or text written by an Indian contains the word Hinduism or Hindutva.

It is only a word started being used by Sawarkar imbibing the religious concept and principle of Israelis.

"We do not want to follow Swarakar's Hinduism", he said adding people should realise the machinations of people like Togadia and Singhal who are leading VHP.

Blaming the political parties for the present situation, Karnad said political parties irrespective of their ideologies and philosophies have failed to tackle these social problems and leaders in them are bankrupt of social ideas which do good for the people.

Speaking on the occasion retired high court Judge Sadashiv said that Sikh riots in New Delhi and carnage of Muslims in Gujarat are the blots on the India 's secular credentials.

Many progressive writers spoke on the occasion which was followed by a street play directed by noted theatre artist and former director of Rangayana Basawalingaiah. (Times News Network, Jan 10, 2004)