The meeting was attended among other by noted marthi theatrescript writer, GP Deshpande, note Hindi writer and Prasar Bhartati board member Rajendra Yadav, noted dancer and theatre personality Maya Rao, Ram Rehman, Mala Hasmi, Citu leader Tapan Sen, Suraj Bhan Bhardwaj among others.

Samudya was represented by Venkatesh secretary of the organisation. He in his speech pointed out that Samudya had launched a campaign exposing the dangers of communalism and need for communal harmony and was conducting state-wide jathas from April 19 to may 1 .During these jatha we were performing a play called Kesari, bili, hasiru(saffron , white, green) and selling books. These jathas were well received and had evoked a tremendous response everywhere.

On 1st May the jatha team comprising of activists of the Banglore unit of Samudaya reached Anekal, about 30 km from Banglore on the national highway to Chennai .Earlier, that day the local textile workers had hoisted the red flag to celebrate may Day. This was pulled down by the management and there was some tension in the town. The team members were not certain that they should perform at the bus stand as scheduled. It was therefore decided that the performance venue should be shifted.Gundanna had already approached the local police to inform them about the change in venue. He was accompanied by one of the organizers , Meenaskhi Sundaram were stopped by the local BJP councilor B. Nagraj and some of his accomplices.

These goons then beat up Sundaram mercilessly , Gubdanna ran to the police station to get help. He was also stopped by a man who asked hi if he was ‘ leader of the drama troupe". When Gundanna replied in the affirmative, the man started beating him up. The attacker was soon joined by two more people armed with razors and knives. Gundanna was being cornored by these men. He ran for his life towards the van where the other members of the troupe were present. Just as samudya members rushed to rescue Gundanna, the number of attackers increased to 15-20 and they were attacking with razors, knives, brickbats and lathis. Many Samudaya members were injured. One Samudaya member had a fractured should and many others sustained knife and razor injuries. Gundanna was hit with a lathi on his head and ran into a nearby building which happened to be a nursing home. All this happened barely a 300 yards away from the police station. Two policemen just stood by and watched. From the information we have subsequently gather,Venkatesh said from the area, it is clear that this was a carefully planned attack and that wanted to finish off the troupe members. There is certainly no doubt that the attack was mounted with murderous intentions.

This is not an isolated incident. When Samudya was performing the Play Mahachaitra, the troupe was attached by these very same communal- fascist forces. More recently ,on 24 April ,another jatha performing in Dharwar district was attacked by members of the VHP,who manhandled CR Bhat, state vice president of Samudya and destroyed the books on display.It is evident that the process of crushing all dissent by unleashing terror has begun in big way in Karnataka.If we do not stop the communal -fascist forces, the attacks in the coming days will be much more severe and dangerous.

He said that Samudya is not the only one to have faced such attacks.We are all aware of the long list of individuals ,organiszations and works of art which have in the recent past borne the brunt of the Sangh parivars fascist fury. These attacks are not directeed only at artists and intellectuals , They are aimed at very root of all the democratic rights of the people, including the right of working people to struggle for a better world.This latest attack is only another instance of this tendency.

He said that the artitis, painters, intelleucals of karnata has decided to march to Ankela on April 10, where Samudya will reenact the play . Among those who had agreed to participate in the march is noted personalities, Girish Karnad.