Incredible India: The Indian Taliban - A Group of Barbarians
A few days back, Mangalore, India witnessed an incident which has brought shame and utter disrespect for the so called Indian fundamentalists. Workers of the Shri Ram Sena (Lord Ram's Army) entered a pub and started beating up women who were partying.
According to the Sena, all these activities, when done by women are unethical and against moral grounds of Indian culture. Women must not drink, smoke, dance in public places, and must be dressed in ethnic wear only, is what the Indian Fundamentalists, like the Sena think. When asked about the incident, women from metropolitan cities condemned it as an act of Hooliganism and Terrorism. Should we, the Youth take such acts quietly?
No where in the culture does it specify that women should not be allowed to indulge in such social activities. Director Pooja Bhatt said that the act was akin to what the Taliban or a hardline group from Pakistan would do.
More often than not, attacks on women are backed by so called cultural and religious reasons. Often, the culprits do not realise that the culture or religion does not allow bashing up of women. And if a culture does allow such acts, I condemn it.
These acts are not only acts of Hooliganism backed by lame excuses, but also violate a person's fundamental right to choose. If a certain group, community or an individual has a particular ideology, he/she/they must deliver their message in a non radical, peaceful manner and not through violence.
India has been witness to such criminal acts earlier as well. In 2001, fundamentalists of Bajrang Dal burned down streets, houses, property and killed a number of Muslims in Gujrat in a communal rage. Hindu fundamentalists burned down houses and killed a number of Christians in Kandhamal, forcing them to convert to Hinduism. Forceful conversion in the Kandhamal district had also been done by Evangelical Christian Fundamentalists a few years back. Not only this, there have been a number of incidents of women bashing, communal violence and forceful imposition of power and rules by such groups in the past.
The rise of violent fundamental groups has put forward security questions in the minds of many of us. Political backing of these groups forwards their path towards violence. The question here is that 'Are these groups in any way less than the hardcore elements prevailing in Pakistan and Afghanistan? Will India be subject to similar domestic terrorism?'
A country of cultural and communal diversity, India must not be ruled by these perpetrators of violence and injustice. These groups must be banned without second thoughts. This is certainly not the future what we want to see or want our future generations to witness. We must condemn such acts of hooliganism and terrorism and hold hands to fight back against them.
Row over Mangalore pub incident deepened
NEW DELHI, Jan 29 (APP): The row over pub incident in which girls and boys were beaten up by a group of Sri Rama Sene outside a pub in Mangalore in Karnataka state last Saturday has further deepened as the Hindu outfits have started a campaign against pub culture in India.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and Ashok Gehlot, Rajasthan Chief Minister have joined the campaign by saying they will not allow growth of pub culture in their states, but said people should not take law in their hands.
Yeddyurappa, who has been accused of bowing to RSS pressure, said, "we won't allow this pub culture in Karnataka to grow. But on the other hand, those who take law in their hand will be dealt with very firmly."
Yeddyurappa has also refused to ban Sri Rama Sene whose activists have been arrested for pub incident by saying "he will discuss the issue with the police officers and the cabinet."
Meanwhile, Pramod Muthalik, chief of Rama Sene said BJP government in Karnataka has been formed on the Hindutva plank and asked the party not to sacrifice Hindu organisations for the sake of expediency.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was of the view that there was nothing wrong in boys and girls going out together.
The Human Rights Commission of India, human rights organisations and women rights activists have strongly criticised the Mangalore incident describing it an act of "Hindu Talibnisation."
Click the link below
Update : Mangalore pub attack: Muthalik, 27 supporters get bail
Bangalore, Jan 31 (IANS) Sri Rama Sene president Pramod Muthalik and 27 Sene activists arrested for last week’s attack on women in a Mangalore pub were Saturday released on bail.
A Mangalore court granted them bail with conditions including one that says they should report to the Mangalore North police station once a fortnight.
Prasad Attavar, vice president of the Karnataka Sri Rama Sene, also got bail.
The Sene had claimed ‘credit’ for the Jan 24 attack by about 40 men who slapped, abused, pushed, pulled hair and molested several young women at Amnesia - The Lounge on Balmatta Road in the centre of Mangalore, about 350 km from here.
Muthalik and Attavar did not take part in the attack but had defended it saying the women were ‘violating traditional Indian values’.
Attavar and 26 others were arrested two days after the incident and Muthalik three days back.
Muthalik was also questioned Saturday by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra on his alleged links with a bombing in Malegaon town of that neighbouring state on Sep 29.
Talking to reporters before he was granted bail, Muthalik denied he had links with the key accused in the Malegaon incident. He said he will convey this to the ATS team from Mumbai which arrived in Mangalore Friday.
Attavar told reporters after getting bail that the Sene was happy that its action had brought country-wide publicity. ‘Our popularity will increase because of this and there will be opposition to the growth of pub-culture in all states.’
The attackers have been charged with outraging the modesty of women, assault, criminal conspiracy and unlawful assembly.
Comments