MANGALORE TODAY - FEBRUARY 2013

MANGALORE TODAY - FEBRUARY 2013

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HEY CRY FOUL OVER THE Hindutva terror remarks, but fall silent when their own men unleash terror among youngsters. When the Hindutva brigade was out in full zest recently in Mangalore to play the self-styled role of custodians of culture, it once again proved that mindsets are difficult to change. The 2008 Amnesia pub attack and the 2012 Morning Mist Homestay attack and the subsequent protests and clamour, have left them undithered. They are still riding high on their previous track records that have earned Mangalore disrepute and a sagging image which is hard to rebuild. Yes, the Hindutva laboratory of the

STOR ORY STORY

MORAL POLICING
January 30: Bhajrangdal raid Roxx Ice Cream Parlour at Attavar and hand over seven youngsters found smoking at the terrace. The moral policemen said they acted on a public complaint. January 31: A pair, both belonging to different communities were attacked by Bhajrangdal activists, when they were found travelling together in a car near Kankanady new road. If the man was a manager at a service center, the girl was an employee there. February 1: Pejawar Mutt senior pontiff Vishwesha Theertha Swamiji was forced to skip the release of the second edition of the Kannada translation of Quran following protests by Bhajrangdal activists. Sangh Parivar, had yielded rich dividends to the saffron party in the past and it hopes to cash in on the issue yet again with another election fast approaching. Whats the ultimate objective of this moral policing in the guise of custodians of culture? Its nothing but an attempt towards religious divide, a divide that may help the BJP, which is losing steam, win elections, says a social activist from the district. When the Roxx Ice Cream Parlour at Attavar was raided on January 30 by the members of Bhajrangdal and Durgavahini on the grounds that immoral activities were underway there, naturally apprehensions resurfaced. Police eventually said all the seven youngsters, four young women and three men, were majors and were only smoking and were not indulged in any wrongdoing. But the

The coastal districts were once known for peace and communal harmony. But in the last four years of BJP rule, they had completely destroyed communal harmony in these districts. Religious passions are often inflamed,

G PARAMESHWAR KPCC President

MANGALORE TODAY - FEBRUARY 2013

argument is that they were smoking the banned marijuana. There was no investigation into this case as none came forward to lodge a complaint and even the cops easily closed the matter. But what happened the very next day was something shocking. The manager of a shop at Pumpwell was brutally beaten up just for deciding to drop a fellow employee in his car. The guy was thrashed on the Kankanady new road right in his car, mainly because he was a Muslim. His complaint has so far not yielded any result and no arrests have also been made. Ironically, both these vigilante attacks, failed to spark protests in the region, except for some sharp comments from Congress leaders who were on a four-day Padayatra in the undivided DK district. The leaders condemned the incidents and promised to put an end to such practices once their party comes to power. G Parameshwar, KPCC President, was sarcastic when he said that the BJP and groups affiliated to it were spreading hatred among students on the basis of religion. The coastal districts were once known for peace and communal harmony. But in the last four years of BJP rule, they had completely destroyed communal harmony in these districts. Religious passions are often inflamed, he points 13

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STOR ORY STORY

Incidents of Intolerance

2008: Sept. 14: Bhajrangdal activists attack several churches and Christian prayer halls in Mangalore and around alleging forcible conversions. 2009: January 24: The Amnesia lounge at Balmatta in Mangalore was attacked by a group of around 40 Sri Rama Sena activists and the three to four young women inside the lounge, thrashed, hit, dragged and virtually chased out. February 6: Suspected Bhajarang Dal activists attack the Manjeshwar CPM MLAs daughter and her friend while the two were returning from Manjeshwar in Kerala to Mangalore by a bus near Pumpwell in Mangalore. February 10: A ninth standard student of Aikala Pompei School along with her school mate who were in friendly terms with a bus conductor of the minority community, were dragged out of the bus by suspected Hindu activists, thrashed and handed over to the police near Moodbidri. February 11: Young Ashwini, the ninth standard student, unable to bear the insult commits suicide by hanging herself in her house. November 3: Clashes break out between Hindu and Muslim students at Uppinangady First Grade Government College. November 19: Hindutva activists attack two Muslim men in Mangalore alleging that they had written love letters to a Hindu girl. 2011: February 1: Around 200 persons led by MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and MLA Mallika Prasad laid siege to the house of the then Puttur ASP Amith Singh for allegedly insulting Bantwal Urban Development Authority Chairman Govinda Prabhu, against whom there were police cases.The police officer was later transferred. February 26: Bhajrang Dal activists thrash a Muslim boy and Hindu girl at a juice shop in Kadaba. June 25: Unidentified miscreants pelt stones at the Holy Hill shrine at Pumpwell. August 13: Bhajrangdal activists raid a resort in Ullal, alleging it was hosting a rave party and attack the youth gathered for a birthday bash. August 22: Some Hindu youth in Sullia who were teasing Muslim girls, thrash Mohammed Riyaz who objected their act. October 23: Unidentified miscreants pelt stones at the chapel near Padua High School in Mangalore and also at the glass cask carrying the statue of St Teresa at the St Teresa School in Mangalore. November 3: The St Alphonsa Church at Kankanady was attacked. December: A 20-member mob attack a prayer hall of the Hebron Assembly at Haleyangady. The attackers alleged that conversions were taking place. 2012: July 28: Hindu Jagarana Vedike activists barge into the Morning Mist Home Stay Attack at Padil and thrash partying youngsters.

out. As the region has in the past few years seen a spate of vigilante attacks, the Congress leaders do not fail to play up these emotional issues. "Today, girls and boys cannot even go to movies together. Schools and colleges have stopped excursion tours of their students for fear of the Bhajrangdal and Shri Ram Sene, they point out. Moral policing took another ugly turn recently when the Hindu right wing groups practically dictated terms to the Pejawar seer as they did not want him to release a book on Quran. That it is a different matter that the seer finally decided against

There are better ways to dissuade youngsters from taking to drugs. The groups that use force to correct the youth need to be educated about culture and the way to deal with younger generation,

VIDYA DINKER Social Activist attending the function fearing his attending the function may build up tension. There is no denying that the history of moral policing in Mangalore began soon after the first ever BJP government of the South came to power in Karnataka. As goes the saying power corrupts people and in this case it has corrupted some young minds beyond repair.The result-the state has been a witness to a staggering over 158 moral policing incidents. Ironically, the Union Home Minister Susheel Kumar Shindhes remarks on Hindu terrorism had sparked outrageous protests by BJP all over the nation and also in Mangalore where the party leaders virtually lashed out at the minister and

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demanded an unconditional apology from him. Mangalore MP Nalin Kumar Kateel even went to the extent of terming the Congress a terrorist party. But, the precarious silence on the part of these leaders when the right wing fringe groups of the RSS, their partys mentor, choose to unleash terror on young minds through their self-styled raids is selfexplanatory. And of course, culture is used as a shield here. The Drugs connection : If immoral activities and the much safeguarded religious aspect has been high on the agenda of the moral brigade, a recent incident, a most unfortunate one, gave a golden opportunity to defend the vigilante attacks. The drug mafia. The case of 17 year old Sneha Upadhyaya of Padavinangady, a victim of substance abuse who ended her life recently, threw the spot light on the fast spreading tentacles of drugs mafia in Mangalore. Alongside, the Hindutva brigades this time came out in the open to justify raids, which they said intended at curbing the drug menace. Says Satyajit Suratkal of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike Although the assault on a homestay on July 28 last year did not yield drugs, the organisation believed that drugs were available in parties such as that where DJs were present. It is through such parties that girls and boys get hooked to drugs, he claims. However, social activist Vidya Dinker has something else to say There are better ways to dissuade youngsters from taking to drugs. The groups that use force to correct the youth need to be educated about culture and the way to deal with younger generation, she says. The Bhajrangdal which was responsible for the recent ice cream parlour raid at Attavar, on the other hand says it was through interaction in parties that girls fall into the trap of drugs. The Sneha suicide case, also kept the police department on its toes. An antidrugs campaign meeting was held, the problem discussed and parents, principals, schools, colleges, police department and the district administration pledged to make determined efforts to root out the drug mafia. A crackdown was also launched on several petty shops, hotels and other establishments following suspicion that they were dealing with drugs, with nothing substantial found. That the persons concerned were tipped off regarding the raids well in advance, cannot be denied by any count. True that such raids and meets are organised every time the issue hots up. Equally true is the fact that within a few days, everything settles down and the drugs trafficking continues hassle-free.

STOR ORY STORY

Not that the police department is silent. Police have been arresting drug peddlers and seizing drugs at frequent intervals. On most occasions, the one who trapped turns out to be some poor youngster who peddles drugs for money, knowing or unknowing the consequences of his act, while the men at the helm of affairs, sit pretty safe. The police department has never tried to go to the root of the problem.Every time a drug peddler is arrested, the case is taken quite casually, least bothering about the drastic consequences of the same. Already there may be several blooming talents, who have fallen prey to this evil called substance abuse and caught

Buckling under pressure

Many wondered if something like this could happen in a city of progressive minded people.Well, this was Moral policing of a different kind. The bid to create a religious divide was glaring when a Hindu outfit, Bhajrangdal said it cannot tolerate to see a Hindu head releasing a book on Quran. What more ? It warned of a severe protest, sat on a dharna and finally was successful in having its way. The book, a Kannada translation of Quran, authored by a well-known journalist and editor-in-chief of Vartha Bharathi was finally released by some other dignitary. the seer later said he feared a law and order problem and chose against attending. But hasnt this incident revealed that Pejawar swami considered a progressive minded seer, had buckled under Bhajrangi pressure? in the vicious circle. If Sneha Upadhyaya may be one case that has come to the fore, there may be many more that have never come to the limelight for fear of family honour. Even in case of Sneha, the stark reality stood exposed only after her death. Soon after the July 2012 Morning Mist attack, there was some hope when Mangalore arose in unison. There was an Arise Mangalore campaign, led by Mangalores well-known educationists, entrepreneurs and social activists. The Campaign led by several intellectuals including N Vinay Hegde, Chancellor of Nitte University, Dr Habeeb Rehman, Chairman of Unity Complex and others, had given a clarion call to tackle vigilante group which was a blot on the civil society, particularly denting the image of the educational hub for ever. The Arise 17

Although the assault on a homestay on July 28 last year did not yield drugs, the organisation believed that drugs were available in parties such as that where DJs were present. It is through such parties that girls and boys get hooked to drugs

SATYAJIT SURATKAL Hindu Jagarana Vedike

MANGALORE TODAY - FEBRUARY 2013

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Mangalore Campaign had kindled hope but sadly could not make much of a difference. The Legislative Assembly Petitions Committee, headed by MLA and Deputy Speaker N Yogish Bhat had in its report submitted in December last year, pointed fingers at the police for failing to contain the increase in use of drugs among students in colleges and schools in Mangalore city. The police have not been able to check the use of drugs being consumed with cigarettes and gutka, the panel said and suspected collusion between the police and the drug peddlers. The committee had also suggested various measures including recruitment of efficient officers to the intelligence wing, rehabilitation of drug addicts, conducting workshop on deaddiction and action against people found with even 10 grams of the illegal substances. But, the recommendations of a report which presented grim facts, were confined to cold storage, revealing the apathy of the administration towards a grave issue. Now, the Sneha suicide case is a wake up call to the society. Already awareness rallies and meetings are being held.But, let that not be restricted merely to lip service. Says Hilda Rayappan, Director of Prajna Counseling Centre, I handle at least two drug abuse cases every week. As per my experience, most of the drug addiction cases occur due to lack of supervision by parents, she observes. But, drug addiction being a delicate

STOR ORY STORY

There is least of doubts that the way things are happening in the circle of today's youngsters is disturbing. May it be the birthday party in a secluded location or the rampant drug menace that is creeping into campuses. Parenting, education system, lavish lifestyles, peer engagements among other reasons lead to youngsters taking a path which is detrimental to the health of the society as a whole. All said and done, there is a mechanism in place to handle issues. None have given any social right for a band of people to take issues in their hands and pose as `social reformers'. Lets take the enforcement agencies like the police to task if they are not doing their duty. People got to get more pro-active and wake up.
S NANDAGOPAL, Joint Convener, Aam Aadmi Party, DK Ad-Hoc Committee issue, can moral policing be an answer to tackle the menace that is deep rooted in the coastal city:? Can coercion or force refrain youngsters from attending DJ parties and take to drugs ? There are some who point out at the other angle of moral policing. More often moral policing makes more business sense rather than having to do anything with any ideology, say some reports. One version goes that the 2009 Amnesia pub attack took place just because the owners turned down the demand for hafta. Moreover, places where members of leaders of these fringe groups provide security cover are largely free of such incidents. Even the turf war among the leaders of the Hindutva brigade sometimes add fuel to fire. Moral policing cannot and should not be an answer to any problem. Taking law into hands would only promote lawlessness in society.The groups would have to soften their self-serving objectives to embrace the concept of achieving the greater good for people particularly women, feels a renowned social activist of the region. Veteran writer Saara Aboobakker, has a solution for moral policing when she says From countering moral policing to standing up against the culture of Talibanisation, the ideals and actions of Rani Abbakka can serve as an inspiration to the women in the district. Women here are not opposing moral policing, she says and adds There is a dire need here to learn pride and bravery, and the desire to fight for womens rights. Lastly, it might be intolerance alone that can put a full stop to these acts of intolerance. A zero tolerance approach may be the perfect answer to moral policing. But, will Mangalore take this call for Zero Tolerance? Will it say no to moral policing?

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