Hooliganism, not moral policing

The violent attack on a group of weekend revellers in a Mangalore pub by Sri Ram Sena activists is yet another scar on the face of our nation.

Ritesh K Srivastava

The violent attack on a group of weekend revellers in a Mangalore pub by the activists of Sri Ram Sena on January 24 is yet another scar on the face of our nation, which co-incidentally boasts of being the world’s largest democracy. The Mangalore pub assault case also undermines claims that India is a shining example to all the dictatorial regimes across the world where peoples’ will is not crushed with an iron fist and the citizens are allowed to live freely and peacefully. What was more dastardly was the way that the so-called ‘Moral Police’ singled out the female clients in the pub and dealt with them in the same manner as the white coloniser would have done with a marginalised slave, inflicting physical pain and mental torture on the victim. Undermining Free India The shameful act not only casts bad light on the nation, it also brings the issue of moral policing to the fore once again. The issue has also kick-started a fierce debate over the legitimacy of such acts in the name of protecting societal values, religious sentiments and cultural heritage. The horrifying visual of Sri Ram Sena activists dragging women visitors out of the pub, beating them and distorting their honour and self respect, have compelled us to think how much longer can we tolerate these barbaric acts. The most debated question in the aftermath of the incident is whether we need ‘police’ to protect ourselves and enforce law and order or hooligans alias the self-styled protectors of our cultural legacy who dictate to us about what to do and what not to? The point is, first of all, who has given them the right to take law into their hands, get involved in such hideous acts and degrade people’s self respect and dignity just in the name of protecting our culture. The Mangalore pub attack incident, which was condemned by every section of our society in the strongest terms, is for sure an “act of hooliganism” that reminds one of the Taliban militia, which has made the lives of Afghan women deplorable through its decrees. What happened in Mangalore is nothing new; rather, it’s just another in the chain of events which shocked us earlier. It seems that it has become a fashion these days to target innocent people or sometimes celebrities to dictate a carefully crafted agenda to gain political mileage or for cheap publicity. Incidents like Mangalore pub assaults are actually an offshoot of an ideology which works for a vested interest. The peoples’ outcry against such acts, criticism of their agenda all help these elements to succeed in spreading their message and reign of terror. According to sociologists, in most of the cases the motive is to get maximum attention even if it comes by exploiting the sentiments of a common man. Chequered Past Can any one forget how our ace tennis star and youth icon Sania Mirza was targeted for her dressing, which supposedly brought Islam into bad light? Just recently, some right-wing activists went on a rampage when a student of Fine Arts at MS University in Vadodara exhibited his erotic art paintings. The poor student was lodged in jail and serious charges relating to obscenity were slapped against him at the instance of a powerful BJP leader and no one came to his aid. All those who created a fuss over the exhibition, failed to realize that by vandalizing the event, filing a PIL or arresting the artist, they were also not doing any good to the society. The attackers in this case acted with malicious intentions, were politically motivated and had nothing to do with their culture or religion. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s (MNS) violent campaign against North Indians and Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan and his family is a reflection of the darker side of Indian politics, which has given a long rope to such elements to flex their muscles at will. Remember, how Bollywood’s ‘bad guy’ Salman Khan was dragged into a controversy and a fatwa (religious decree) was issued against his name when it was known that he celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi. Popular actress Shilpa Shetty was condemned for the incident where Hollywood superstar Richard Gere kissed her in the glare of media. One can easily recall how legendary painter MF Hussain had to leave India because some Hindu radicals objected to his paintings of Indian Goddesses depicted in the nude. Here, no one denies that the painter’s work offended the sentiments of the majority Hindu community, which took it as an attempt to undermine their religion. MF Hussian had to apologise for his works, but he also insisted that he was a true son of ‘Mother India’ and he never intended to offend anyone’s sentiment. Every year on St Valentine’s Day, security around popular public places is tightened fearing the wrath of Shiv Sainiks and Bajrang Dal workers against those blamed for the Westernisation of the Indian culture. The Hindu, Muslim fundamentalists, who wreck shops selling Saint Valentine’s Day cards spreading the message of love or issue a fatwa (unmindful of the consequences of their act) whenever ‘Islam’ is in danger, have nothing to do with the daily life problems of common man. There is no denying the fact that we need to protect and preserve our diverse cultural legacy, which we have inherited from our forefathers for generations. There should be restrictions on things like copulating on the beaches or public places, extreme public display of one’s affectionate feelings, indecent obscene acts, passing lewd remarks or gestures against someone and roaming freely in the nude. But these issues should come under the purview of law of the land and dealt by law-enforcing bodies not by goons. As responsible and mature citizens of India, it is our duty to set high standards of public life through our own examples. We should not commit any activity which offends caste or religious sentiments of any particular community, incites hatred, and brings disgrace to society or the nation. Much hue and cry has been raised over obscenity and violence in films and television, and on the easy availability of pornographic material in the local market, but has it stopped anyone from picking or buying anything that arouses his interest? We should be our own ‘moral police’ to check our actions. But where we need to draw the line should be our prerogative alone and not be dictated by a group of people, a religious body or a political party. On the other hand, why have these groups not issued a fatwa against a tainted/ corrupt minister; why don’t they act against the rapists, murders or burglars; why have they failed to act against the political parties, forums, bodies inciting communal disharmony; why haven’t they blown a whistle against an irresponsible government? It is an irony that these Hindu radicals have not uttered a single word on Kamasutra or Khajuraho paintings, which depict sexual intercourse. We now need to understand that this concept of moral policing is a cancer that is usurping from us our fundamental rights. It is slowly ruining and distorting the cultural fabric of our society. The Indian media should also play a role in ensuring deterrence to such attacks by highlighting our disdain for them and ensuing proper legal follow up of such action with proper punishments. It is quite convenient to watch the proceedings on a TV in the comforts of your home and pity the plight of the victims of such incidents; the lesson that must be learnt is that if we don’t take a strong stance to silence the growing hisses of the serpents of self-proclaimed morality brigade, we would ourselves become their victims sooner than later.