Mangalore Today

7/29/2019 Mangalore Today

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MANGALORE TODAY - FEBRUARY 2013


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THEY CRY FOUL OVER THEHindutva terror remarks, but fallsilent 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

MORAL POLICINGJanuary 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 atAttavar 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 ofteninflamed,

G PARAMESHWAR

KPCC President

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. Hiscomplaint 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 andgroups 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

CCCCCOOOOOVERVERVERVERVERSTSTSTSTSTORORORORORYYYYY

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out. As the region has in the past few

years seen a spate of vigilante attacks

the Congress leaders do not fail to pla

up these emotional issues. "Today, girl

and boys cannot even go to movie

together. Schools and colleges hav

stopped excursion tours of their student

for fear of the Bhajrangdal and Shri Ram

Sene, they point out.

Moral policing took another ugly turn

recently when the Hindu right wing group

practically dictated terms to the Pejawa

seer as they did not want him to release

book on Quran. That it is a different matte

that the seer finally decided agains

There are better ways to

dissuade youngsters fromtaking to drugs. The groupsthat use force to correct

the youth need to beeducated about culture and

the way to deal withyounger generation,

VIDYA DINKER

Social Activist

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 daughterand 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 inMangalore 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.

Incidents of Intolerance

attending the function fearing his attendin

the function may build up tension.

There is no denying that the history o

moral policing in Mangalore began soo

after the first ever BJP government of th

South came to power in Karnataka. A

goes the saying power corrupts people an

in this case it has corrupted some younminds beyond repair.The result-the stat

has been a witness to a staggering ove

158 moral policing incidents.

Ironically, the Union Home Ministe

Susheel Kumar Shindhes remarks o

Hindu terrorism had sparked outrageou

protests by BJP all over the nation an

also in Mangalore where the party leader

virtually lashed out at the minister an

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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 self-

explanatory. 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 17year 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 notyield 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 anti-

drugs 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.

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 pressureMany 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

Although the assault on ahomestay on July 28 lastyear did not yield drugs,the organisation believed

that drugs were available inparties such as that where

DJs were present. It isthrough such parties that

girls and boys get hookedto drugs

SATYAJIT SURATKAL

Hindu Jagarana Vedike


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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 drugaddicts, conducting workshop on de-

addiction 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 lipservice. 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

There is least of doubts that the way thingsare happening in the circle of today's

youngsters is disturbing. May it be thebirthday party in a secluded location or therampant 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 thehealth of the society as a whole. All said and done, thereis a mechanism in place to handle issues. None have givenany social right for a band of people to take issues intheir hands and pose as `social reformers'. Lets take theenforcement agencies like the police to task if they arenot doing their duty. People got to get more pro-active

and wake up.S NANDAGOPAL, Joint Convener, Aam Aadmi Party, DK Ad-Hoc Committe

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 anyideology, 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 brigad

sometimes add fuel to fire.

Moral policing cannot and should no

be an answer to any problem. Taking law

into hands would only promot

lawlessness in society.The groups woul

have to soften their self-serving objective

to embrace the concept of achieving th

greater good for people particularlwomen, feels a renowned social activis

of the region.

Veteran writer Saara Aboobakker, ha

a solution for moral policing when she say

From countering moral policing t

standing up against the culture o

Talibanisation, the ideals and actions o

Rani Abbakka can serve as an inspiratio

to the women in the district.

Women here are not opposing mora

policing, she says and adds There is

dire need here to learn pride and braveryand the desire to fight for women

rights.

Lastly, it might be intolerance alon

that can put a full stop to these acts o

intolerance. A zero tolerance approac

may be the perfect answer to mora

policing. But, will Mangalore take this ca

for Zero Tolerance? Will it say no t

moral policing?

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