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Hindutva in Full Bloom: Sri Ram Sena
goes to pub, after women
WSN Bureau
 MANGALORE: Activists of Ram Sena, a front organisation of the
larger right-wing Hindutva BJP-RSS, molested, chased, assaulted and
beat up some 40 young girls on Saturday evening in the BJP-ruled
Karnataka state even as TV news cameras rolled. Later, when th
entire assault by Sri Ram Sena activists unfolded on prime time
national TV in India, Ram Sena chief and other activists defended
their action saying they were protecting "Indian culture" and women
drinking in pubs or bars was an "indecent" activity.
The fanatical Hindu-Taliban style group told women that worse
will happen if they were seen in pubs again. As middle class India
exploded in anger and TV channels ran hours of coverage with
citizens seething with anger at such moral policing acts, the
Hindutva party's state government fidgeted for 48 hours before
arresting a couple of dozen activists, many of whom were bailed out
within minutes.
 The BJP was quick to say it had no relation with Sri Ram Sena,
and Sri Ram Sena (Lord Ram's Army) spokespersons accused the women
of ``involving themselves in immoral activities, including consuming
alcohol, dressing indecently, and mixing with youths of other
faith''.
But closeness of Sri Ram Sena to the ruling BJP is well
known. The Sena was also responsible for the attack on the
Bangalore home of
Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi's daughter Selvi during the
Cauvery protests in September 2007.
On Tuesday, after countrywide rage and incessant media
coverage, police arrested Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik,
vice-president Prasad Attavar and some others even as the BJP and
RSS tried distnace themselves from the goonda-style activists.
Muthalik, however, exposed the links when he told reporters in
Belgaum
before his arrest that “the Congress is trying to politicise the
situation to give the BJP a bad name.”
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As middle class
India seethed
in rage on TV, Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik addressed a
meeting of Brahmins in Pune a day after the incident that was
attended by Swami Ramdev and three Shankaracharyas.
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Reality, however, is even more stark. Day after the mangalore
attack, Muthalik addressed the Bahubhashik Brahmin Mahaadhiveshan
(multi-lingual Brahmin meet) in Pune that was attended, among
others, by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Swami Ramdev, BJP's
Suresh Prabhu and three Shankaracharyas. Muthalik spoke on why
Brahmins should not marry outside the community fold.
Now, all those who shared the stage with Muthalik are running
for cover with one or the other excuse about not knowing his real
background. Muthalik earlier spoke to an Indian TV channel, CNN-IBN,
on Monday afternoon and justified the attack, saying his men were
doing their duty and were on a campaign against obscenity.
India's Minister
for Women and Child Welfare Renuka Chaudhary called the incident "Talibanisation
of India" and said the "civil society has to react."
Displays of intolerance and violent attacks by hoodlums
inspired by extreme ideologies in India are almost becoming a
phenomenon, largely because of Hindutva lobby's efforts for the last
few years to paint the picture of one ‘Indian culture’ of monolithic
variety that clearly does not exclude beating up of women in public.
But the malaise is too deep rooted for
India to focus on
just one incident. When political parties find a way to rise to
power by demolishing centuries-old mosques and propagating and
perpetuating a culture of hatred and demonisation of minorities, the
path is lit up for the younger generation to take the road for the
depraved that also branches out towards shocking display of sexist
savagery.
The real issue is not whether Indian civil society will allow
such criminals freely roam the streets, but whether a party and an
ideology being pushed in the name of Indian monolithic culture and
the glories of the same Lord Rama will be allowed to grow and
nourish in a matrix of hatred and anti-minorityism.
So far, Indian establishment answer is yes. So be prepared to
see more obscurantist violence, self-styled moral vigilantism and a
polity based on issues like raising a temple to the glory of Lord
Rama instead of speaking out for those who do not get two square
meals a day and have no hope of doing so for many many years ahead.
28 January 2009
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