Why is the Media giving so much weight to what really are young hooligans taking out their frustrations on vulnerable people. They are doing it simply because they can, taking safety in numbers. Acts of cowardice really. But one of the so called ‘vulnerable people’ will turn out not to be vulnerable, and some one is going to killed if this does not stop. And then the riots will really start. There are too many other things in India that need attention. Like hunger. Like unemployment. Like terrorism.
The Media must stop giving these people lofty names. This is not the talibanization of India, this is the hooliganization of India>
Indeed true!
No Shekhar, Hooliganism cannot define the racial and political intention behind these organisations. Hooliganism will only show them as young guys breaking college chairs…..
There real activities are much worse, gross and indeed talibanisation of India. Look at what the Thakrey’s have done. Is that hooliganism or regional ugly politics. What SRS is doing in Mangalore is also political motivated agenda.
Muthalik claiming that he has suicide squads is indeed terrorism not hooliganism.
Just wait and see how these so called hooligans convert into racial criminals in riots…. this is how things started in germany…
I too agree with you Sir as i feel none of us who do celebrate some occasion of happiness should be debarred from it,neither does the constitution gives anyone that right and i believe people are matured enough of what they are doing or they do.. that’s a pretty poor portrait of our rich culture and of course showing off the whole world a highly mean and conservative minded sick society.
it’s the ugly side of the culture wars … and they have them the world over. but yes, they don’t deserve to be dignified with names like “moral” or “police” when they stoop to such tactics.
I agree with Shekhar, this is simply hooliganism…and deliberate use of term Talibanistion by media is making situation worst and shows how ‘naive’ and ‘unprofessional’ they are. Ram Sena simply are hooligans and so are the ‘provocators’ who ignited this unnecessary fire. Why are these people’vulnerable people’ Shekhar ? They knew the risk…my information from Banglore contacts tell me another story – local did complained many a time about the misuse of the premises not licensed for ‘Pub’ and there was a claim from locals that ‘illegal’ activities were going on unabatted in this premises…Do you think Ram Sean did what they did without the support of the locals? And please impress me on this…how come the Media was already present and shooting live when the whole ‘tamasha’ took place…Did they play any part in setting all this up…only few days prior to V-day just for sensationalisation? Some answer needs to be found…
God bless
Sir,
I believe it’s only the TRP that matters now.
Hooliganism or Terrorism?
And then Blame the police for soft actions.
Does Media wants to run the country like a PROXY government, OR is this electronic ACTIVISM..!!
If you don’t have HEROES create them…?
Vinod Agarwal – LOST IN TRANSLATION!!
Was one Rama-lingam not enough?
Shekhar, the sincerity with which you speak should be heard in Pariament.Let this Blog become a movement,Give it a face.
There is some very responsible media and I plead to them that they should come out very strongly against people who disturb national harmony.
No not hooliganism. It is opportunism. That is scarier.
Navinji,
You do make pertinent points about the nexus of the media and the Shri Ram Sena. Though I still do not understand that if a pub is unlicensed and is creating a nuisance in a neighbourhood why you would beat up only girls in that pub? The legitimate route is to complain about it and if the authorities do not listen and if you simply cannot do without beating up someone then beat up the pub-owner or manager who in someway are responsible for the activities. Why beat up some hapless person (a woman, a member of the physically weaker sex)?
Also, could you explain your sentence
“Why are these people’vulnerable people’ Shekhar ? They knew the risk…”
I am a little confused, who are these people you allude to who knew the risk?
Regards
Advani/Modi’s Hindutva will destroy eclectic Hinduism period.
RSS & its criminal-goons (gangs) will not rest until they turn India into a rubble, just like Afghanistan.
That is going to be India’s destiny… a genocide in which millions of weak people (muslims /women / christians / weaker sections) will be decimated. Ethnic cleansing has alwasy been a very successful war-weapon.
Dear Nandini:
“They Knew the Risk”? If the mangalore incident was a shame then women like you who justify incidents such as this as “Risk” is even more shameful. Today its the pub. Tomorrow it shall be women going to work. Later it would be women wearing anything other than a sari.
What would make you stop and realize this is not about women but this is about freedom of expression? Perhaps when someone tries to unclothe you on public because you wore a sleeveless shirt or a t-shirt or a gown which is not “indian culture” you would understand.
I think the biggest looser in this whole debate is the legitimate right wing (BJP/RSS)…These 2 organizations are accused as if they are the one who carried out attacks on girls…People just love to paint the whole right wing with one brush…I think in a democracy we have to distinguish between a legitimate right wing and the one who are simple goons..There is a tremendous support for the right wing in India for the right wing politics (rise of BJP)…and they have raised very justified issues many times…like Uniform civil code etc..Iranian revolution happened because no body could properly lead the legitimate right wing anger of the people ..In India if so many people find any justified cause in the right wing politics we have to listen to them and try not to mix a peaceful and legitimate right wing with a bunch of disgusting people…RSS clearly stood against Sri ram sene and asked for ban on them…but some people find it fashionable to blame RSS or BJP for everything in such cases…I think …we need more objective debate…which recognizes the real culprits..
Dilip Muralidaran: I said no such thing. Please be careful. That was not my post, but a post by Navin Joshi.
Dear Rituji,
Rituji, with due respect, you are simply ‘assuming’ what I said. In truth, what I was aiming for was to grasp at how did Media get so well placed for shooting at good angle from the beginning of the action…were they there before the beginning of the action? Did someone called them while the action was on? or did they know in advance what was to happen to these unfortunate young women – and if this was so why did they not involve the police to stop such an event taking place?….Rituji that is all I was trying to get at….I never said there was a nexus between the Ram Sena & the media…And be honest…does not these question have some validity?
I am totally against any violence so I cannot say what would have been better – ‘beat up the pub owner or the manager’….
About the ‘risk’ issue…if you had read my post carefully you would understand what I meant. I was given the information from Bangalore contact that this was not a ‘Pub’ but a ‘Lodge’ and these youngsters forced themselves to drink and that locals had complained about the illegality of going ons in the premises many times earlier but to no avail….my comment of ‘risk’ was based on this info…nothing else…today I spoke with another family friend @ Bangalore and she said that they have heard some ‘rumours’ floating around in the locality to this effect but have no firm base to the story…so my comment based on info I have had and, had no malicious intentions…If it turns out that this story has no base than I am willing tender my apology in advance….
As Shekhar has said Ram Sena are hooligans…I totally agree…and if ‘Lodge’ not ‘Pub’ story has any truth than the provocateurs should also be put in fire line (not condoning violence)…lets have a balance…
So all those who have begun to raise bar…’next time women not in sari will be @ risk and so and so forth’ has no validity and is meaning less…and people like Dilip Murlidaran are off mark…let us have a balance…Ram Sena could not have had a voice if they had no local support…unless a balance is kept and the ‘cultural’ change is brought @ an acceptable rate…acceptable to the society…likes of Ram Sena could be replaced by even more potent ‘sena’. Dig the history…every revolution was brought on by the ‘HAVE NOTS’, the deprived and the oppressed…Am I hearing some one shouting “ there is no issue between ‘HAVE’s’ and HAVE NOT’s’ here”…look at a little closer …all social changes …good or bad…had the ‘disparity issue’ at the centre of all changes…that may even be between a glass of beer & a sip of drinking water …or between burger/pizza and pau vada….the two evil cousins – Religion and Politics will always be the beneficiaries in this tug of war…’Moral Police’ are only the foot soldiers…not the masters…
God bless
Thank you for your clarification Navinji. It is obvious that our wave-lengths are very different and in that light your clarifications prove very useful.
As far as rumours about it being a ‘lodge’ and not a pub are concerned. I would prefer to take it with a pinch of salt, unless proven otherwise. There have been no reports in the media of the place having any kind of illegal activities. It is always very easy to justify your actions why spreading such rumours.
I agree with you however, that there is an implicit class-struggle in the whole episode and the manifestation of the moral brigade as such. There is definitely the angle of the haves and have nots and needs a more mature look into the situation instead of knee-jerk reactions. Yet, we cannot encourage people asserting their opinions through violence.
Another Kiran in NYC said :
“No not hooliganism. It is opportunism. That is scarier.”
Spot on!
Dear Rituji,
“As far as rumours about it being a ‘lodge’ and not a pub are concerned. I would prefer to take it with a pinch of salt, unless proven otherwise. There have been no reports in the media of the place having any kind of illegal activities.”
I totally agree with you…but would also in the same breath query the ‘sincerity’ of the Indian Media…Do they not normally show what ‘suits’ them ? I would like to have my doubt reserved with a pinch of salt …and again I repeat…Ram Sena should be punished for their dispecable role in the event…and also repeat…that those who wish to run India on their terms –
‘Westernised’ or ‘Desi Brigade’…both are culprits of Indian masses…India can very much accomodate everyone’s view and newly ‘imported’ culture…whcih it has done for centuries but what it is incappable of doing is to sprint with the ‘new’ culture…Let it walk now and may be it will learn to sprint in coming years…Just give this point athought:
Eight years ago Indian women did not Drink or wear clothes they wear now (includes my two lovely daughters) & over exposed themselves…In less than a decade the change in Urbanite Indians is observed & exploited by the world at large with a gasp…I wonder what the Indian Masses should feel about this…are all Indin parents very happy seeing their children getting ‘Alcohol’ habbit so easily ? I know for sure overwhelming majority do not support this but fear that their children may lag behind in the society they have created…give mute acceptance…
It’s not only Ram Sena that is matter of concern – there is concern of those who indecently resort to ‘vulgur’ exposure of their wealth and ‘newly’ found way of life…
I am no ‘moral’ police nor claim political allegiance to any political opinion…I am simply a father of two lovely daughters…who happen to do well in their careers and have strong ‘links’ to India’s past…and are proud of Indian heritage (I did not say ‘culture’) eventhough they were born in the UK….
Ritu said:
‘Yet, we cannot encourage people asserting their opinions through violence.’
Agree but with a qualification…I would also add…OR TROUGH ‘VULGUR’ EXPOSURE OF WEALTH…
God bless
I find it ironic that men supposedly on the side of women’s rights also have knee-jerk reactions– as evidenced by Dilip’s “women like you are even more shameful” post, with no retraction or apology. Navin being a man deserves a different response for the same post apparently.
What is wrong with this picture?
“There are too many other things in India that need attention. Like hunger. Like unemployment. Like terrorism.”
To do that, the youth need to be sober and focused with their priorities in place. The slow poison of alcohol is not going to help. The youth of today are dancing the nights away inside a swanky club stupefied on alcohol and drugs that cost thousands, while the beggars outside are scrounging for food along with the dogs. Hooliganism you say? The definition can vary.
And of course, the hooliganism you talk of excludes the progressive bunch of Bollywood directors, corporations and such who are ‘abusing’ women on a daily basis by taking advantage of and steering them in one way or the other into promoting lust and materialism in society, and are making all this possible with money from the underworld, while probably cheating on their taxes and engaging in bribery of government officials on a daily basis. Morality is a double-edged sword.
Hi Shekhar, i disagree with you when you say that media should not give them so much weight, and that these people are just young hooligans, this is way too serious than that. They choose their targets cleverly, though to get attention and come into news, but these are attempts at Safronisation of India, if they are tolerated and not dealt with today, they will become the likes of col. Purohit and Modi of tomorrow.
And if Media attention helps serve justice to the girls brutally beaten up in Mangalore, so be it!
@Nandini: My due apologies. The forum labels are confusing.
Towards Brahmastra’s comment:
You are right when you talk about other issues that need attention. But the underlying fact is that there are people who are working in different ways, specially the youth to address these issues. You cannot expect the entire population to have the same inclination to bring about change.
Don’t despair that there are only a few people who try to bring about change, because history shows us that there are just a few, who have. – An old saying.
On the other hand, you cannot dictate other people’s priorities. About the beggars scrounging for food with the dogs – The beggars are there because all they know is to beg. It does not deprive of others who have earned money the hard way or the easy way to stop doing what they want to do just because some lazy man has outstretched his arm asking for money for making a skewed face with fake tears in their eyes. This is from my experience in interacting them and visiting their homes. I can go on and on about it for I was toying the idea of a documentary on the life of a beggar.
Cultures have evolved over a period of time and are supposed to evolve. These enjoyments were prevalent in ancient times, where there were dancing women to enchant Kings and princes and even normal people too. These are present in our scriptures. Our vedas have always evolved and are one of the most advanced texts in world history because of its flexibility to adapt. As some one has said, there is no absolute truth, only relative truth.
A lot of comments on social issues in India tend to allude towards the extremes. When someone talks of pubs/bars it is always about the debauched youth which does not have any sense of their country and beggars are almost always weak and frail. The reason is most of the times we do not want to learn more about an issue. We just want to reaffirm our existing beliefs. Does one of the persons who has commented above say that all people who are in the field of social development – and are doing meaningful work – they are all teetotalers. And those who drink do not have a social consciousness. Such fallacies can only be scoffed at.
I’m glad that shekhar feels it too…our media has become a tool of distortion of information and it’s secular only in Hindu bashing, with front runners like Barkha Dutt, Rajdeep, etc. I only wish that viewers of these channels use there common sense and history know how to come to a positive conclusion. Mangalore incident is still going on because it had Hindus involved. I’m not talking about ethics of journalism but side taking. Truth cannot be forged.
Hi,
wow great article, definitely a lot of great content in here to read!I think today this is the face of democracy.