Monday, February 16, 2009

Sri Ram Sene:moral police or a political gimmick?

Every year as the day of love-yes my dear friends valentine's day or v-day as it is more commonly called by youngistaan these days-approaches, some group or the other starts protesting against it by means of rallies, posters,pamphlets,etc. This year it was no different. A group called Sri Ram Sene decided to act as a moral police and thrashed girls and guys in a pub in Mangalore for defiling the Indian culture and if this was not enough they picked up an MLA's daughter and her friend who were travelling together in a bus and interrogated them over their relationship. For v-day the group declared that their modus operandi would be to get any couple married off who are engaged in the outward display of love on Valentine's Day and if a boy and girl are spotted together as siblings, they would be made to exchange a Rakhi.

What i had been pondering over is are they actually trying to act as a moral police or is this just another political gimmick to get publicity and after much thought i have the following questions to ask Mr.Pramod Mutalik:
By beating up women have you not yourselves defiled the hindu culture you say you are trying to save from getting defiled?
By being against display of love and using violence as a means of protest in the times of terrorist attacks what are you trying to portray?Are you not being anti-socials?

Mr. Mutalik, i think instead of trying to protect the culture you should first yourself know what the culture is about. Its about spreading love, not trying to curb it. Its about respecting and protecting women,not beating them up in the name of moral policing. In my eyes all your events clearly portray just one thing you are here for cheap publicity, a clear political gimmick to garner votes. But the India of today does not think like you. Though you might say that you have received support from various sections of the society, the fact is that is a minority when compared to the vast majority who are against your thinking. Do not be happy that people were restrained in their activities on v-day because the fact is they were just afraid of their safety. You may have won the war but you will never win the battle because violence is never an option as George Bush must have realised by now. People's anger against you will someday erupt like lava and your Sri Ram Sene will become just another anti-social group voicing opinions in some corner of the lanes.

8 comments:

  1. an angle...
    1. valentines day? isnt that as much a gimmick as sri ram sene? do you seriously need a designated lovers day?

    2. agreed that beating up women and couples is completely unjustified, but what about the essence of their message? lets face it, our society is getting increasingly westernized, a bit too much for its own good... i mean, isnt our whole perception of 'modernism' defined by very westernized notions? why is only what somebody does in new york or anywhere in that direction does our parameter of modernism? our clothes are already westernized, our language is almost there... our hobbies...why blame anybody else? i listen mostly to english songs, watch largely english movies, read an english newspaper... hindi is only a link between me and the family...

    sri ram sene probably provides the worst answer to the situation, but their anxiety feels slightly justified... instead of creating a brouhaha about the modern woman, cant we focus on the definition of a modern woman? id say its one who can freely choose what she wants to do... and not be under due pressure to do whatever others are doing in the name of modern or traditional... and our culture is ours. nobody else is going to preserve it for us...

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  2. well said bro.. but the question to be asked is that is the ram sene actually doin this to preserve the culture?
    pickin up the MLA's daughter -was that also to preserve the culture?
    v-day is a gimmick ..agreed...but is there anything grossly wrong in the motive of the day?

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  3. sri ram sene... its pretty much like the rest... next we'll see of it will be in the state polls...
    but its a battle of hypocrites... sri ram sens is the politically motivated culture preserver, but we? we are the modernists, as defined by websters?
    the argument can go on and on...

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  4. well i know it is a never ending discussion where it is very difficult to decide about the right path...but the aim of my post was to bring to the fore that the ram sene is a political gimmick which i believe it is and not a moral police as it claims to be...

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  5. v-day is a gimmick but it does remind many of the love they have forgotten amidst the cut-throat competition in this fast-paced world..

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  6. I must say nilesh that celebrating any day is one's choice and trying to curb expression is against the constitution.For a modern or an orthodox woman , it her decision to celebrate.Adoption of western culture is on her, no one can question her decision.So its not moral policing or propaganda.
    Its simply gays fighting for rights!

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  7. well definitely its none of Ram Sene's business to curb expressions on v-day even if it is a gimmick..as far as gays fighting for rights we need to ask Mr.Mutalik what is their motive ;)

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  8. They are Talibans of indian society. That was a joke i made last time!! But these leaders are rightly sent panties either to wear or to lick.
    If certain section of society feel that something is wrong, then redressal issues can be sought. But such derogation of society norms is a crime!

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