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Nothing Indian about Ram Sene's "Indian culture"
By Kishore Joseph
The Mangalore pub attack by the Sri Ram Sene, says Pramod Muthalik, the national president of Rashtriya Hindu Sena, was motivated by concerns for protecting Indian culture. We need to ask him: Is tearing the dress of women, pushing them and “man-handling” them just because you don’t agree with what they are doing, Indian culture? Is it Indian culture to behave like hooligans and thugs, and assaulting people you don’t agree with? Is it Indian culture to say that the Malegaon episode is only a trailer, and there will be more blasts to come in the future? Is it Indian culture to admire a person who is charged with terrorism, and who openly promotes enmity among people? And finally, is it Indian culture to justify all this, in the name of Lord Ram, who is revered by Indians as the epitome of virtues?
If this is Indian culture, then there sure must be ANOTHER Indian culture that is existing without our knowledge, and perhaps unbeknownst even to Lord Rama.
By all accounts Muthalik has an axe to grind. In the previous assembly elections, he put up his own party’s candidates against the BJP. They bit the dust, and now he is turning desperate. The only way to climb up the political ladder that is available to him is the Hindutva agenda, whatever that is. But far from promoting Hindtuva, he – and people like him – are damaging its cause.
India has been home to all religions, communities, castes, even from ancient times. Because it is predominantly Hindu, all Indians, irrespective of their religion, follow the Hindu culture. This is the Hindutva every Indian knows and has no quarrel with it. But Muthalik’s Hindutva, like his brand of “Indian culture” is alien, unacceptable, illegal, unconstitutional and uncivilized.
We are all proud of the Hindutva, the Indian culture that we have grown up with, and we are all equally aghast at the spurious Hindutva brand of the Muthaliks.
The Rame Sene rants about the western style pub culture that is spoiling our youth. Well, there is the law enforcing authority to take care of that, if the so-called “pub culture” is spawning illegal happenings. If the Ram Sene is so worried about the youths, there are various other causes that are waiting for them to be taken up: The domestic violence against girl servants, minor girls being kidnapped for flesh trade, children being forced into prostitution and drugs trade, child molestation, rape of Indian women (by Indians), dowry deaths, and so on and so forth. They can also launch a crusade against corruption, criminalization of politics, money power in politics, for better roads, power, water, etc.
But of course, all this will not necessarily add to their Hindutva brand equity. All this may not even give them good p.r. Because our media is ever too eager to carry hot, sizzling news – not anything constructive. Ram Sene doing good work is not news. Ram Sene acting like thugs is guaranteed frontpage stuff.
Muthalik says his supporters acted like brothers in the Mangalore pub episode. Well, some brother, this, who lunges at his sisters and gropes for their dress!
Today, Ram Sene is in the news, but we are all the same. Almost every organization which organizes a protest on some issue, behaves in a rowdy, lumpenised way. Most of the volunteers come drunk, and then speak for their culture, community, country, etc.
They talk of terrorism, attacking Pakistan. Fine, but what about the thugs within? Should we not first keep our house clean by taking action against such moral police? Pakistan is not going to run away or vanish, let us first clean our stables. Also, should we not stop quarreling with other States on water sharing, border, language, etc and think of us as Indians first and foremost? Why should it matter if Belgaum goes to Maharashtra or remains with Karnataka? Why should Cauvery regularly set Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on fire? Why don’t we think as one nation and one people? If the Ram Sene guys are really patriotic, they should first make people think of themselves as one. But they are doing exactly the opposite: dividing a people who are already divided. We have so many things to divide us, but are unable to find a single reason to unite.
It is unfortunate that the chief minister Sri BS Yeddyurappa has been playing a cat and mouse game, when confronted with such instances of moral policing. First he promises tough action against the culprits whoever they are, and later, he follows it up with a convoluted defense of their actions. He gives wind to the so-called issues raised by the Muthaliks, leaving us confused. The CM should remember that he does not owe his chair to the Sangh Parivar, his alma mater, he owes it we the people. And his party, the BJP, should not forget that this is the first time they have come to power in the south. If it continues to play soft to the Muthaliks and the Bajrangis, it will soon be the last time they will taste power. Also, recent incidents like the nabbing of its KGF MLA, Sampangi by the Lokayukta on charges of corruption, are only going to make it that much more difficult to retain power.
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