Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The "Traditional" Shiv Ram Sena Theory


Imagine a group of people pushing you and thrashing you; it's the worst experience you can survive. The psychic trauma associated with you can last a very disturbingly long time. Some goons did just the thing. A bunch of around 40 self-styled stumblebums entered a pub and lounge bar named Amnesia (Read: not a temple) and thrashed the young crowd there. Mangalore and the rest of India got a shock on the eve of India's 60th Republic day and my friends in America "WTF'ed" when I told them about it. The supposedly founder of this dejected Bajarang Dal organization, the Ram Sena founder, P Muthalik very innocently remarked when questioned about this atrocity, "This incident is just a small thing, its not abnormal. Even if our sisters had done this, we would have acted like this only," The media channel somehow appeared before the goons landed up in the pub and very dedicatedly shot the whole episode without informing the police. I wonder if the cameraman would have done the same if his Sister was very roughly pushed around in front of him. I also wonder if the goons had called up home and checked if their Mothers and Sisters were home and not enjoying a quiet Saturday afternoon in the coolness of the pub with their friends, relatives or colleagues.

I dare these "Talibans," traditionalists, culture-protectors to go to Mumbai and take the ride to Kamathipura where under the pretense of friends, hotel room bookies, and gentlemen, expert navigators will guide you, around the clock to a world of flesh trade where many of their Sisters dreams have been shattered and kismet plays mayhem with many a females life everyday.

The Shiv Ram Sena claimed that these women were against tradition and that these were Hindu girls and that it was not right for them. Now what is right according to "our" tradition? What did they not like in the pub which was not traditional, their modern dresses? Or the lazy Saturday drink?

What does the "traditional" Ram Sena prefer, the traditional Sari, the single six yards piece of cloth, which trust me, most girls are wary of wearing the first time because it shows almost all parts of the upper body which they have never revealed? Or the Choli with a tightly fitted blouse that ends just below the bust which when first introduced was only a front covering with the back bare? Or the churidar which is tight fitting at the hips, thighs and ankles and needs no imagination of the torso or the Lehanga, the skirt tied around the waist and thus leaving the back and midriff bare with only a flimsy "dupatta" to cover the assets?

Are they not aware that custom of abstinence (from alcohol) is a relatively recent culture? The extensive diverse fermentation and distillation of alcoholic beverages produced from fruits, grains and flowers were from time memorial part and parcel of the Indian culture and were a routine in every house hold. Have they not read the lyrical descriptions of ritual fiesta drinking by both sexes in secular literature? Haven't they heard that the abkari (excise) policies of the British colonial government, barring manufacture of alcoholic beverages at homes and transferring authority to colonial licensed distilleries, led to the revolutionary replacement of traditional alcoholic drink in households by factory made beverages? Have they not heard that the nationalist movement against the British rule resulted into mass movements against alcohol toasting as a symbol of colonial oppression?

Shame on you! I label you a terrorist who I define as someone who does not want to live and let live. Shame on you!

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

How I wish those responsible would read this. But how much of it would get into their heads??!!!

Anonymous said...

Great post.

It is not that they are innocent custodians of culture,they just want to create a scene and have national level publicity,which they hae acheived.this will help them to recriut more pople as association with such 'prestigious' organizatons will bring them fame..

Such kind of things happen when election is nearing... **sigh**

Biju Mathews said...

Hello Shail,

Hope the Indian legal system could introduce "gender change" operations on men who coerce violations on women based on their gender. It would be a wonderful start :-) Thanks for coming by!

Biju Mathews said...

Hello Nimmy,

Thank you for coming back again. You are right, everyone wants power these days. Aargh! I hope they and their parent goons just win their own votes and I really hope they can never contest since they now have legal problems...

Anonymous said...

I don't mean this as a quid pro quo at all, but this was superbly laid out. I really enjoyed this article. Hope to keep interacting!

Anonymous said...

True.. and I echo with you on what you said about their wives & female family members.

Btw, thanks for dropping by my blog!

Indian Home Maker said...

"Even if our sisters had done this, we would have acted like this only,"

So these Talibani Sri Ram Sena also openly condone honor crimes.

If these men are not given exemplary punishment, be prepared for similar attacks in other cities too.

And yes they are terrorists- much worse than terrorists because they even find support in the country they attack, and might just fight elections.

Anonymous said...

Very well written!

There are so many posts on this but I wonder if it will bear any result.

These goons will be out soon and find another place to harass women.

Anonymous said...

These people act just for publicity and out of some misconceptions... it will indeed take a long time to bring in any change.... but at least we can hope for it...

Well written and quite apropos!!!!

Biju Mathews said...

@Rambodoc: Thank you. Your comment is an inspiration. Drop by again..

@Ms Taggart: Thank you for coming by. Your comments are important.

@Indian Home Maker: I shudder at the thought of something similiar happening in Kochi, Kerala from where I live. I believe Keralaites has a "live and let live" policy. Please come again to my blog

@Solilo: Thank you so much for the compliment. Appreciate it!

Biju Mathews said...

@Euphonical: Thanks for commenting. Yeah, we hope the chnage is on the way...

VinodN said...

Great work dude.

How far this blog wud help in eradicating this kind of menace is yet to be seen. Don't take this as discouraging coz we indians are part of a society which has been taught to bear pain and sufferings and to let time erase those wounds. So one more of those political gimmicks has been played out to the larger audience who as usual wud raise a lot of hue and cry and wud finally forget it and the culprits behind this wud go scot free. So having said all this, lets do what we can do the best, i.e forget it and in the next elections vote for these same people. (not to offend anybody!!!)

Biju Mathews said...

@VinodN: Thank you for visiting and your eye opening comment. Alas, your words ring true. Politics is the scourge worldwide. We are merely puppets dancing to an "intellectual" body who define life for us. Please come by again..

Vishesh said...

you have highlighted a few points which other bloggers haven't :) true they should try and act on the flesh trade first...

Biju Mathews said...

Exactly Vijesh! Thank you for visiting :-)

Anonymous said...

I heard about that pub incident yesterday and for a second, I thought it was a made-up story. I could not believe that people had the senses to do that in this century. How ridiculous! These sort of people, I think, are more dangerous that terrorist. They have support from the government and self-connect themselves to hundreds of years of culture, which in itself is fundamentally wrong. I hope everything will find positive change soon.
Well-written article.
And thanks for stopping by my blog1!

Biju Mathews said...

@ariyathe: Thank you for passing by and commenting. I too believe that there would be a change too...

broca's area said...

am against pub thing but also strongly protest abt the incident....guess everything done was for some political mileage and publicity....!!

broca's area said...

blogrolling u!!:)

Biju Mathews said...

@brocasarea: True! We are nearing the stupid elections. Thank you for coming by and adding me to your blog roll :-)

Anonymous said...

couldnt have said better!

Anonymous said...

I feel that press was already present because it was intended to. The goons would be known nationwide with one such act, but having press there already serves their purpose. Ram Sena knew exactly what they were doing. There were doing it for benefit of press. Now they have successfully launched themselves, arrived. What better day than on 26Jan. Ensured to get more coverage.

And this is not firstime one has questioned a camerman's zeal to record things instead of providing ahelping hand. :(

Biju Mathews said...

@Roop: Thanks and welcome to my blog

@Poonam: The worst part is that the Ram Sena have become so famous that media went to him, thrust their microphone close to his sordid mouth as if to collect pearls and flashed the news worldwide that "Ram Sena" does not like Valentine day celeberations and they are going to distrupt and disarray the celebrations. Aargh!!

Ab said...

GO and fight the ram sena instead of writing blog articles. oops i forgot its not ur job .You must be busy making money managing your share portfolio and family. Sing live and let live. SOrry not for us who faced Ram sena .. head on .. We wont beg live and let live ..in front of animals .

valtrex said...

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Anonymous said...

Hello Exactly as you say.

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