[Reader-list] Cracking down on ‘violations of moral code’ in Dakshina Kannada

[radhikarajen at vsnl.net]

Dear Rohan,  your concern seems quite genuine that the yout in various faith groups are being targetted by moral police, but issue is more complex than one can imagine. rapid developments in the coastal area, the ob opportunities with good education, thanks to christian institutions and life styles of the youth have given rise to socially relaxed approach to "relationships." Unfortunately, the responsibilty to have a decent recent relationship ending in cohabitation or marriage has become mirage, and these relationships when end on sour note, the mushroomed "hospitals" have a big role in abortions in the cases is also to be noted, then girl married off to some distant plae is not uncommon.

   The moral values and ethics, to be inculcated by parents, then teachers and the society is in stark contrast, as youth is more exposed to tv serial culture of live-in and being modern seems to be in thing. The nett result of all this is , one more factor, the economic independence that has come with good job opportunities to the youth, who do not hesitate to use the economic freedom on moral license to be free, thus raising question marks of accepted social standards of life. ?

 Regards.

----- Original Message -----
From: Rohan DSouza <virtuallyme at gmail.com>
Date: Monday, September 8, 2008 12:37 pm
Subject:  [Reader-list] Cracking down on ‘violations of moral code’ in Dakshina Kannada
To: reader-list at sarai.net

> Dear All,
> 
> This particular article on the front page of yesterday's Bangalore 
> editionof the Hindu, caught my attention. This was for various 
> reasons, the main
> one being of complete disgust in the way in which people from 
> differentcommunities are being forced not to interact with each 
> other in the Dakshina
> Kannada district of Karnataka.
> 
> When reading the report carefully, one also notices with some 
> intrigue, two
> of the bed fellows of this moral brigade, ie, the right wing militant
> Bajrang Dal and Social Action Committee, a Christian organisation. 
> While the
> Bajrang Dal is known to specifically target members of the Christian
> community in other parts of India, (the recent attacks in Orissa 
> come to
> mind), in the instances mentioned here there is an actual coming 
> together of
> interests and corresponding action, of these organisations 
> claiming to
> represent the two communities.
> 
> While I subscribe to the fact that the Bajrang Dal and the Social 
> ActionCommittee cannot be seen as sole representatives of Hindu 
> and Christian
> interests, it will still be worth looking at the social situation 
> in this
> region, which could tolerate something like this. The  Mangalorean 
> Christian(Roman Catholic) community have been supporters of the 
> Sangh organisations,
> especially the BJP. This seems to stem from the notion of their 
> Brahmanicalpast (pre-conversion by the Portugese) as well as 
> present, within the
> Christian community set up. Casteist (Hindu & Chrisitian in this case)
> feelings and bonds based on this seem to have superceded 
> differences of
> religion here! Incidentally, similar notions of Brahmanical 
> ancestry and
> superiority can also observed among the Syrian Christian community in
> neighbouring Kerala.
> 
> The coming together of the Hindu and the Chrisitian community, as 
> far as
> aggressively expressing their political, social and moral 
> preferences in
> this region, have ensured members of both communities dont 
> interact with
> Muslims. This seeems to be designed to polarise and communalise 
> the region
> (the Gujarat model, that CM Yediyurappa fawns over, in action?).
> 
> The members (ex?) of the Islamic organisation, Karnataka Forum for 
> Dignity,also seem to be playing along with this polarisation. The 
> result of which
> will probably be a splintered social situation, with the Hindus and
> Christians on one side of the divide and the Muslims on the other. 
> This has
> earlier led to riots in this region and one can surely expect more.
> 
> Taking advantaged of sentiments, emotions, based on actions, 
> reactions and
> counter actions, seems to be the modus operandi of the three 
> organisationsmentioned in the article.
> 
> Being distant as well as close, geographically and genetically, to 
> DakshinaKannada, has made me want to comment on this. However, 
> this may be an
> incomplete reading of the situation. Therefore would welcome comments,
> thoughts on this.
> 
> Regards,
> Rohan
> 
> http://www.hindu.com/2008/09/07/stories/2008090750160100.htm
> 
> *Cracking down on 'violations of moral code' in Dakshina Kannada * 
> SudiptoMondal * In most cases, young men and women have been 
> targeted *  — file
> Photo: K.R. Deepak
> 
> * Watched: Young people such as these have become victims of the 
> vigorouslyenforced 'moral code' in Dakshina Kannada. *
> 
> MANGALORE: Self-appointed vigilante groups are cracking down on those
> "violating the moral code" in Dakshina Kannada district. Records 
> with the
> district police that *The Hindu *had access to show that since the 
> thirdweek of July there have been 10 instances of these groups 
> punishingindividuals whom they perceived as having violated the 
> moral code.
> 
> Hindutva organisations such as the Bajrang Dal, a Christian 
> organisationSocial Action Committee, as well as certain 
> individuals who were formerly
> with the Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD), have been involved in 
> theseincidents.
> 
> In most of the incidents the groups have targeted young men and 
> women from
> different communities who were interacting with each other. In one 
> case, a
> young woman was attacked because she went to the house of a young 
> woman from
> a different community.
> 
> The Bajrang Dal has claimed responsibility for seven of these 
> incidents. *,
> *The district head of the organisation, Sudarshan Moodabidri, 
> claimed that
> the outfit had "solved" over 200 cases in the last two months 
> where Hindus
> were "caught" committing the "immoral" act of interacting with 
> members of
> other communities.
> 
> Mr. Moodabidri said, "Sometimes it becomes necessary to use force. 
> Fear of
> such action should deter such misadventures. Girls reform 
> themselves once
> they are thrashed and humiliated in public, but boys are tougher to
> control."
> 
> The Social Action Committee carried out a "joint operation" with 
> Bajrang Dal
> activists in the city in one instance. "We will carry out more such
> strikes," its president Deepak D'Mello told *The Hindu*.
> 
> Former activists of the KFD have been linked to two such cases. The
> organisation's president Abdul Aziz said that the acts were 
> committed by
> delinquent members and distanced KFD from the issue. He confirmed 
> that the
> organisation was against inter-community relationships but was 
> averse to
> using force.
> 
> The latest incident occurred on September 2 at Vittla in Bantwal 
> taluk where
> activists of the Bajrang Dal assaulted a couple, Roopashree and Vikhar
> Ahmed, and paraded them in public. The same afternoon, over 60 km 
> away in
> Puttur taluk, Bajrang Dal activists stormed the house of Ayesha as her
> friend Divya was visiting her.
> 
> On September 1, Sugandhi and her three friends, Raghav, Anil and 
> Rasheed,were assaulted by Bajrang Dal activists when they were at 
> a hotel in the
> heart of Mangalore city. On August 24, Deepa and her fiancé Abdul 
> Waheedwere dragged out of a bus at a junction in the city and 
> assaulted by Bajrang
> Dal activists.
> 
> On the afternoon of August 23, Bajrang Dal activists assaulted and 
> abusedclassmates Julia, Robert, Waheed, Abdul and Sunil because 
> they were found
> laughing and talking loudly in a public place.
> 
> On August 22, activists of the Bajrang Dal and the Social Action 
> Committeecarried out the "joint operation" against Mohammed and 
> his classmate
> Catherine. On August 18, activists claiming to be from the KFD 
> assaultedDinesh and his friend Afshan at a remote village 25 km 
> from the city. They
> were assaulted because Dinesh had brought medicines for Afshan who was
> suffering from malaria.
> 
> On August 8, activists of the Bajrang Dal assaulted Syed, Zulfikar 
> and Ameen
> with soda bottles and hooks in a bus in the heart of the city 
> because they
> had carried school bags belonging to a group of Hindu girls.
> 
> On July 27, activists claiming to be from the KFD attacked Govind, an
> autorickshaw driver at a village over 25 km from Mangalore because 
> he often
> ferried his neighbours Uzma and Shaheen in his auto. On July 16, 
> Rehman was
> heard talking and laughing loudly at a public place with his two 
> friends Uma
> and Bhavya. They were assaulted and abused by Bajrang Dal activists.
> 
> Superintendent of Police N. Sateesh Kumar said, "This is a social 
> issue.Resistance to such divisive forces should come from within 
> the community. In
> cases where there have been assaults we have taken the necessary 
> action."
> (Names of the victims have been changed to protect their identity)
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