We live in times where fact and fiction are no strangers and reality is weird-er than the weirdest dreams ! How else could one explain urban, educated girls from good families being pushed, shoved and abused - for being in a pub with friends and ostensibly chilling out. Or school students and their parents being chased by goons for singing songs in a language the goons did not approve of. That these incidents happened not in some part of unlettered, rural and media dark india, but shockingly in Mangalore and Nasik - cities known for their bustling medical, Engineering and management student fraternity, and for being strong trading and business destinations.
To me, the shame was not just that such incidents happened, because in every society there are and would continue to be people who think and act differently from the mainstream. The greater shame is in the almost grudging response of the government.
Groups such as MNS and the Sriram Sena represent another face of terror, perhaps as lethal as the Al-Qaida or the Lashkar-E-Taiba. There aim may not be to maim or kill innocents. But the philiosphy they espouse and seek to perpetrate is as reprehensible.
I cant bear to think of a time when more of such people would be telling us what kind of restaurants we should visit. Continental or chineese food could invite being dragged by the hair as it is "un-indian"; watching the latest English movie or play could lead one into being slapped on the face 'cause it could be hurting our culture and ethics. And listening to songs other than in the chosen language could lead to us being targeted by violent mobs!!
Coercing people at large into unquestioned acceptance of their faith, their beliefs and sometimes into inane things such as their music, their food and their choice of what represents Indian culture deserves not lip service condemnation but the severest form of corporal punishment.
Why should the penalty applicable to them be any less stringent or unrepentant as for Kasab?
life imprisonment awarded to few such individuals, would greatly diminish the frequency of such incidents. Equally, a half hearted response such as the one we are witnessing now from the government would encourage more such hounds to go on with their half baked ideas and agendas.
Ancient Indian culture and texts are replete with references to liquor consumption amongst ordinary women folk as well as royalty. Lord Ram never ever stood for dragging women by their hair, slapping them cruelly, molesting them or curbing their independence of view and action. The basic tenet that such "culture taliban" seek to defend is infirm and invalid.
If this is what political parties like the BJP and Congress stand for, we must express our contrary opinion and displeasure strongly enough to ensure that politically motivated views, opinions and actions are openly debated, debunked and shamed.
we deserve better.
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