The Mangalorean Taliban

Tuesday, 27 January 2009 18:55 by Sreejay S
At last, we have a meeting of a minds, beyond religion, region, country and borders. The 'keepers of Hindu purity' has taken the path of their counterparts in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pray tell me, how is the 'Sri Ram Sene' different from the Talibani barbarians? I am talking about the Mangalore pub atrocity.

First off, let me make it clear that this post is not about the rights and wrongs of pub culture. It is not about the morality of drinking and partying, whether by girls or by anyone else. My own views have always been conservative.

The issue here is the matter of choice of an individual in this democratic nation we call India.

Don't let us delude ourselves by saying that we can be insulated from the rest of the world in our social standards. If you do not want to party, or drink, so be it. If you want to 'control' your own daughters and sisters, so be it, if you can manage that! No one has the right to interfere or stop anyone else in doing what is essentially a legal act, once that person is old enough to decide for herself (or himself, actually).

Another issue is this concept of 'Hindu morality'. Who are these people who would take into their own hands the responsibility of what is essentially the job of our gods? Hinduism has the concept of 'karma' nd 'phala'. If the 'karma' deserves a particular 'phala', it will be allotted by Fate. Do these keepers of morality assume that they are the keepers of Fate?

To carry these people's philosophy a little futher, they would probably hew to the concepts of Manu, contending that humans should be constricted to classes and castes as per their birth. (Here is a lead to one version of the Manusmriti. Here's another.) Little will it matter to these cultural terrorists that The Bahagavad Gita has laid down a clear path for all sentient beings to find their own way to their individual deliverance, the immortal and beautiful concept of Moksha. Thus, these Hindu Taliban will, in the name of Sri Ram, take us back into the dark ages of casteism and oppression.

If the Afghan Taliban have their own tortured interpretation of the Holy Quran (which is grabbed upon by Hindu extremists too, to whip up hysteria), the Hindu Taliban have found a way to skew holy Hindu texts.

The ultimate aim of either the Taliban, or the so-called Hindu moralists, is the same, to build a culture of oppression where only the select few are allowed to decide on the society's future.

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Comments

January 23. 2009 20:19

benjamin  kumar

Stop supporting the pub culture in the name of freedom. Then we can all remove our clothes drink and dance in the street in the front of our children and young people. Does anybody check the age of people entering this pubs?? This girls or boys can go to a coffee shop or restaurant. Is prostitution legalize in India?Do you know the type of behavior when the mind is fully drunk? Even the prostitutes are justifiable because they are doing it for means of living, not in the name of freedom of mind. We cannot attack any other country to bear the cost of this expensive and irrational behaviors. The toll of free sex is AIDS.So many innocent children are paying the lives

benjamin kumar

January 24. 2009 05:51

Sreejay S

Benjamin,
I am not writing in support of the pub culture. I do not drink and I never party. But, that is a concious decision on my part. That decision should come from within - either the individual or the family. Culture cannot be imposed. It has to be imbibed.

What I write about is the intolerance with which we cannot go forward in modern India.

Sreejay S

January 24. 2009 17:15

Bhavesh Mistry

bunch of goons.

Bhavesh Mistry

January 24. 2009 18:05

skp

Intolerance has to be curbed because it leads to lawlessness and makes people take law into their own hands. Agreed. But at the same time I am deeply concerned about how are we to apply breaks to the growing acceptance of obscenity as a way of life. I think the incident happened because women were indulging in such acts. Not necessarily only because they were drinking. I am not definitely worried about children of some parents. I am certainly worried the future of my children. Do you think it is possible for parents to keep an eye on children 24/7? While I ask this question, I am not in line with the so called "Ram Sena". But who will guarantee me, a very ordinary common man, who is interested in well being of his children to protect them from this kind of menace.

-skp

skp

January 24. 2009 18:17

Shasur

Attack on anyone at anyplace is condemnable. Equally condemnable are author's like Sreejay who write when Some 'Ram' or 'Shiv' is involved in it.

In Hyderabad, you have a fanatic and idiotic party called MIM who have derided free journalism, attacked Taslima Nasreen, an editor of leading newspaper, carry ant-India demonstrations ... never spoken against terrorists. Never have these guys been chided by Media ... on the other hand, they are adored by some News Channels.

We are used to Politicians lying but expect Media to be non-partisan. I think that's our fault!!!

Shasur

January 24. 2009 19:57

Shallabh

Have you read the Manusmriti? Have you read the Geeta?
Which manusmriti? I mean whose translations have you read before commenting?

Is the word caste written in any of these books?

Casteism is a soceital evil don't blame on Sanatana dharma even converted chrishtians and muslims follow it and Casteism exists as races in Europe and america. Kindly be specefic in your blogs.

Do you know the meaning of guna and karma before moksha?
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/.../4003319.cms
Where was NCW when TASLIMA NASREEN WAS ASSAULTED by LOCAL MUSLIMS?
Where was it when Sadvijee was traumaticed by the ATS out of fraud?

Please answer this and stop teaching us about Sanatan dharma.



Shallabh

January 25. 2009 05:33

Sreejay S

Bhavesh, Agreed...

Skp, That is the world of a parent. I suppose the same pains our parents went through before us?

Shasur, I don't understand why you are riled... I thought I was talking about both types of extremists? I can only comment on what transpires now - and I don't think I need a certificate of neutrality to blog.

Shallabh, I have, I have and the Manusmriti in original Sanskrit. I do not blame Manu for casteism, only the 'interpreters'. On the other hand, I only see Smriti as an opinion - not the writ. Just like the extreme Islamicists have reinterpreted the Quran for their own benefit, so do the modern 'Hindutva' proponents do to our scriptures. If you are under the impression that only some can interpret Hindu texts, you are sadly mistaken. I refuse to give up my cultural birthright. And Sadvi? I do not and will not acknowledge any human being as being the middlemen to my the Paramatman. And I will ask you the same question you put me - do YOU understand 'guna' and 'karma'? Try reading the Gita and then ruminate on the Karmayoga a bit more...

Sreejay S

January 25. 2009 20:35

Vikas Patel

Dear Sreejay, how many sisters do you have ? will u not stop u r sister from going to Pub or u will sit quiet and allow her karma to give her appropriate phala?
let me say for the sake of argument, that if you visit a pub or hotel along with your family members and some female are dancing their semi nude, wont you feel bad and embrassesd? wont you feel like thrashing them ? or will you feel that it's karma has brought you along with your family to this place and it's the phala of that karma that is facing you at face !!!
what will you feel about those semi nude dancing girls? may be you will feel that it's in their karma to dance like this and it's you phala to visit such aplace along with you family!!!!

Vikas Patel

January 25. 2009 22:30

Sreejay S

Vikas,
I already answered your question, I think (see my reply to Benjamin). Also, the Gita argument I put in was not about the pub-going - it was basically a rant against these 'moral senas'.

Sreejay S

January 26. 2009 00:58

skp

I think what Sree was trying to opine is that this is a democratic country and certain section of people suddenly can not become law enforcers and moral teachers. Also, there are many ways of registering your protest in our country. The offenders(Ram Sena) should have chosen some other path to seek attention rather than believing in vandalism. Because of their behaviour, one has to seriously question their motive behind these attrocities. I must also confess that these are the times an ordinary citizen gets a feeling of gleeful satisfaction that what one usually gets when bad elements are thrashed by a hero in Indian mainstream movies. He is happy to see someone doing what he always wanted to do but could not do either because he is too preoccupied with his own miseries or he never had the guts to take upon these pleasure seekers.

skp

January 26. 2009 03:23

Anand Bala

Hi Sreejay

Thank you for the piece on the Indian Taliban.
Comments indicate that not everybody is accepting the reality of their existence.

Here is my two cents on what you wrote -

It happened in Mangalore. It happened in a Pub. It happened on the Electronic Media. THEREFORE it merits to be "news". It reminds me in someway of the media's reaction during the Taj and Oberoi attacks. It affects - the english speaking urban middle class and upper middle class Indian. This is why it is an issue worth reams of airtime and column space. The attack needs to be condemned and we need to move to the root of the issue. - Oppression. The incident needs a post-mortem. My worry is we are applying the wrong lens.

Most Indian women will never taste a dink in their lives because they do not have the "right". Let us be honest - Opression is a problem in India and we need to deal with it. The Ram Sena is a minuscule part of this problem.

The Taliban element in India has been alive and well for a long time. We do not see it, we do not hear it, we do not talk about it - because it never reaches the mainstream.

Thanks once again

Anand Bala

Anand Bala

January 26. 2009 05:16

Sreejay S

skp, Anand,

Thank you both. I need not add anything more, I hope. Wish more people would, like you, take a moment to think coolly before going off at the short end!



Sreejay S

January 26. 2009 06:49

benjamin  kumar

The reason Mr. Sreejay every individual will not have the privilege or the smartness which you have. Every mind is not strong or determined as yours. What would you answer to a three and one year old who are ignored because their mom and dad got into alcohol and dancing in the pubs and this kids are left to themselves? What would you say to a ten year old who is all alone in the evening when his irresponsible parents are drunk and dance in pub. I met a kid from a well to do family who sneaked behind his parents and told me uncle only after seeing you i realized people can do without alcohol. The poor kid had no company and all the rest were drunk.What would you say to a kid whose parent got separated when one of them finds out his partner like to dance with some one else?That is the reason we live in a society . Society has its norms.This were there for a reason . You can try to reinvent a wheel.

benjamin kumar

January 26. 2009 07:01

benjamin  kumar

Democracy is misinterpreted. Freedom is misinterpreted. Can we be really free??? The cost is enormous. Independence means self dependent and does not mean you can do want you want. You can do what you want. Drink to your hearts content.Smoke cigarettes, do drugs.Dance and shed all your clothes. Have free sex. can also be a homosexual. go to work when you like. But the cost is enormous. If somebody is alive and can lead a normal life at the age of forty after doing all this my salutes to him. I would not recommend to try this because there is a high risk of death with this behavior either due to liver failure, depression, suicide, AIDS, cervical Cancer,syphilis, gonorrhea. Destruction of family unit.

benjamin kumar

January 26. 2009 07:09

benjamin  kumar

We pride in calling Gandhi our father of nation. Now when did gandhi say pub should be opened after independence.Did Gandhi who we all revere say one of my small purpose of fighting for Independence is young men and women should go and drink. The freedom fighters would be repenting for their folly if they realize this. Did we forget the incident when Devegowda's son thrash a hotel after drinking to his heart content in Bangalore?Does the press guard every pub to make sure that a 14 year old not enter the pub. Do responsible journalism.

benjamin kumar

January 26. 2009 09:20

Bharat

Bunch of goons who don't have anything left in them to contribute to the society (like politicians). If these cowards really care about dharma, they can as well take on criminals who are killing & looting people.

Bharat

January 26. 2009 11:36

Sreejay S

Benjamin,
I appreciate and laud your reactions to the societal flaws we see around us. I wholly agree with your concerns. But, I do have a problem with the method for dealing with them.
You recall Gandhi and the freedom fighters of our country. Why can't you correlate that to the methods adopted by those blessed souls?
Are the name of religion and God to be soiled by hooligans with no real concern except for their own sense of power, in the name of a timeless immortal culture that they have no right to represent?
You talk of responsible journalism - what about responsible Humanity? Vigilantism by thugs is not the way to save social values. Think what Gandhiji would do...

Bharat,
True...

Sreejay S

January 26. 2009 12:25

Layman

SreeJay, In this particular case, I think you are clearly in the wrong. Why are you so eager to pigeonhole someone or some group? Lets see now.

Taliban highlights:
1. Terminating female education
2. Restricting women indoors; women need to be covered head-to-foot in outdoors
3. Destruction of ancient Buddhist statues, which posed no danger to them
4. Provide terrorist training camps

In this case:
1. No women were hurt or molested. Apparently, there was no such intent.
2. Indian women wear clothing which exposes a fair amount of skin - there was no protest on that count
3. No cultural artefact was damaged
4. Mild goonda-ism, common to our country, was noted.

I call mild-goondaism, because it was goondaism that got the Jyoti Basu/Marxists to power in West Bengal. It got the DMK to power in TamilNadu. In both these cases, there was plenty of bloodshed - no doubt about that. So whoever was responsible for this, cannot hold a candle to the stalwarts from WBengal.

So, for once, lets tell facts as they are: no dressings, no bells, no whistles. Please.

Layman

January 26. 2009 16:25

Babu

Law is supreme only when majority of people respect it. If not, the law should be changed or face a rebellion. All revolutions in history of the world started with minor incidents. If you say that one has to decide what to do and what not, where are the rules and what do you define the culture as?
Your logic resembles the ruling from a San Francisco judge, who ruled that women can go topless as men and we should not differentiate of gender. If you want to wear the top it is up to you and don't compel others to do so and the city has no right to ban it. So, rather than going that far, better to draw a line and be what we are.

Babu

January 27. 2009 02:12

Iriman

Your are jaundiced. Taliban does not even recognise your dead body.To even compare them with these hooligans who could be bought by any media is to say the least abominable. The questions and answers you seek can be found in the original Hindu 'Hadith' that is the Ramayana and Mahabharatha.

Iriman

January 27. 2009 07:32

manu

To Benjamin and others who think like Benjamin,

Do not support the goondas. There are better ways, legal ways to make change, accept them and work based on them. Doing goodagardi is wrong. These goondas have nothing to do with Hindu culture, they are interested in haftas. So dont glorify them, understand their real intent. Dont get carried away by pseudo religious and nationalist thoughts. Use your brains, common sense.

manu

January 27. 2009 10:01

Sreejay S

Laxman,
Other than the fact that you are splitting hairs, I don't get your point...

Babu,
I again reiterate, I am not talking of Law and definitely not in favour of unrestricted behaviour. As I said to Benjamin, the mode of protest is to be questioned. Also, a group of obviously jingoistic hoods are not representative of the Hinduism I know and believe in.

Iriman,
Look at the name of my blog please. Whatever you may think, it is my opinion and I hold to it. And I still say that the Taliban and their Indian brothers(I will not call them Hindu - it makes my skin crawl when these people claim to be Hindus).

Manu,
Cheers, man...

Sreejay S

January 27. 2009 16:14

Philip P Eaen

Minister Ramadoss said that it is against the Indian ethos for women to go to pubs! Yes, he is right. But there are several things that women are not allowed to do, according to Indian tradition and ethos. Indian culture says that women should not learn to read and write, that they should not work outside their homes, that they are impure during their periods, that they can be beaten by their husbands, that they should always be under the protective cover of a father or husband or son, that they should not express their opinion in the presence of men, that they should not appear in the drawing room when male visitors are present, that they should wear a veil, ... the list goes on.
Which side of history do you belong to, Mr. Ramadoss?

Philip P Eaen

January 27. 2009 16:19

Layman

There are 2 major aspects of the Taliban. One of them is "moral policing". The other is "Suppression of Liberties".
The Indian Press harps only on the "moral policing" aspect. The reality is something different. The acts were committed
by a few misguided youths. The photograph itself shows a few half-starved males in their late teens. THATS IT. Lets
punish them to the same extent, that we punish other youths for similar crimes, in other parts of the country. There is no doubt on this.

What about the "Suppression of Liberties"? The liberty to express an opinion? Especially, browbeating your political opponents and suppressing THEIR liberties? This is true Talibanism - Talibanism at its very best. The Taliban were
barbaric and murderous - but in terms of global genocide, they were relatively smaller in scope. The thing they excelled in was suppressing ANY opinion. Not just female opinions. Any opinion that was even a vague threat to their ideology had to go. Even the threat posed by a mute Buddha statue HAD to be suppressed.

Today, the Indian Press, especially the English Media is not so different. They adopt the same Taliban techniques. There is no analysis, no research of the events. There is no attempt to educate the public. There is only one aim - and that is to silence your opponent. Any event /person is slotted into a existing pigeon-hole. It could be 'caste', 'class warfare', 'caste warfare', 'communal', 'Hindu-Taliban' or even 'POGROM'. None of these is even remotely correct. (Its
also an outright butchery of the English language, but we let that pass, for the time-being).

So, if we are to talk of the Taliban, the Indian Press has to take an honest look in the mirror. That is the face of Taliban.

Layman

January 27. 2009 16:47

Layman

Anand Bala,
You seem to imply that 26/11 happened because of oppression. Eh? Oppression? Oppression by whom? We have the photos of the terrorists. They do not look oppressed. They were wearing 'designer' garments. Garments that are so expensive that the middle class in the West cannot afford it. The terrorist who was caught looks well fed. One of my American friends remarked that he had the build of a body builder. He handled heavy weaponary with ease - most Indian civilian males would have difficulty in carrying this weapon, let alone using it. And you feel that the terrorist was oppressed? For God's sake, by whom?

Layman

January 27. 2009 17:22

Sreejay S

Philip,
I agree...

Layman,
First, apologies for earlier addressing you as Laxman - tired eyes.

Secondly, your two conditions of the Taliban fits the present groups we are discussing to a T. So thanks for that!

Thirdly, even though I will not generalise my reply as you have done about the Indian Press, at least most of it stands for freedom of expression, while those who perpetrate these atrocities, whether Taliban or Sena, are bent on silencing opinion...

Lastly, your comment on English, funnily enough, I agree with you. I have seen a lot of that and still do. If you are implying my use of the language, well - that's a pity.

As for your retort to Anand, I hope he comes back to reply...

Sreejay S

January 28. 2009 02:50

Nathigan

Is this where you would want to meet your mom & sisters.... Too bad you want to compar with taliban.... Shame on you. Be secular and answer this... Is this where you would want to meet your wife, mom & sisters?

Nathigan

January 28. 2009 17:43

Anand Bala

Layman-

Thank you for the response.

You actually sound like Simi Srewal - (which by the way is synonymous with layman). She said something to the effect of all people who live in the slums next to the four seasons fly Paskistani flags. A very layman like remark.

Let us start by defining oppression -
Oppression is the act of using power to empower and/or privilege a group at the expense of disempowering, marginalizing, silencing, and ...

source - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opression

A violent response like terrorism is rooted in oppression.
Gaza I believe is a good example. When countrymen block roads, fuel and food supplies to fellow citizens it can also be called oppression - because you start denying them basics.
I am sure your “American Friends” would disagree.

Using the clothes that the assailants wore as an argument borders on being naive. Using their physical build is even more naive.

Let us start with an example. Hamas are called terrorists. But are the people of Palestine not oppressed? You can not leave Gaza for medical treatment without passing through Isreali check posts.

We have associations of real estate agents and brokers in Gujarat saying that they will not entertain Muslim customers. Is that not a form of oppression? This is just **one** example.

If you have a military presence and police presence in your locality 24x7 and if you are checked every time because your "appear" to fit a certain stereotype would that not be oppression? I have close colleagues who ask me why their bags are always screened and I get to walk through the gates.

Like a true layman you have fallen victim to the electronic media who have jumped on to the MoEA's bandwagon of "let us just go ahead and blame everything on Pakistan and tighten the blinkers."

I agree with you on one point. The assailants were trained and knew what they were doing. Where the disagreement begins is why they were doing it. I believe it is rooted in oppression.

If you follow serious academic work done on the psychology of terrorism - you will realize that terrorists - become terrorists only after constant and continual marginalization and after they have been indirect or direct victims of marginalization. That is undisputed. It is not just research in India that supports this theory even universities that your “american friends” would rave about have accpeted this. There is a body of scientific evidence that says that terrorism is linked to oppression. The terrorists born out of the Iraq and Afghan war are a good example.

I do agree with you on the count that every victim of terrorism is always innocent.

Sreejay -
My apologies for deviating from the core subject of your blog. I was trying to respond.
BTW - The NCW's reaction to the incident I think is even worse than what happened at the Pub. I would have written something about it – but the only thing that comes to my mind is profanity directed at the NCW – which doe not help anybody’s cause.

Thanks
Anand

Anand Bala

January 28. 2009 17:53

Anand Bala

I am going over the pub. Would love to discuss this over a beer sometime with some of you folks!
Anand

Anand Bala

January 28. 2009 22:12

Sreejay S

Nathigan,
Try reading my post and comments again. It is not about my agreeing or disagreeing with what the women did. It is about the method of response. As for my female relatives, as a cultured Indian, we would not bring them into conversation, where it is not required. Look up the word 'culture' in a dictionary.
But you know what , even if the women did do something they enjoyed, and was basically harmless, who the hell gave the right to a man to stop them?

Anand,
You are welcome to comment any way you like, as long as you keep it as decent as possible, unlike some others on this blog. And sorry I did not get to approving your comments earlier. Problem being, I like to take some time off from the PC, sometimes... Smile

Sreejay S

January 28. 2009 23:10

Anand Bala (again,,,,,)

Thanks Sreejay

The time at the pub helped.
No worries about the delay.

Here are my thoughts on the NCW....

(At the outset I would like to confess that I love my beer.)

I support prohibition. 5 families that I know off, all of whom live within shouting distance of my residence, have an alcoholic in their family. One of the families in question is exceptionally dear to me and I would support it (prohibition) because, I believe, it would help them rise from their misery.

The Ram Sena has ensured that prohibition will remain a distant dream by confusing two very different issues. Issue 1 - women should have no rights and Issue 2 - Alcohol causes serious problems (and that has very little to do with gender).

Personally I agree with the latter and take serious exception to the former.

They (Ram Sena) are named after Lord Ram, the god who made his wife walk through fire because he did not trust her fidelity. I do not see them as ever being able to respect women. Oppression of women is probably their primary instinct going by their name. Shoorpanaka in the Ramayana lost her breasts at the hands of the “good guys”. I will not be surprised if the Ram Sena tries to ape this chapter from the Ramayana as well.

It is not what the women at the pub in Mangalore were doing that is questionable. It is what was done to them that deserves attention. How the NCW managed to confuse issues perplexes me. The inference that I make from their stance is that a woman is entitled to protection only if she enters a licensed establishment. By inference, and hypothetically, if a women were traveling in a reserved compartment with an unreserved ticket – she could be raped and it would be okay because she was not licensed to be there. The second inference is that women need to be protected from men in this country and that is acceptable and logical. I am not okay with that!

Well done NCW! for turning the wheel back in time. I applaud you courage in publicly declaring your acceptance and admiration of what the moral brigade has done. But my admiration stops there, for what you have done has and will cost us. How could you be so shallow?

This is election year and the moral brigade and ALL political parties will go to any length to get a hold of the conservative vote bank. What frustrates me is that the conservative vote bank supports violence against women in public places but says nothing about violence against women at home, domestic violence, violent crimes against women and alcohol abuse by men. If they are truly conservative – this should bother them. But obviously they are too busy trying to prove that violence is necessary.

Ram nam satya hai!

Anand

PS – In mythology there was no Ram Sena. There was a vanar sena.
A left wing Hindi poet once said.
In the pages of history, those who build the bridges are remembered as monkeys.

“Senayen ho jaayegi paar, Mare jaeyenge Ravan, Vijayi honge Raam, Aur jo pool banayenge, Itihas mein Bandar kahlayenge”

I have a feeling that the women of the Managalore pub - will end up being called monkeys or something worse. However, I prey that they would have helped us build a bridge across this divide.

Anand Bala (again,,,,,)

January 29. 2009 00:56

Layman

Anand,
I am digressing here.. but bear with me.
Now about Hamas. The Palestinians have a problem. No doubt on that and one can only sympathize with them.

The Palestinians stand:
1. These are Arab lands.
2. Give it back.

The Israelis response is:
1. Not so fast. This is the land that we won in the 1967 war.
2. Prior to 1967, all these lands belonged to different Arab countries. And EVEN THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO CREATE PALESTINE.
3. In effect, Israel is being asked to do today, what the Arabs refused to do yesterday.

Question is:
1. If Israel returns the land to the respective Arab states, will they create Palestine?
What do you think?

Layman

January 29. 2009 01:31

Layman


Anand,
Again, I am digressing - so apologies.

Perhaps the linkage is less than clear-cut. Its like this: Most diabetics have excess sugar. But not all human beings who have excess sugar are diabetics. Also, there are a few cases, where the diabetic is actually low in sugar.

So, drawing a conclusion on the generalization that all sugar-rich people are diabetics, may be less than 100% correct.

Terrorism. Yes, one of the causes of terrorism could be oppression. But in the case of the 9/11 terrorists, were they oppressed? Saudi Arabia makes certain that its citizens are well fed, clothed and housed. Its doubtful, if these guys have ever gone hungry. And when they chose a target, it was the US!

So, perhaps the theory needs to be re-visited??

Layman

January 29. 2009 04:26

Ranjit M

Dear Sreejay,

Thank you so much for your very civilised piece. I am a hindu myself and am utterly ashamed of the intolerant hindu fanatics who have no respect or uderstanding of freedom. I've been to pubs several times in Bengaluru, Kolkata, New delhi, Mumbai and have found nothing vulgar in them at all. Women and men dance, drink enjoy themselves and go home. This happens all over the world. What is wrong with it? The many friends and colleagues I've gone to with pubs have been normal, working people. What are these hindi-filmi ideas that these fanatics have about pubs and secondly if independent, earning adults (men and women) choose to go there then what business is it of theirs.

Secondly if they're interested in only saving and promoting Hindu culture then why don't they do it seriously and give up all aspects of western culture: western clothes, electricity, computers, trains, planes, macadamized roads, factory machines, cricket, footbal, hockey, computers, internet,television allopathic medicine. None of this is a part of hindu culture. It's all come to us from England and the west.

Why don't they use horse carriages, bullock carts use ayurveda when they're sick, study the shastras - the vedas, manusmriti, brahma sutras, mahabharata, ramayana, patanjali's grammar. Why are they using all the tings given to them by western culture which they've done nothing to create like hypocrites?


Ranjit M

January 29. 2009 11:20

Sreejay S

Anand,
Cheers man... ;)

Layman,
Whatever you say, thanks for being civilised about it. I will again leave it to Anand, if he wants to respond.

Ranjit,
Thank you and I agree...

Sreejay S

January 29. 2009 13:50

vikas

I support the views of Benajamin...............

vikas

January 30. 2009 00:03

Anand Bala

Thanks for the response layman. I think we have healthy debate on our hands.

The diabetic’s analogy - I am finding hard to understand in the context of oppression. Maybe another analogy from your side could help me change my position. My position that - we need to look inward and understand why there is so much of "terrorist" violence in this country. I do not think we can come out with a clean slate.

Who funded the terrorists of 9/11? I do not think it was the Saudis. It was AMERICAN funding of insurgency in Afghanistan which went horribly wrong.

Around Palestine. Forget 1967. There are Olive Orchards that are over 2000 years old that contain some of the first mechanical presses ever used for manufacturing oil. The people of Isreal ofcourse have now mowed down all that. The Palestinians who once farmed those lands are now refugees in Gaza or the West Bank.

One has to be an American politician to believe that people of GAZA do not have a case. Hamas is elected by the people of Palestine. The Isreal government cannot decide not to negotiate with them just because they do not like them. This refusal to negotiate and the continuous blockade of Gaza – is what started the rocket launches. (the Isrealis – caused the rocket attacks).

Second - just to understand - before I respond - is this your logic -
Isreal won a war - and got the land - so why return it? I will wait for that answer – I think I misunderstood you.

However, the reason why Arab nations have been cautious about their approach is that they do not want to take any responsibility for Palestine. Why should they? It is the people of Palestine - who want the responsibility.

I do not buy your argument that the narrow strip of Gaza - has claimants other than the Palestinians.

Coming back to 26/11 -
Look at the Bangalore, Jaipur, Delhi, Mumbai Bombs, and all other blasts in the recent past. I think my argument will start to make sense. We need to look internally for the root of the problem. Not at our neighbors. That conspiracy is starting to get a lot holes.

Thanks Layman.

Anand Bala

January 30. 2009 05:00

Layman

Ranjit M,
Perhaps there is a different interpretation of Hinduism. It does not say, "Don't accept things from the West", but rather "Challenge new ideas and accept if satisfactory. Don't accept it under peer pressure or under duress".

Horse carriages are not specific to India or Hindu culture. They were used in the West too. We, as a nation have stopped using them frequently, because there are more convenient ways to travel. This was the exact reason for the use of horseless carriages in the West.

About Patanjali's Grammar. All languages are founded on formal grammar. Having a formal grammar is one of the indications of civilized society. It indicates that the people knew the power of ideas and the need to communicate it to others in the
community. Both Panini and Patanjali are landmarks in the history of mankind. So, why the ridicule? Its a bit like
ridiculing Einstein or Maxwell because their theories are difficult to understand.

You made some mention of "It's all come to us from England and the west.". Most of the scientific advances in the past century, were from Europe. In that light, England is one of the dullards. Science by itself, does not belong to any nation - they belong to all mankind.

We have successfully adapted as our own the English Language, we have adapted the western system of education (with all its faults); we have even adapted even musical instruments like the violin! India's willingness and readiness to adapt is definitely one of the strengths of Hindu culture and civilization. It is this feature that has permitted India to the forefront of Science and Technology in just two generations after independence. Many in the West have remarked on this extraordinary feature.

Having said that; none of it excuses the behavior of the youths who misbehaved - they can and should be punished to the full extent of the law. To the same extent perhaps, that we punish other youths for similar crimes in other parts of the country.

Let me close with the Mahatma's immortal words: "I want all the cultures of all landsto be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.".

Layman

January 30. 2009 07:21

Sreejay S

Layman,
I will let you have the last word - which I broadly agree with. One caveat is, even as you quote Bapuji, you also seem to give up on the principles and methods he championed. Whatever be the truth, it was a pleasure to have you on the forum.
I would wish the youth of our country imbibe more of our ethos and mores - but, please do not say that they have to be forced and beaten into them. Let them explore. Let them slip, let them learn of their own. We can point the way - not drive them there. Definitely not by violence - that in itself is not our culture. At least, not the Hinduism I am proud of

Sreejay S

January 30. 2009 08:13

Layman

Anand Bala, My remark is about 26/11 and I stand by it.

I think we are really talking about 2 types of events. Type A is the spontaneous type. A small incident gets out of hand and people go on a riot. This applies to Hindus and Muslims. Most of miscreants are youngsters, teenagers. People in this age group are generally difficult to control in any society. These events are generally unplanned.

Type B is the meticulously planned affair, designed to kill, maim and damage. The execution is almost military-like.

I have lived in a city susceptible to Hindu-Muslim riots; and in the midst of a Muslim community. As I am still alive - I am inclined to believe that Indian Muslims are unlikely to go for Type B events. I still have this faith in our Muslim brethren.
I am sorry, I cannot accept your theory.

Layman

January 31. 2009 08:42

Shallabh

You have read Manusmriti in sanskrit...
Has lord manu divide people on the basis of their birth?

And regarding Sanskrit I must tell you around 280 verses are not even deciphered and the pseudo seculrists who read BUHRER claim to know all of the verses.

May I know whose publication you have read in Sanskrit?

Shallabh

Shallabh

January 31. 2009 08:50

Shallabh

Also what makes me believe that you have not even read the QURAN that you are commenting.
Order it and see the filth and hate it has agaionst Non-Muslims.... The Osama's and Taliban's Quran is the original quran. We hindus have lost Afghanistan, Pakistan , Bangladesh and now Kashmir and Kerala.
26 districts in the last 10 years have demographically changed to muslim majority what do you want?????

Read the quran brother and see its quotes.
http://faithfreedom.org

Islam wants to convert dar-ul harb into dar-ul islam...
The temples idols are all broken, see it anywhere and broken not be years of standing but by SWORDS OF RUTLESS ISLAM.
HINDU women were raped and taken to Persia in the old days. DO you know my brother?
And recet Taliban and Pakistan will also come here?

Whey are you quiet on muslim girl beaten for having a toatoo in Mumbai???
Why Taslima nasreen who told hindus what pathetic state they are in Bangladesh in Lajja and speeches, Jehadis mistreat her where is NCW then???

Pseudo secularists will always blame Hindutva.
Do you know who coined the term. Veer savarkar jee a freedom fighter...
Vinoba bhave's Geeta please read he wrote while he was in Jail.

Hindus unite or huistory will repeat itself.

Jai Hindu
Hai Hind.

Shallabh

January 31. 2009 17:14

vikas

Hi..Dear Sreejay, now what do u have to say about the behaviour of an Police Inspector and an Sub Inspector of Etawah;UP.... The Crime of a 6 Year small Girl ANJU is she stole Rs 280/..Did u watched how the Police handled her??? Did U saw how the Inspector was bitting her hand ?? Is this Right ?? When the News Channels like Times Now, CNN IBN, NDTV 24x7,TV9 etc are making hue and cry of Mangalore Incident, where are they now??
Dear sreejay no one will come forward as the girl is HINDU and not a Muslim or Chrstian, No News channel will waste their precious Airtime to show any atrocity heaped upon Hindus.... Is this are the values we inherited from Mahatma Gandhiji and from the teaching of Bhagvad Gita ???

Where is Smt Renuka Choudhary, the so called champion of Womens Right??? Where is NCW now???

Smt Renuka Choudhary will not raise her voice against this incident nor the NCW because the victim is an HINDU girl, and they can't displease Smt Soniaji by raising an issue about a HIndu girl....

MAngalore incident got all the coverage just because those two girls happens to be christians .....

and ya , those two police men has been suspended for their act !!! so convenient for them, they have been let off without any criminal charges...
Everyone knows how the same people cried foul for mangalore incident ...

Jai Bharat ..... Are we really Secular???

vikas

January 31. 2009 19:22

benjamin kumar

www.surgeongeneral.gov/.../calltoaction.pdf
The Surgeon General’s Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking2007 not published by Ram sena or manu but by
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
FOREWORD FROM THE
ACTING SURGEON GENERAL
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Alcohol is the most widely used substance of abuse among America’s youth. A higher percentage of young people between the ages of 12 and 20 use alcohol than use tobacco or illicit drugs. The physical consequences of underage alcohol use range frommedical problems to death by alcohol poisoning, and alcohol plays a significant role in risky sexual behavior, physical and sexual assaults, various types of injuries, and suicide. Underage drinking also creates secondhand effects for others, drinkers and nondrinkers alike, including car crashes fromdrunk driving, that put every child at risk. Underage alcohol consumption is a major societal problem with enormous health and safety consequences and will demand the Nation’s attention and committed efforts to solve.
For the most part, parents and other adults underestimate the number of adolescents who use alcohol. They underestimate how early drinking begins, the amount of alcohol adolescents consume, the many risks that alcohol consumption creates for adolescents, and the nature and extent of the consequences to both drinkers and nondrinkers. Too often, parents are inclined to believe, “Notmy child.” Yet, by age 15, approximately onehalf of America’s boys and girls have had a whole drink of alcohol, not just a few sips, and the highest prevalence of alcohol dependence in any age group is among people ages 18 to 20.

benjamin kumar

January 31. 2009 19:25

benjamin kumar

If you read this and still not convinced read
http://www.madd.org/Parents/UnderageDrinking.aspx again not by Ram sena. If still not convinced God bless you and elect Renuka chowdury not as minister for women and child welfare but as minister for drunk women

benjamin kumar

January 31. 2009 19:32

benjamin kumar

www.madd.org/.../View-Program.aspx?program=20
What is Social Host?
Teen parties are the primary setting for underage drinking for high school and college students – and a high consumption of alcohol and binge drinking. Social host ordinances can help deter teenage drinking parties. Social Host refers to adults who knowingly or unknowingly host underage drinking parties on property that they own, lease or otherwise control. Through social host liability laws, adults can be held responsible for these parties, regardless of who furnishes the alcohol.

Teen parties are the primary setting for underage drinking for high school and college students – and a high consumption of alcohol and binge drinking. Ranches “where no one will know,” lake houses “where no one will care” and fields “where it just doesn’t matter” are all popular locations for teenage drinking parties. However, the most common setting for drinking among high school seniors is simply someone else’s home.

Holding Adults Responsible
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) believes that underage drinking is not just a youth problem. It is also very much an adult problem. With adults who purchase alcohol for Social Host refers to adults who knowingly or unknowingly host underage drinking parties on property that they own, lease or otherwise control. Through social host liability laws, adults can be held responsible for these parties, regardless of who furnishes the alcohol.those under age 21; look the other way when teens talk about their drinking exploits; and host teenage drinking parties in their homes, many communities struggle to prevent underage drinking.

Holding adults responsible for underage drinking parties is a pro-active step for concerned communities but can be difficult. Law enforcement officials are typically not able to determine who provided the alcohol when they arrive on the scene of a teenage drinking party. Therefore, laws that prohibit furnishing alcohol to youth under 21 years old can be hard to enforce.

Social host ordinances give communities a practical tool for holding adults accountable. These laws allow law enforcement to cite the individual who hosted the underage drinking party on their property. More than 150 cities or counties and 24 states have adopted social host ordinances.

Search Social Host
Laws in Your Area
Check if your community
has an existing ordinance.
Benefits of Educating Communities About Social Host

* Deterring adults and youth under age 21 from hosting parties where underage drinking is occurring
* Increasing the awareness of underage drinking parties and providing an incentive for hosts to be vigilant for underage consumption of alcohol
* Learn more about Social Host, which refers to adults who knowingly or unknowingly host underage drinking parties on property that they own, lease or otherwise control.Encouraging parents to take steps to prevent teenage drinking parties while they are away
* Holding underage youth partially accountable for underage drinking parties planned without the knowledge of their parents
* Recovering the costs for law enforcement of repeatedly responding to the same party site
* Officially establishing a community’s “zero-tolerance” policy for underage drinking

Take Action

To more actively prevent underage drinking and help save more lives, MADD encourages communities to become familiar with social host ordinances to prevent underage drinking. Learn more about how your community can get involved with social host.

benjamin kumar

January 31. 2009 19:44

benjamin kumar

It is not the goonda culture we are supporting. But unfortunately media only gives audience when there is a violent event.Has anybody looked up at the effect of alcohol consumed by pregnant women on unborn child . Devastating.We are not talibans who ask their women to fully cover expect their eyes nor are we westerners who will completely shed their clothes.This article has just given us an opportunity to discuss the pub culture.LET THE WOMEN OF INDIA PICK UP THEIR BROOMS AND DUST THIS PUB CULTURE AWAY LIKE THEY DID FROM TIMES IMMEMORIAL AND SAVE OUR MEN AND CHILDREN, SOCIETY.

benjamin kumar

January 31. 2009 19:55

benjamin kumar

Underage Drinking and Its Effect on the Brain

"Recent research shows that the brain continues to develop well beyond childhood — and throughout adolescence. This research raises concerns that underage drinking may affect short-term and long-term cognitive functioning, and may change the brain in ways that can lead to future alcohol dependence." – Former Acting Surgeon General Kenneth P. Moritsugu, M.D., M.P.H.


The brain is still developing in to the early 20s and alcohol use impedes that important progress, possibly irreparably.
We must work to make sure that alcohol can not get into the hands of youth.

Adolescent brain development
Research has shown that the brain continues to develop into the early twenties. (Kuhn, Swartzwelder, and Wilson, 1998; White, 2001; Giedd, et al, 1999; Giedd, 2004) The pre-frontal cortex, the part that controls reasoning and cognitive ability takes the longest to mature. This is why drinking, especially heavy drinking, before the brain finishes development affects memory and damages this pre-frontal cortex regions (Crews et al. 2000; Spear and Varlinskaya 2005; White and Swartzwelder 2005). Since this region is responsible for ability to learn complex tasks, control impulses and organizing, this is a significant loss. And, while the research on this is still in its early phases, there are some studies that indicate that this damage may be permanent. (Brown and Tapert, 2004)

While many of these studies are done on animals, the impacts are seen in adolescent humans as well. The hippocampus, which is responsible for forming new memories, was noticeably smaller in youth who abuse alcohol than in their nondrinking peers (De Bellis et al., 2000). Additionally, studies show that alcohol use in adolescence decreased ability in planning and executive functioning, memory, spatial operations and attention – all of which are important to academic performance and future functioning (Giancola and Mezzich, 2000; Brown et al., 2000; Tapert and Brown, 1999; Tapert et al., 2001).

Teen alcohol use and the brain
Teen alcohol use only exacerbates the problem because of the effect it has on the developing brain. While alcohol acts as a sedative to adults, teens show more sensitivity to the stimulating effects of alcohol (White et al. 2003). Therefore, teens are more likely to drink past the points where adults would end up passing out and end up engaging in activities such as driving even though they are too impaired to do so (Hingson and Winter, 2003)

benjamin kumar

January 31. 2009 20:03

benjamin kumar

FOREWORD FROM THE
ACTING SURGEON GENERAL
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Alcohol is the most widely used substance of abuse among America’s youth. A higher percentage of young people between the ages of 12 and 20 use alcohol than use tobacco or illicit drugs. The physical consequences of underage alcohol use range from medical problems to death by alcohol poisoning, and alcohol plays a significant role in risky sexual behavior, physical and sexual assaults, various types of injuries, and suicide. Underage drinking also creates secondhand effects for others, drinkers and nondrinkers alike, including car crashes from drunk driving, that put every child at risk. Underage alcohol consumption is a major societal problem with enormous health and safety consequences and will demand the Nation’s attention and committed efforts to solve.
For the most part, parents and other adults underestimate the number of adolescents who use alcohol. They underestimate how early drinking begins, the amount of alcohol adolescents consume, the many risks that alcohol consumption creates for adolescents, and the nature and extent of the consequences to both drinkers and nondrinkers. Too often, parents are inclined to believe, “Not my child.” Yet, by age 15, approximately one half of America’s boys and girls have had a whole drink of alcohol, not just a few sips, and the highest prevalence of alcohol dependence in any age group is among people ages 18 to 20.
I have issued this Surgeon General’s Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking to focus national attention on this enduring problem and on new, disturbing research which indicates that the developing

benjamin kumar

January 31. 2009 20:05

benjamin kumar

If any one interested good study to read especially the journalists. It has 107 pages.
www.surgeongeneral.gov/.../calltoaction.pdf

benjamin kumar

January 31. 2009 20:08

benjamin kumar

Thanks Mr. Sreejay and EXPRESS BUZZ.My only request is Do not delete scientific evidence.Let the young boys and girls read and think.

benjamin kumar

February 1. 2009 01:30

MMK Rao

At least liquor barons and brothel owners among politicians and others, have a stake which may make them bray at the society's indignation and deatermination to stem the rot in the form of pubs sucking young boys and girls, and predisposing them ever to all vices, marital disharmony subsequently (with a poor moral record filled with so many premarital 'experiences' of 'giving expression to youthful freedom'). BUT WHAT STAKES DO WE, ORDINARY AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS HAVE TO LOSE, BY CALLING THE SPADE A SPADE ? And also what is the sense of using such impertinent terms as 'Hindu purity' and then go on to Taliban and al Qaeda, Pakistan, Afghanistan ? Please retain a perspective, and write with commitment to society's potential good, and not just the transient pleasures of youth which wear and wreck them and make familymen pay for their excesses when trying to help them to become productive citizens of India.

MMK Rao

February 1. 2009 01:30

Sreejay S

Shallabh,
I do not need to be certified on my scholarship. As for Manu, if you read my post, you will see that I have nothing against the Smriti - it is interpretation of people like yourself that I object to. The same fate is suffered by Quran.

Benjamin,
As I said earlier, it is the organisations like the Taliban and Sene that I reject as being non-religious, and inhuman. Neither have the right to claim that they represent their religions.
About all the concerns you have raised, I have no objections - I agree. And thanks for being fairly civilised about it!

Vikas,
You are rabid - get some treatment!

P.S.: I will approve any further comments on this post, but will not be replying to any more...

Sreejay S

February 1. 2009 01:53

Paul Krist

Predominant portion of college engineerig and other graduates struggle and get into the ever-supportive and expansive IT industry and get opportunities to go abroad (and see whether it is the paradise they hallucinated it was)and come back with some savings to have an own flat or a vehicle, etc. Once they get into the pub trap, with all its associated evils of prostitution, drinking and drug addition, etc., there is in most cases no return-home to sanity, definitely not with a strong psycho-physical frame. It is the West whcih wants our young men to automate their businesses and make them world-competitive, and not so much the other way around, certainly we cannot host in this overpopulated landscape, too many Americans or other foreigners to work for us. Extensive indigenous use of IT can complement going to the (at least now volatile) IT markets abroad, but it will warrant huge political and social awakening to automate our govt. and other public services. Hence it is important not to let our youth slip into vices encouraged by the pubs.

Our youth moreover has to develop enormous spiritual strength before they can develop an intellect that is also capable of thrilling in the higher echelons of intellect so as to bag - in nos. befitting our l bn. plus heads - Nobel prizes, Fields Medals (math.), Olympics, Oscars, and the like - all areas in which our youth draws a CLEAN BLANK for decades after Independence.(The two or three Nobels did not repeat after Independence.).

There is also all-engulfing corruption in our administration, politics, .... practically in all walks of life, even in the supposedly sacrosanct area of temples of worship. Its rooting out calls for youth of steel muscle and golden character, not replicas of cheap politicians most of whom are rapists and murderers, running brothels and other vice houses, besides indulging in every so many avenues of bribes and public loot, only to build their, and their kith and kin's nests.


THE FIRST AND FOREMOST STEP IS TO EMULATE THE WEST IN NOT FRITTERING INTELLECTUAL ENERGIES WITHOUT MAKING THE NATION PROUD WITH SUCH LAURELS WON IN NUMBERS. This needs sacrifice the self-destroying and sense consuming vices even if the mediocre sections of the West may not mind "enjoying".

Please avoid talking or writing like a typical pseudosecularist who

Paul Krist

February 1. 2009 03:01

Shallabh

All I'm asking is Have you read the Manusmriti?
If Yes, which one, I mean whose interpretation?
If No, then please make this disclaimer that I'm commenting without reading.

I have not even said a single line about Manusmriti and you are talking about my interpretation. Sreejay please read and understand on what you are commenting.

You haven't read these and you are commenting "It is interpretation of people like yourself....".
Then please let me know the interpretation which you believe in.

Shallabh

February 1. 2009 05:37

benjamin kumar

Thank you for the comments. However the energy of this blog should not just remain as few sentences typed. It needs to be translated into action for the welfare of the society. It is time the media and young journalists like Mr. Sreejay take up the cause of the children and women. It could be good if laws are enforced like banning drinking under age 21 or entry to pub, laws against indecent exposure, laws against drunk driving , laws protecting the drunk women from sexual exploitation, laws against pregnant women drinking. But as we are aware laws have always been reduced to paper tiger and hard to enforce.Oppose the pub culture. Educate the people against the pub culture before it is too late and people take up the law into their own hands.The scientific evidence in this blog itself is enough to support the cause.

benjamin kumar

February 3. 2009 11:24

Rasika and Ranjani

Going by the majority of the comments on the original theme of this blog, it is almost clear that pubs have made tremendous incursions into our youth culture. But to support pub culture, by concentrating to attack on the resistance to it, even in comments, means that pub culture may have itself impaired our ideas of what democracy and freedom are about: which is to enable our nation to prosper and flower mainly using youth vigours and energies, which are now for an unconcionable part sapped by youth's fondness for instant pleasures that predispose you to nervous wrecking and disharmonious married and family life. Of course, live in couple ideas, like homosexuality and pre-marital sex, have come to be touted in the media [to the benefit of none but the media], and hence, famly values with a decent size of family (not zero kids), have received a thorough battering. A homogeneous world, dull and drab, perhaps seems inevitable, as if by Providential will.

Rasika and Ranjani

February 3. 2009 14:56

FreedomFighter

I want to suggest that as a kind of companion blog, you can write about the Bangalore youth who after a heavy drink and dance session in a pub, ran amok driving his Honda and mowed down three seniors taking a stroll in the early morning hours and a cyclist vendor. The time was around the same as the pub frolicking in Mangalore which you have already blogged about. I read both sides of the arguments made with a focus on hooliganism and freedom, and also the 'dissenting' (?) arguments.

I would further suggest that you take a slant for the above suggested blog, like: The youth is youthful, and is always to be defended in whatever actions he does. Youth has made India modern, not excluding the pub 'culture' with its several ingredients which some commentators have written about. He has a right to the freedom of enjoying himself, how much, how, etc. included in that freedom. Senior citizens should keep at home so as not to disturb the youth in the process of enjoying his modern freedoms. They certainly have no right to take strolls even when traffic is nearly absent, since there will be many youth whose turn for enjoying their days the way they want should not be denied. ... sorry, I do not want to guide you too much.

FreedomFighter

February 3. 2009 16:15

S.N.Hebbar

You prayed to tell how Sri Ram Sene is different from Talibani barbarians.The difference is this: the Sene fools don't even know how to use bricks and stones and sticks unlike Talibanis who you know, use AK 47S, bombs and probably nuclear weapons in future!

S.N.Hebbar

February 4. 2009 22:39

Amar

I do not think the Pub incident has anything to do with baring Women from visiting pubs. Apparently, these Hindu girls with extra money(and has close access to publicity through media)enjoyed their drinks with a 'different' community (which do not allow its women to mingle with outsiders). Since Ram Sena folks rightly alerted because of outsider community people trying to seduce Hindu women while they are drunk. If this is the case, I do not see anything wrong in the spirit of showing their dissent like the way they did. I am not here justifying the violence(which I do not see in this case as compared against so many other instances involving other communities) just the spirit.

If I had a daughter caught like this sitting with a guy from other community (where they would not even allow outsider to enter their house nor interact with their women)and having drink, I do not mind Sena guys come and slap her for such a behavior and I would ensure she would never be in such a situation again.

Amar

February 5. 2009 02:29

Atul

Sreejay,

I totally agree with you. No one has the right to commit atrocities in the name of religion. If people have gone to the pub, it is out of their own will. Those who understand the negatives will choose to do something more useful in life. This is each individuals' personal choice. If these so called protectors of culture really want to do something good, they should work towards reducing crime and improving the condition of our country. These people are only propogating crime and are of no use to the nation. This sene is just a bunch of idiots who are jobless and are of no use to anyone. All they want is attention. Leaders of such groups should be put behind bars. I do not support pub culture. At the same time, i do not support such cheap acts either. Groups like the sene are a disgrace to the country. They should be dealt with firmly and the leaders should be punished. This is outright cheap stuff aimed purely at getting some publicity.

Atul

February 5. 2009 04:03

Ajit

Hey Vikas Patel,

If you are offended by anything in a bar, then leave the place and go somewhere else. You DO NOT have the right to beat up anyone. From your comments it appears that you practice domestic violence at home (as you might have some unresolved issues of your own). If this is the case, GET SOME PSYCHOLOGICAL HELP and stop harassing people. It's not your place. I'm all for curbing under age drinking. But if an adult (male or female) decides to have a drink in an effort to socialise then that's none of your business.

Ajit

February 8. 2009 09:42

Layman

======== IE News Report ===============================
PATNA: At least 11 policemen, including a police station chief, were killed Monday when suspected Maoist guerrillas attacked them in Bihar's Nawada district, police sources said.
=======================================================
How cockeyed our sense of priorities are! We were writing reams of articles on the Mangalore Taliban. Nobody was killed there - but we were willing to damn a faith, the scriptures, its saints etc. All based on the actions of a few teenagers.

Here is a report of 11 POLICEMEN KILLED - and it does not even raise an eyebrow. Could it be that the fact that "Maoist guerrillas" were involved, altered our perception? Afterall, aren't policemen the keepers of Law and Order? Where are the proponents of Law and Order, on this forum , quiet now??

Layman

February 8. 2009 20:40

Heart of India

Amazing... People here are giving arguments without any base and they r taking at the extreme. People like Benjamin and Layman are here with their pathetic thoughts and mentality. Bottom line is that, people r offended and they r giving examples like, How will u feel if ur mother or sister is going to pub, drinking alcohol, wearing cloths showing most of the skin and crap like that... Well well well, to all these bastards, u people have problem because its a women doing these stuff which u wanna do it alone because u think its ur birth right for being a male member of the society, isn't it? Its a matter of freedom and living a life that one wants to live. People r matured enough to decide whats good and whats bad for them and act accordingly. Here i find the supporters of SENA r giving extreme arguments and making this a big issue in the name of sving culture. Culture is something that can not be imposed on someone, a person should take it willingly. A bunch of illeterate Losers who got nothing in life r now trying to seek some attention by beating people in the name of culture. Its us who's suffering because of these goons. A few people can jeoperdize our freedom and we cant do anything about it? Common man do not want to get into trouble and want a peaceful life and thesae people take advantage of this. They feel confident these's no one to fight back. Question is what to do? How long can you tolerate things like these and just crib? A person who suffers this only knows how humiliating it is when u go through incidents like these. But everybody waits for the time when it will happen to them, then only they will THINK about retaliating... isn't it?

Heart of India

February 10. 2009 14:22

FreedomFighter

I would add this: Could we hope that the show of aggressive rebuke in the pubs leads to decline in the rate of promiscuity that is sapping our youth's energies and coming in the way of their doing proud to India by creative contributions in the field of so many of our languishing arts and in science and technology ? It is the youth (roughly the age group 20--35/40) who alone change the dismal features of modern India,namely injustice to vast sections of people, ubiquitous political deceit and administrative corruption, pretensions forms of human rights and other numerous institutions of social activism, and false values of life that cannot differentiate living for the moment and titillation from a life of vision and stability and use to one's own family and society.

FreedomFighter

February 10. 2009 20:38

Layman

Heart of India, As I said earlier, let us not mutilate the English language, please.

Layman

February 13. 2009 12:05

Sapna

Hello Sreejay,

I strongly agree with you... this is Hindu barbarism. Where in India are we following true Hinduism? In the name of this religion, everyday fights occur.. apart from that were are we Hindu's advancing? Are we following the real culture and traditions of Bharath? Im not supporting the pub-culture of girls. But again if we want our nation to be a true Bharath, this is not the root to start. A lot of other stuffs need to be fixed before attacking the girls. Where in Hinduism and for that matter in any holy books of Hindu's mentioned on girl harassments? where is democracy in beating girls or demanding a strike which is the commonest problems. Are the girls secured in our country? Who has the rights to beat up girls when they themselves dont take any measures in this country to secure a girls life. Why the number of rapists increase day by day if such a security and culture oriented society is prevailant in our country. Why a capital punishment is avoided for those to utilise feminine gender for pleasure? if nothing of these can be fixed, where is our culture going? If the party's secret wish is to earn a fame, even if its not in a good way, they have reached their goal. All around in the world is now aware of such a prevailant baseless party who speaks of hinduism and doesnt follow even a single page of Veda.

Sapna

February 15. 2009 05:48

FreedomFighter

The argument that we do not follow most tenets of a religion, and hence a specific aberration among youth which escalates into macro level moral disorder is unacceptable. The Indian Constitution has clearly laid down limits to freedom one of which is that no freedom shall be permissible that has the potenial to damage the morala order or disturbs peace.PLEASE ASK SOMEONE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT INDIAN CONSTITUTION. If this were not so, the Karnataka government would have been dismissed by the Centre which is waiting for half a chance to overturn existing rival party govts. now that the polls are drawing close. (To illustrate moral order decay, we can perhaps best take the American example, which we ape rather indiscriminately and esply in adopting pub cultre and free for all Valentie Day (repeats with different partners!): Without a sufficiently strong moral basis for society, that nation is now ridden with malfeasances/wrong-doings such as happened in Enron and several other US Companies, frequent American invasions under successive Presidents under one pretext or the other, millions of families torn by marital conflict and orphaned children who are led further into a criminal living, and so on. America is not the paradise which we imagine it to be, due to this grave situation - statistics bear ample testimony. This is not written using hunches pulled out from thin air.)

There are serious sins and not so serious ones. Permissiveness in sexual morals is a serious aberration. The youth has to store up a huge reservoir of nervous and intellectual energy for which a healthy type (or two) of recreation is like a must. This recreation cannot come from pubs.

I wish to record, by the way, my appreciative agreement with what 'Paul Krist' (quite spiritedly, I shd. say) and 'Freedom Fighter' say. I would similarly also commend the comments of 'Rasika and Ranjani'. I have of course read the comments made by all respondents on this topic and are interesting since everyone is entitled to his/her views and opinions depending on the width and depth of the chosen perspective.

FreedomFighter

February 27. 2009 12:05

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Alessandra

September 8. 2009 14:22

Kelvin Castelino

Though late in commenting about the fact that shook the whole Mangalorean women, i certainly agree with Sreejay. We call our country democratic and unity in diversity and what not. I guess most of this is only to be stored in books and papers. Many of them i guess cant even understand what it means to live in Peace. And these are not the uneducated ones, but the one who are highly educated.

According to me, this is done just to bring about a different mind set of the ruling parties! It works simple, I send people to create menace and nuisance throughout. Then I itself take others and act working to stop this. It will give me all the respect and support from the society whose so dumb to understand this.

In this incident that took place, it says that the ones who attacked, wanted to stop westernization. If that's so, why are they wearing pants and shirts, why they didnt come in lungi's and dothi's? Why they were carry mobiles to contact each other? Why are they roaming around on vehicles rather than bullock carts or just walk? Is it something like, what i like and i feel is needed for me, is the one everyone can use, but i dont like, and what i am not interested, I'll see to that others also dont use it? Why were the pubs and discotheques attacked, but not red light area's and dance bars, were worse things happened than these? Why attack women who were just dancing, or maybe drinking in their privacy rather than not catch and attack the one's who commit rapes, murders and create terrorism? Where were these guys, when mumbai was attacked? Why dont these daring guys go to kargil and fight for th nation? Do thay have any answers for these?

-
Kelvin Castelino
http://themangalore.com/

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