We don’t have any dearth of publicity-hungry parties or groups in India. The latest avatar is Sriram Sena that began its ‘public life’ by attacking women at a pub in Mangalore. Unfortunately they claim to be warriors of a person who is considered a perfect man in the epic Ramayana. These groups emerge from nowhere as mushrooms after the rain and get all the media attention though for wrong reason.
I don’t know whether it is post modern face of intolerance as medias put it. Because as a society India is conservative despite the mask of modernity it wears in the cities. So naturally section of the society cannot stand the increasing freedom Indian women enjoy today. Our society has a tendency to blame and control women. Of course it views woman through the male eye. Indian society is terribly male dominated.
Even after attacked and abused by bad language, none of the girls or their parents came out in the open with complaint. Parents try to play it down by blaming their girls. It is always men who decide how women must behave, what they must do, wear and think. The attacks on girls in Mangalore, Hariyana and other places are nothing but an indication of male arrogance and chauvinism. It has nothing to do with valentine’s day celebrations or Indian culture. Sadly, this moral police never react when women are being raped and molested.
Other factor is probably jealousy. The fact that somebody is enjoying things which is denied to the underprivileged. Those who take into the streets in the name of moral policing are less educated and less privileged ones. I wonder what would be their answer if stop and ask about Indian culture. Those who manipulate them are the real beneficiaries in this deal.
Moral policing is against the freedom of individual. But surprisingly many in our closed society support this menace. At the same time society changes rapidly on one side - more westernized and shallow. Anyways I feel the moral police should immediately take lessons of Indian culture.
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