The attacks on women in Karnataka continue. As we now know there have been four more attacks that we know about in Bangalore. As far as we know, young men and women are still being attacked in Mangalore by vigilante groups. In Bangalore, it is not clear whether these attacks are by the Sena or any right-wing group. There is a good deal of speculation that these are opposition groups hoping to continue to fuel the ill-will against groups like the Sena. In any case there is lawlessness being justified by realpolitick. Everyone gets to take advantage of the situation while the government justifies doing nothing with its deep 'cultural' arguments.
Things we are sure about:
1. This is not the mythical 'eve-teasing' or street sexual harrassment.
2. This is not random. Someone somewhere sent these men out to pick on women and create fear.
3. There is no difference between these attacks and the continuing attacks in Mangalore.
Last evening there was a fairly big meeting in Bangalore to plan the response to these attacks.
1. On March 7, a rally and a march to the office of the DG-IGP Ajai Kumar Singh to present a set of demands (police set up efforts, organise a campaign for awareness etc). (More details soon.)
2. On March 8, a Take Back the Night walk when women reclaim their right to be safe at night in Karnataka. (More details soon)
As you know no group less than 500 will be even considered worthy of notice in this mighty nation. These marches need to be huge. They need to be frightening. They need to hit back.
For every one of you who sat about bemoaning the lack of 'real' action over the last month because 'chaddis are not enough', please come to Bangalore and join the action. The rest of you lovely people for whom sending chaddis was only one way of protesting, jump in. This promises to be fun because no one, least of the government, is expecting People Like Us to care at all. Shouldn't we give them a pleasant post-Valentine surprise?
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Good luck, and have fun! Just sent an e-mail to the PMO, the best I can do from the US. Here's the text if you find it useful:
ReplyDelete"Respected Prime Minister:
The recent attacks on women in Karnataka are appalling. In the name of protecting Hindu/Indian culture, vigilantes from the Shri Ram Sene and others are beating and abusing women and men. I urge you to take a personal interest in this matter and set an example - such lawless behavior will not be tolerated. After all, is my India not a democracy and a free country, where women are respected and honored?
Thank you."
absolutely with you... am calling for men in shorts at Gateway of India and women to protect the men in shorts from bottom pinching, cat calls and abuse... thats my way of celebrating Womans Day. people who wish to join could visit www.Sita-Sena.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteI am going to be in shortest shorts,.. are there other men who will like to join in? and women would you be there to protect us?
Good luck... protests are fine, but you need to get them to act on your demands. showing up with a sense of solidarity is a start, but you need to take the same a step further.
ReplyDeleteCount me in! You need numbers? I think enough people care, to make the march. It's about safety, after all. And about letting the idiot fundamentalists think they can get away with anything.
ReplyDeleteAgain, count me in!
This is not a Mangalore issue ... and there is no point targeting Ram Sene. The perpetrators of 2 of the cases of harrassment in Mangalore were CPIM youth wing.
ReplyDeleteAnd problem is even more in AP where 2 women were burnt with Acid or in Delhi in Renuka-the-free-amma's backyard where girls cannot go out after 7 PM.
Go do something useful as opposed to sensational stupid stuff like pink chaddi's ... not only is it childish - it also makes clear the fact that you are not bi-partisan towards issues and do not intend getting serious.
Instead you want to do stuff that is "media-cool"
And in one of the cases - the father of girl who committed suicide has actually stated on press that the boy she was "allegedly going around with" was harassing them - and that the group that shooed the boy away was doing the right thing. Maybe you want to contact the father of the girl
ReplyDeleteIn any case ... if you are serious about problems of women - show that ... as opposed to "ludicrous tokenism" ...
If you want to do a walk - go do the walk in Delhi, Andhra Pradesh - where the two girls were subject to an acid attack. Focusing on pubs as a expression of freedom for women - even if right addresses 0.05% of the women in urban India!