Renuka, don't forget Bapu belongs to Cong

B D Narayankar

LAST month, some zealots in a Mumbai mall beat up a Pakistani Muslim girl. A news report read: ‘A Pakistani national, Saba Najam, 22, was roughed up at Hypercity Mall in Malad last Monday after some people spotted a tattoo in Urdu on her back. Some women suddenly approached her and assaulted her over the tattoo, which read ‘Shukr Alham Du Lillah’ meaning ‘Thank you, God.’

‘Riyaz Ahmed Talukdar, a member of Jan Seva Sangh, a local NGO, had first spotted the tattoo on Saba’s back and informed his mother, Shabana Talukdar. Riyaz said, “When I saw the tattoo I was furious as holy words from the Quran were on her back.” Shabana, along with a few other women, then came to the mall in the next 15 minutes and slapped the girl several times before the mall management intervened. The incident scared the girl so much that she left for Pakistan on Friday.’

Did you watch any discussion on television channels? Were any of the Muslim clerics or the so-called liberal voices interviewed on the treatment meted out to a girl from a neighbouring Islamic republic by Mumbai’s ‘moral police’? No.

But just look at how the media has covered the attack on Mangalore even though it was an isolated incident involving an illegal pub. It got a CCTV footage of the Sri Ram Sene activists beating up women and repeated it incessantly as if Mangalore is full of goons who specialize in beating women going to pubs. They ignored the fact that it was an illegal pub which acted as a front for prostitution.

Worse still were the Congress ministers - Renuka Chowdhury and P Chidambaram. They were covertly encouraging women to dress indecently and go on a liquor binge as if it was their birth right. Just look at what Renuka Chowdhury has to say on pubs. She called for pub-bharo andolan and wearing of noodle straps to protest against Hindu outfits protesting against Valentine’s Day.

Here, it will be interesting to know what were the views of the supreme Congress leader Mahatma Gandhi, Bapu, on consumption of liqour. He was a firm believer in morality and good character which was evidenced by the firm stand he had taken against consumption of intoxicated liquors.

In his book entitled My Picture of Free India written on the eve of achieving political independence, he unequivocally declared: “I hold drinking spirituous liquors in India to be more criminal than the petty thefts which I see starving men and women committing and for which they are prosecuted and punished… I advocate the summary punishment of those who manufacture the fiery liquid and those even who persist in drinking it notwithstanding repeated warnings. I do not hesitate forcibly to prevent my children from rushing into fire or deep waters. Rushing to red water is far more dangerous than rushing to a raging furnace or flooded stream. The latter destroys only the body, the former destroys both body and soul.”

This view of Gandhi indicates he was very firm on preventing youths falling into the injurious habit of consumption of intoxicating liquors or drugs. By and large youths go to pubs to satisfy their sensual desires without realising that it is sure to result in moral and material abandonment and they will become unfit to bear the family or social responsibilities. Therefore, it is not correct to call it pub culture, as it is a vice and not a virtue.

The Congress Party which claims to be the followers of Gandhi repealed the law prohibiting manufacture and sale of liquors in 1957 in Karnataka. Yashodharamma Dasappa, a true Gandhian and brave woman, resigned her ministership protesting against such a step. In spite of this, loyalty to liquor proved to be more powerful than to Gandhi and the Constitution. If he was to be alive, he would have rebuffed and marked Renuka Chowdhury's calls as profligacies in a civilization that values modesty and decency.

Pseudo secularits, including Muslims and Christians, have been voicing vociforiously about the so called ills of Hindu society and Hindus. They are in stark competition while making sweeping statements and issuing judgments on Sangh Parivar.

But don't gird up their loins to speak against Talibans who are assaulting women by closing down thousands of schools in Swat province of Pakistan. Nor do they speak up to save Taslima Nasreen when the secular woman writer was hounded by Muslim goons in Hyderabad and West Bengal. When demanded, all the so-called secular faces like Javed Akhtar, Teesta Setalvad, A R Anthulay, Shabana Azmi and others go into hiding. This shows their hidden agenda behind secular mask.

Muslims were at war when Prophet Mohammed was caricatured in one of the European media, but were quick to rally behind M F Hussain who painted Hindu goddesses nude. Is being a Hindu and protecting Hindu values a crime in India?

Ironically what a great nation India is. Thousands are dying in terrorist attacks and people want to make love in pubs. Lakhs are starving for food and people want their liberty to gift chocolates worth thousands of rupees on Valentine's Day. Jobs are being snatched and economy is in serious state and lovemaking is prime on agenda.

Awake patriots. Don't you think we need to stand against issues which require urgent attention - understand governments response on loss of brave policemen and armymen's lives in Mumbai attack, extra-constitutional abuse of power by Sonia Gandhi, decline of our economy and loss of jobs because of P Chidambaram's worst policies, shameful exposure of Satyam scandal and so on. Let Ram Sene be handled by Karnataka chief minister B S Yedyurappa and Chidambaram concentrate on briefing the nation when Afzal Guru will be hanged.