Is molesting and beating women part of our culture?

On 24th January in Mangalore, a large group of men invited the media as witness and openly molested and beat up women who were sitting in a private establishment. They claimed to be doing this to preserve Indian culture.

Any cultured society would have hung its head in shame and disgust, and unequivocally condemned the men who besmirched its culture. Instead, our chief ministers, ministers, politicians across the political spectrum, public figures, and even members of the National Commission on Women, worry that the small number of young women and men who visit pubs or drink alcohol or smoke or hold hands are a blot on Indian culture.

Many times the number of women who ever go to pubs are molested and beaten in our society every day. Is the Mangalore incidence about alcohol, clothes, smoking or pub culture, or does it manifest the grotesque scale of violence against women in society?

The biggest threat to Indian culture are people who beat, molest and rape women and condone such acts. The most alarming threat to our culture is civil society leaders focusing on controlling the personal choices of individuals, while public bullies roam free. It is time we cleaned up our society of this blot on our culture.

The Mangalore incident is not isolated. Whether it is in Mumbai, Gujarat, Orissa or even Delhi University, the blatant use of violence and terror of violence to suppress free ideas, speech, presence and choice of women in public space is happening only too often. Are we going to remain silent, while the worst elements of our society parade themselves as the guardians of our culture and national interest?

We will not allow them to define our culture. Our culture is not hooliganism. Respect and dignity for all human beings and the right of all women and men to live without threat of violence is the essential core of our culture.

Stand up to rescue our culture from self-declared guardians of culture!

It is time we join hands to lodge our protest at this dishonor to our culture at the Karnataka Bhawan, Chankyapuri, Delhi on Tuesday, 3 rd February 2009 at 3 p.m. Come with your banners and posters. Inform other individuals, activists and groups as well.

 Stree Adhikar Sangathan
 09868742262/ 09910977228/ 09871499738