India: Fundamentalists curbing young people’s rights and freedom

Editorial, Kashmir Times, 5 February 2009

Menace of moral policing

Fundamentalists of various hues curbing young people’s rights and freedom

Moral policing by right wing organizations, in the name of cultural ethos or religion, has become a problem to reckon with throughout the length and breadth of South Asia. If the various Senas are at work carrying on their hate soaked agenda against Valentines Day, dating and pubs or enforcing dress codes in various parts of India, Jammu and Kashmir too has it share of trouble makers on the prowl. After Mumbai, Bangalore the shocking moral policing case pertains to Sri Rama Sene’s January 24 attack on women in Mangalore’s Amnesia Club. Instead of taking action against the hooligans, the BJP government in Karnataka misused its executive power and in blatant violation of rule of law, shielded the Sene Chief Pramod Muthalik and others. The latest in series are hoardings in Srinagar’s Karan Nagar area forbidding people to interact with anybody from the opposite gender, describing dating or even any kind of interaction as Zinna as per Islamic tenets. According to a newspaper report, the hoardings in the area state, “If you will be found along with opposite gender you will either be handed over to the police or your head will be shaven and then handed to your parents.†Local newspapers are also filled with reports about how religious scholars in the Valley have started a campaign against the FM radio stations, objecting to young boys and girls interacting with each other through the radio shows and describing these as promiscuity. The media itself has gone overboard in making sweeping remarks about branding the radio programmes as ‘vulgar’, ‘obscene’ and a deliberate onslaught against religion.

Obscenity and immorality are relative things that may be defined differently by different people and individuals. Besides, campaigning against immorality in the society and various other evils may be one thing but curbing young people’s rights, their freedom of expression and movement is yet another. It is common knowledge that most of these obscurantist diktats stem from a gender bias with women and girls bearing the greater brunt of it. Whether or not they come with a sexist streak, such intolerant attitudes do not augur well either for a healthy society or for democracy. Worse is the condition of countries in South Asia where weakened democracy and the lopsided logic of religion have allowed politicians to bring in unhealthy laws only to silence organizations that raise a hue and cry in the name of morality. But even in India, the police and the official agencies have often given protection to organizations and individuals taking recourse to hooliganism instead of taking action against them – all in the name of morality.

The issuing of moral codes and illegal ways of enforcing these only expose a vein of intolerance, chauvinism and hooliganism which cannot be justified in the name of morality, which can mean different things to people. Morality is a contentious and complex subject. Immorality does not simply lie in the clothes one wears, lifestyles, visits to restaurants or proximity with the people of opposite gender. These are personal matters and differences need to be respected. There is more immorality in the society beyond these personal matters, which in fact have a greater bearing on the society. Things like corruption, dowry, domestic violence, victimisation of the girl child and drug abuse, which may be far greater immoral acts than violating dress codes, are causes of collective concern. They affect peoples lives in several ways. But even if these are seen in the paradigm of morality, ethics and core values, the only ways of tackling these is by spreading education, and not just literacy, and by friendly persuasion. Other ways of tackling these are by taking recourse to legal measures and ensuring that there is enough public pressure for the existing system to become more functional. The same principle should become the basis even if there is a section of society that believes that morality lies in lifestyles and clothes. In no case, retrogressive diktats and sanctions from obscurantist, most gender biased and intolerant moral police should be acceptable. Hooliganism cannot and should not be justified. Neither should chauvisnism of any kind – whether it is in the name of religion, ethnicity, culture or morality.