Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Talibanisation of our society

A government's first and foremost duty towards its citizens is to provide a secure and stable social environment in which they can freely carry out the 'pursuit of happiness'. The recent incidents in Mumbai and Mangalore have proved that both state governments have failed in this respect.

Rule of law as a basic principle of governance has to be upheld by any government, otherwise that particular government loses its moral right to govern. If a government can not govern according to the laws in force, it should either resign or be brought down. No political party should be allowed the temerity of indulging in selective governance. If you can not uphold the constitutionally guaranteed basic human rights of citizens regardless of their gender, religion, preferences or beliefs, you have no right to govern.

Hooliganism and vigilante culture if tolerated by society, carries with it the risk of destroying society's pluralistic nature and its tolerance of alternate lifestyles or points of view. This would lead to the distorted extremist beliefs espoused by a few to dominate society and culture. Talibanisation is not too strong a word to describe this phenomenon.

What is even more worrying is that the victims are afraid of speaking out fearing reprisals. That shows the degree of faith they have in the state apparatus to protect them. All of us who want our society to retain its pluralistic nature, have to raise our voices so that the governments in question are forced to make such hooligans face the full fury of the law and not get away with a slap on their wrist.

9 comments:

hitch writer said...

Yes that is the most embarassing thing for the government and the authorities that the girls are even scared of coming in the open and complaining.

People are scared of these sena's because maximum they will be arrested once and then they will be released on bail.

What after that ???

Some tough action needs to be called for. Also I really feel its time people wouldn't run and take this beating but actually collectively standup and fight back, because the police or authorities are not going to do anything about it.

Sad but true.

Vinod_Sharma said...

It is good to see this eruption of anger after the Mangalore disgrace. Having seen this for the last couple of days and having watched the BJP, perhaps for the first time ever, also condemn it, feeling the heat no doubt, I am today optimistic that Indian society will not get Talibanised. Such elements will remain very few and totally isolated from mainstream society.

Indyeah said...

Exactly how I and so may others feel...'Talibanisation' is definitely the right word...and it is not too strong a word as some people say..
this vigilante culture is indeed the most disturbing....every tom,dick and harry can decide his own way of giving justice....Earlier it seemed to be only Bihar and parts of UP...now when Bihar seems to be starting on the right track atleast with the present CM trying his best,the other states have taken to that path.....Maharashtra's is the most shameful case simply because of the govt's refusal/inability/unwillingness to punish those responsible for these acts..
yes,we dont have ANY system in place to ensure that witnesses and victims are protected so that the law can take its own course smoothly and the perpetrators are punished....It just seems hopeless....sometimes....citizens will have to take legal recourse and PILs as you rightly pointed out..there is simply no other way..

also thanks for the link to FTI

Anonymous said...

I dont think that talibanisation would be the right word, because talibanisation is not possible in india. Taliban has its ideology forced onto people, while the law of that land has got nothing to prevent it. Its an abject surrender to their hooliganism, but here we have law, we have a media that reports without fear( its another debatable point as to why they did not do anything to prevent it). For every 40 Ram sena Activists who went bonkers we have a million plus people who make their outrage felt, and make the government to act.(which again is a black mark on a goverment).
So talibanisation looks good only from renuka Choudarys mouth. She is a politician and can talk anything, as every other politician does.

How do we know said...

couldnt agree more.. this has to stop, and soon.

Anonymous said...

"Talibanisation is not too strong a word to describe this phenomenon."

No. It is not. Sadly! such sadistic and criminal activities only happen and actually are supported by law enforcement in developing countries.

This incident flared up at least because the women were from affluent families. Imagine the plight of poor women and also poor shop owners who are beaten up by these "secular" goons.

manju said...

I think these incidents happen because of two main factors-

1. The govt. is not powerless to stop them. The concerned govt. looks the other way.
The BJP in Karnataka because it sees the Shri Ram Sena as connected with it.
The Congress in Maharashtra, because it wants to split Marathi votes between the SS and the MNS.

2. The Judicial system in India does not assure quick and fair justice. So ordinary people look to these Senas for help instead of to the courts.
That is why the SS and MNS in Maharashtra have so much support.

1conoclast said...

Dear Sagarone,

Very well made point. This Talibanisation of India has to stop!
This is just the latest in a string of incidents.

To those of our friends who think that these elements will remain on the fringes of our society, I would like to remind them of:
- The damage the definitely fringe, KKK caused in America, despite not being even remotely mainstream!
- The glut of violent culture/moral police like-bodies like this that exist today in our India: shiv sena, mns, ranvir sena, ram sena, bajrang dal, HMK etc. etc. is a serious problem.
- Valentine's Day todaa-taadi...
- MF Husain exhibition pe todaa-taadi...
- Ms. World pageants pe todaa-taadi...
- Beating up artists in Gujarat...
- Tearing clothes off New Year revellers (women) in Bombay! On Juhu!!
- Beating up women in Mangalore.
- Not allowing Shriya Saran to entertain the way we like her to entertain us!

We're not even getting into their other criminal, anti-Constitutional activities!!!

How many events before we say ENOUGH!!!???

It is wishful thinking to assume that this will go away. And nor should it be allowed to survive on the fringes!!

Expressing our discontent here is fine, but that isn't enough.
In case we haven't noticed, these are the people who're taking to the streets. We just protest here!!!
Why don't we gather & take a morcha to Mangalore? To the police station, outside the offenders office, outside the courts???
Not committed & motivated enough, is it? Content to be armchair activists, is it?

We're the ones to blame! We're the problem! Because we don't go to Mangalore/Bangalore/Bombay whenever there is a problem! We don't give a dharna for 3 days outside their offices!

And those activists who try & speak up & take out morchas, like Medha Patkar, Teesta Setalvad or Arundhati Roy... instead of backing up their movement, we malign them!

And we think there is hope!!!

Best joke I've heard in a looooooong time!!!

1conoclast said...

Err...

Isn't this activity in total violation of our Constitution?

Does this make this group & all it's supporting groups ANTI-CONSTITUTIONAL? ANTI-INDIAN?

Should that not be enough to BAN them? Prevent them from being mainstream national parties?