Goons in Saffron

I am a Hindu and I am ashamed.

I am ashamed because Goondas are using Hinduism - perhaps the most diverse and all-accepting religion in the world - to achieve their pathetic 15 minutes of fame.
First it was the Ram Sene, and now it is the Bajarang Dal, who are destroying the unique harmony and cultural pou-pourri of Mangalore. I lived in this charming town for a year, while I was dating my husband, Vijay. And now I wonder, if I were still living there, would I have been dragged out on the street, beaten, abused and embarrassed, for being friends with a boy???

I sincerely wish that the girls who were molested in Mangalore come out and identify the culprits. Otherwise our silence will be taken for acceptence, giving confidence to these ruffians' perverted minds. Being a woman myself I can understand the fear of being 'branded for life'. But then, why should we accept a branding system that is flawed in its very conception, and is unfair, unjust and illogical to its core?

I also wish that people celebrate Valentine's Day like never before. Even if they have no plans or no partners, they must come out and celebrate. Because it is no longer about right or wrong. It is about our fundamental right to freedom. We must tell these goondas without mincing any words that their crude political games will not work here - not in the midst of educated, aware and responsible citizens. And if these 'goons in saffron' cross the line, we must not hesitate to get them prosecuted.

We all know that there are innumerable real issues that need urgent attention - illiteracy, casteism, gender discrimination, corruption, bribery, rape... the list is endless. But these hooligans refuse to think straight and are bent upon getting media visibility and hence political mileage through disrupting communal harmony. After all, what can one expect from people like Mutalik, a political sidekick with almost 53 criminal cases pending against him???