By Abhishek Pandey

1. These pink chaddis should be new or used? 2.Fabulous, you are killing two birds from one stone by helping out the pink chaddi making-wallahs in these times of economic gloom, and giving the Sri Rama Sene some much needed inner warmth. 3. Do you have collection point in Goa or in Chennai or in Mumbai… and lots more comments were received by the Face book group “consortium of pub going, loose and forward women”. After the overwhelming response by the net users across the globe and getting space in newspaper columns enlarged their supporters. There are some more groups mushrooming on FaceBook and other social networking sites against Shri Ram Sene and other fringe groups ahead of Valentine Day. One of the groups went far ahead by making a group for sending pink condoms to the aforementioned group for maligning RSS (Rastriya Swayma Sevak Sangha) and other Hindus in the name of freedom and their point is that RSS condemned the acts of SRS(Shri Ram Sene).

These groups justify their campaign by saying that they are not spreading the hatred or anger to the people but this is one of their ways to create awareness among youths about the important happening. It is true. The silver lining in the clouds of hatred campaign is that it is serving the purpose of creating awareness among the Indian youths. Because most of the youths limit their news reading to the sports page, career page, to glossy supplements or sometimes to the banner headlines on the front pages. They spent more time on Internet and on these social networking sites. And these groups on these websites are one of the best media to express their angst, worry or whatever the feeling they have towards the happenings.

These online groups, which give us a platform to get together with the same kind of people to support or protest for a cause. Is this the right use of our ‘freedom of expression’, article 19(1)? This question may sound illogical when most of the net users and other people are supporting the campaign. Here, I have a point to rebut the Pink flag, sorry panties or condom, bearers. The campaign is offensive, derogatory and malicious in its nature which our constitution does not allow in the name of freedom of speech or expression. I do not have doubt the about the real motive behind the campaign.

Munnbhai’s favourite jaddo ki jhappi (a bear hug) or Gandhi’s favourite red rose could be the good option to end the hate war. We can not send them used, or for that matter new, pink panties to put down the SRS and his Sene in the name of Gandhi’s methods of non-violence. My dear friends who are campaigning should not forget that Gandhi jee was not only against the physical violence but he was against of any kind of violence. Gandhi would have not supported the flinging of panties, throwing of rotten eggs, squishy tomatoes or hurling shoes towards anybody. We should not spread hatred ahead of the love fest on 14 Feb, the Valentine’s Day.

Internet has given us platform to express our self to the world by providing various options. But it should not be misused for hatred or any malicious purpose. I am quite sure when I will finish this writing there would be one more group on Internet supporting the other side means against pink panties bearer. Yeah, its there ‘hate pink chaddi campaign’ group accompanied with another power tool of Internet known as blog. Enjoy the power of internet and spread Love not hatred in the season of love.

Happy Valentines Day. (This should be written in Pink)

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By Abhishek Pandey

On the republic day morning, there was a stark contrast in daily newspapers. On one side, we were going to celebrate the 60th Republic day of India and on the other side the freedom of individuals were hurt by some lumpen goons of Shri Ram Sene in Mangalore district of Karnataka. The incident took place on the eve of Republic day in Amnesia pub, where some party lovers were enjoying their evening in the pub’s lounge. Guests were attacked by self-claimed moral police and activists of Shri Ram Sene. Activists of the sene claimed that girls were drinking alcohol, wearing indecent dresses and indulging in vulgar activities. They said that it was against their culture (Indian culture) and they would not allow girls to visit pubs and bars. It was awful, shameful and blot on a republic and democratic nation.

They are not custodians but just thugs. Even if they were doing so who gave them power to correct the situation and take the laws in their hands. They say that they are representative of Indian and Hindu religion. Who gave them the post of custodians on behalf of India or Hindu religion? If they are talking that pub culture is neither belongs to India or Hinduism. They must have forgotten the visuals of our religious serial on our mythological epics in which Inder and other Devtas drink som rasa (wine) and enjoy the dances of apsaras. I think that Indians are pioneers of the pub culture. But molesting, pulling up helpless girls’ hair and beating them up are absolutely no where in the Hindu religion or in the Indian culture. This is the high time for the extremist to stop invading the privacy of individuals otherwise they will face the music.

Our system has collapsed everywhere in tackling against extremists be it against Raj Thakrey and his goons in Mumbai or against Bajrang Dal in Orissa, Karnataka and MP. This time Shri Ram sene has challenged the system again and let see, what would be the response of the government this time. Comments from the senior political leaders like Union health minister, Ambumani Ramdoss, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gahlot, Karnataka CM BS Yedurappa and others on the sensitive issues like this should not directly or indirectly hail or justify the deeds of law-breakers. The response from the political parties and their leaders is also not praise-worthy.

If going to pub is allowed to men then for what reasons the girls and women are not allowed. It is the hypocrisy of these lunatic fringes. They don’t care about the Indian culture; even they don’t know what it is. Molesting women in public places is not Indian culture and never, it was. Violence and intolerance is not Indian culture. They must turn back few pages of history to learn something about our culture from Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi. It is the absolute violation of human rights of the girls and women. State government must take stern steps to stop these incidents in future. Not only the perpetrators of the incident but also their political bosses, should be punished for Talibanising the country and breaking the law. Otherwise, what would be difference between us and Taliban, which is ruling in Afghanistan and in the North- West frontier areas of Pakistan, where girls are not allowed to even go to schools and their human rights are in danger because of fatwa issued by some mullah. We are living in a democratic nation and Government should make sure this time that it will not let this happen again in our ‘cultured’ society called India.

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