Panel report has pained me: Padil victim’s mother

The Hindu

Mangalore, 12 Aug 2012: Apart from being deeply distraught after my son was among those assaulted during a birthday party held at the Morning Mist Homestay on July 28, the report on the incident by C. Manjula, Chairperson of the Karnataka State Women’s Commission, has further caused me grief and distress, said the mother of one of the victims.

 

Overcome with emotion during a meet on ‘Moral policing and Indian culture’ held here on Saturday, Kumuda, mother of Gurudas Kamath, said she was hurt that during the visit to the city, Ms. Manjula had referred to a previous case of trafficking filed against her.

 

Kumuda, mother of a Padil attack victim, speaking at a meeting in Mangalore on Saturday.

 

“I was suffering from debilitating pain in the leg and the doctor had advised massage therapy. When I was at a spa getting my leg massaged, the police raided the place and filed cases of trafficking against me. These are false cases and have been dismissed in court. However, after Ms. Manjula brought them up, I have been receiving many calls asking me about the allegation,” she said before breaking down.

 

The Chairperson came for further flak as speakers at the meet questioned the partiality of the report. Ravivarma Kumar, senior advocate and former Chairman of the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission, said the Women’s Commission should be disbanded as it acted as an “agent” of the State.

 

“Ms. Manjula’s report mentioned about drugs at the party, even though the police have said publically that there is no evidence of this. All she is doing is legitimising the crime,” he said.

 

This tactic of “legitimisation”, Mr. Kumar said, followed the same pogrom during Nazi Germany. “Hitler had a list of targets, from Homosexuals to Catholics to Jews. He would organise assaults against them. He even said that German blood was pure Aryan blood and needed to be preserved. He legitimised these crimes, and it is because of this that he grew,” he said. He said the State Government itself was following the same tactics, by taking back cases or by not booking perpetrators even after various incidents such as the Amnesia Pub attack, attacks on churches and mosques among others.

 

He said that it was “good” to see citizens vent their objection to moral policing. “However, Hindus themselves need to confront groups like Hindu Jagarana Vedike, and send a message that they do not have the right to represent the religion,” said Mr. Kumar.

 

B.T. Lalita Nayak, activist and a former Minister, said no one had the right to enforce their views on morality.