Mangalore : Interactive meet stresses need to fight moral policing

Mangalore : Interactive meet stresses need to fight moral policing

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, July 28, 2013: The Journalists Study Centre, Karnataka and Forum Against Atrocities on Women  jointly organized an interactive session with likeminded individuals and  those who were a witness to the  July 28, 2012 Morning Mist Homestay attack. The programme was held at School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya on July 28, Sunday, exactly a year after the homestay attack.

 

 

Aravind Narrain, advocate  and activist of the Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore  said nearly 112  moral policing cases had been reported   since the January 2008 Amnesia pub attack case. He pointed out that in most cases of moral policing, the public remain as spectators watching a cricket match and emphasized the need  to stand up against such incidents.

Mamatha S Yajman of Vimochana, Bangalore  lashed out at the so called vigilante groups and questioned as to who gave these groups the right to attack  people.  She also stated that it was the woman  who is  considered to be at fault in many cases.

 Mamatha was also critical of the Women’s Commission Report on the home stay attack. She also chose to describe the activists responsible for the homestay attack as daylight robbers.

 Naveen Soorinje, TV journalist who had videographed the incident and had to even undergo imprisonment as an accused in the case, recollected the incident. He said a few have  asked him as to why he did not prevent the activists from attacking the youngster. “Had I tried to prevent them, then they would have attacked me and broken my camera leaving no evidence of the incident.” He  also stated that the attackers had tried to project that a rave party was  on at the  homestay when it was attacked.

Gurudutt Kamath, one of the boys who was attacked at the homestay, said the incident had instilled fear and had traumatized them. “Only myself,  Vijay(another victim) and my mother Kumuda had  come forward  while the parents of the girls victimized in the incident had never allowed them to fight for justice,” he said.

Vijay whose birthday was being celebrated at the homestay when it was attacked  said “ The policemen asked me to support them saying I did not know anything about life.” “I told them that I will support the truth,” Vijay added.

Members of the public also actively took part in the interactive session moderated by social activist Vidya Dinker.