what is happening in karnataka?!! pathetic!!! could the pink chaddi campaigners see a "woman's issue" in this incident? or will it remain as another million dollar question?
On Tue, Mar 3, 2009 at 9:16 AM, Bobby Kunhu <[email protected]> wrote: > Since that unholy alliance between Deve Gowda and BJP, one has been > watching with worry the emergence of Karnataka as the next experimental base > for the Sangh Parivar. I hope to write more on this soon. Anyways, Karnataka > would be a more significant lab given its diversity and comparative > cosmopolitanness and the site of the battle is once again the ownership of > the woman, her body and choices. > > Todays Hindu reported this and unfiortunately this has escaped the > attention of most of the messiahs of liberal thought And it might be > noteworthy on how the Hindu has framed the issue as well > > http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/03/stories/2009030354850700.htm > > taka <http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/03/22hdline.htm> [image: Printer > Friendly > Page]<http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2009030354850700.htm&date=2009/03/03/&prd=th&;> > [image: Send this Article to a > Friend]<http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/pgemail.pl?date=2009/03/03/&prd=th&;> > > *ABVP imposes ban on wearing burkhas in rural college in Karnataka *Sudipto > Mondal > > PANJA VILLAGE/SULLIA TALUK: Muslim girls of the Government Composite > Pre-University College here have been banned from wearing burkhas by local > Hindutva outfits and the Bharatiya Janata Party-affiliated Akhil Bharathiya > Vidyarthi Parishad. > > According to Lakshmisha Gobbalathadka, the self-proclaimed architect of the > ban, the idea was first proposed to the college authorities at his behest by > a few students affiliated to the ABVP in early January this year. > > “Four of my boys spoke to the college principal and demanded that Muslim > girls be banned from wearing burkhas in classrooms,” said Mr. Gobbalathadka, > who is also the district convener of a fringe outfit called Hindu Jagarana > Vedike. > > “We agreed immediately. We did not want any trouble,” said a college > official. But soon the demands began to grow. Emboldened by the support the > boys received from a section of students, they went on to extend the ban to > the entire 28-acre campus. > > Once the ban was formalised by the college authorities, a groups of boys > took it upon themselves to impose it. “Every day, the boys sit at the tea > stall near the college gate. If we take even one step into the college gate > with the burkha on, they start scolding us,” said a 16-year-old class 10 > student. > Violence on campus > > Meanwhile, another controversy broke out on the campus after the ABVP > alleged that a Muslim boy had made a proposal of marriage to a Hindu girl. > “Our boys beat up the Muslim boy on February 28,” claimed Mr. Gobbalathadka. > At the college’s development committee meeting on January 29, a large group > of students, led by Mr. Gobbalathadka, barged in demanding that Muslim girls > stop wearing the burkha even on their way to and from the college. The > demand created a furore dividing committee members, according to college > principal, Balasubramaniam. Soon, hundreds of activists entered the venue > and physically attacked Muslim committee members and Hindus who opposed > their demands. Following the incident, Mr. Gobbalathadka and his followers > were arrested and remanded in judicial custody. > Growing support > > “Many others have been inspired by the success we have had here. Soon, this > campaign will spread to all government colleges in the region,” Mr. > Gobbalathadka told *The Hindu*, and added that the garment would soon be > banned from public spaces in the entire village of Panja. > > Panja gram panchayat president Rafique, who sustained injuries during the > January 29 violence, said:* “Some may feel that the burkha is a symbol of > oppression of women. Even if that is true, a resistance to the garment > should come from within the community. How can we tolerate somebody using > force to ban the burkha?”* > > Reacting to the issue, Deputy Director of Public Instruction C. Chame Gowda > told *The Hindu*, “The college authorities might have agreed to the ban > under pressure. But there is no law that prevents the burkha. Everybody has > the right to practice their religious beliefs as long as it does not > inconvenience others.” > > Deputy Commissioner V. Ponnuraj expressed concern over the developments and > said he was still inquiring into the issue. “The rule of law and the > Constitution will prevail,” he said. > > > > > -- > Bobby Kunhu http://community.eldis.org/myshkin/Blog/ > > > > -- " The so called caste-hindus are bitterly opposed to the depressed class using a public tank not because they really believe that the water will be thereby spoiled or will evaporate but because they are afraid of losing their superiority of caste and of equality being established between the former and the latter. We are resorting to this satyagraha not becasue we believe that the water of this particular tank has any exceptional qualities, but to establish our natural rights as citizens and human beings." - Dr B.R. 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