The guardians of Hindu culture are back. Women should not go to pubs and should not drink. I wonder what else their charter of demands comprises. That women should be veiled from head to toe? That they should not be educated? That they should endure a life of servitude – euphemistically called marriage – and domestic violence? That they should consider themselves fair game as far as rape, molestation and sexual assault are concerned?
And if this wasn’t shocking enough, it seems this ‘cause’ has found supporters in the most unlikely places. Apart from the usual suspects, it seems even a Congress Chief Minister and the Communists agree that women should not be in pubs. “India is not Europe. Mushrooming of pubs is not part of the Indian culture,” said Communist Party of India state (West Bengal) secretary Manju Kumar Majumdar.
Aaaah…Indian Culture – the glories of a 5000 year old civilisation that celebrates feudalism, casteism, ignorance, misogyny, cowardice, treachery, selfishness and a total lack of concern for one’s fellow citizen.
Please join me, as we enter the 60th year of our constitution, in saluting the people of this country who have allowed the great gift of constitutional democracy to wither away in large parts of the country and, where it hasn’t withered away, to turn into a shameful travesty.
The Quirky Indian 
January 29, 2009 at 3:43 pm
nice post… it is really disturbing to see such incidents in our ‘democratic’ country…
January 29, 2009 at 3:53 pm
One really has to wonder..What is it?Us the janta who votes?The pathetic animals that we choose?
”I wonder what else their charter of demands comprises. That women should be veiled from head to toe? That they should not be educated? That they should endure a life of servitude – euphemistically called marriage – and domestic violence? That they should consider themselves fair game as far as rape, molestation and sexual assault are concerned?”
Yes,this could very well be their charter,even if they never verbalise it…this is what we are in for!The situation looks grim to say the least…
and what’s with the verbal diarrhoea that they all seem to suffer from?or is it like being drunk?The media being the intoxicant of course!Spy a camera and yammer your head off…..it just might pay dividends….
January 29, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Dude, seriously this is kinda of sicken me from inside.
This is what I said on IHM’s Blog
———–
As you said pretty ridiculous to have these guys telling us how to uphold the cultural values and respect morals. I mean, come one guys, not you. Leave the criminal record aside. Our parents don’t mind, society doesn’t mind, and for fuck sakes its an individual choice, what a person thinks is moral and their value.
You pervert morons do it, i believe because you don’t have jobs, want to make quick buck, never had a relationship, never were loved, never were cared about, had a tough childhood…what
Now you will assert your ego’s by doing this!!! Guys believe me a lot of bad-dua’s is with you all. Believe me guys so much negativity against you guys, will show up eventually. And guess what politicians who are using you guys a pawns don’t care about you all.
Anyways…sorry IHM, long comment form me. If there is a petition do let us know. Once again guys lets unite together an if anything like this unfortunately happens in front of us, don’t turn our backs but break theirs.
——–
As for there new found support isn’t congress being run by a Woman minister, I mean is she too insensitive of its, case of ‘jab tak mere ghar mein agg nahi lagagi, pura desh jaye bhad mein.’
I seriously something wish these horrific incidents would turn out differently is Sona’s daughter were in the same bar.
Indian Culture, now not too sure.
January 29, 2009 at 7:21 pm
They are hooligans, as simple as that. And maybe idiots too.
January 29, 2009 at 7:21 pm
And Ma’am Dixit has condemned this saying ‘What’s wrong in pub culture?’ Ex-Rajasthan CM Ma’am Raje too did not find anything wrong in that. Gehlot has taken the task of eliminating pubs and forbidding girls-guys to holds hands in malls. WTF? Ladies here are more rational than their counterparts.
January 29, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Every word of condemnation against this new wave of fundamentalism and talibanisation is hope in these days filled with despair. Thanks for being one of those voices Quirky Indian.
January 29, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Amazing. My time in the Bandra-South Bombay and South Delhi neighborhoods, comprising my only exposure to life in India, had significantly colored my views on Indian liberalism. This happened and I confronted the reality of the liberal enclaves of the otherwise conservative great Indian nation.
January 29, 2009 at 10:53 pm
It has become fashionable to be an “activist” these days. Add to it copious amounts of self righteous moral rectitude and a sense of pride in preservation of the Great Indian Culture and what you get is Senas, of all kinds and credentials. I can see more of them emerge in the coming days.
– God save the constitution.
– Man help the God.
January 29, 2009 at 10:54 pm
If the Communist parties had their way, all of India would be a village without electricity.
Lets not listen to anything they say!
January 29, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Bring our ghodagaadi back. We don’t need cars. India isn’t Europe.
Bring our charkha back. We don’t need sewing machines. India isn’t Europe.
Bring our…..aah! well!
To these politicians: Bring your kids back to India from those European schools. Give them Hindi medium education.
We applaud the world of change and ask why we don’t see it here. This is why.
January 30, 2009 at 3:41 am
Indian Culture – the glories of a 5000 year old civilisation that celebrates feudalism, casteism, ignorance, misogyny, cowardice, treachery, selfishness and a total lack of concern for one’s fellow citizen.
—————
great line dude… we all have descended into this hole from our own doing……
January 30, 2009 at 5:40 am
Of course we should never follow the pub culture. Lets have a look at the salient features of our culture. Bride burning, dowry, harassment, molestation and rape of women, treating every white skinned woman as something that needs to be molested, corruption, murder, jumping road signals, bribe…wow i simply am unable to list all our achievements here.
Btw, who is this ‘Ye dur dur dur appa’ to say what is our culture? I for once believe Scindia was a better CM than the MCP Gehlot even though am not a great chaddi gang supporter.
Its precisely why time has come for us to kick out of power all these old men and women above 50 from power. Time for the youth to do something about getting into politics and focus on the real problems facing us.
Look at how LK Advani conveniently avoided all questions regarding youth in politics when he came to chat in Rediff. It just shows that all these buggers talk is bulls***. For power, Advani was willing to make Jinnah his father. I dread to wonder what all he is willing to do get to power after killing thousands of people with his rath yatra politics.
January 30, 2009 at 6:02 am
QI, finally you identify the problem correctly, Indian Culture. Not the Indian Republic. Thank You. I agree with you completely here.
January 30, 2009 at 8:50 am
And they call this a free country !!
January 30, 2009 at 11:21 am
Priya, of course this is a free country – everyone’s free to trample everyone else’s freedom here!
Aaarghhh Sometimes I wonder why these things still rile me, given the sort of political climate I’ve grown up in. Even Shiela Dikshit, a CM I admired, had the gall to suggest that women traveling alone at night were asking for trouble.
January 30, 2009 at 11:35 am
I have always maintained that the only way to change India for the better is by providing better education and teachers who can perhaps be better influences than parents who have a warped sense of the world.
teachforindia seems like one such initiative. but somewhere i know i dont have the guts for it… or maybe i do?
January 30, 2009 at 12:12 pm
QI:
I don’t know that those are unlikely places. It’s election time and, as we’ve seen time and again nothing, like some “save our culture” rhetoric to garner votes. Especially since they know they’ve not done what they were elected for.
I believe there are more Sheila Dikshits in the country; I believe there are people who see through this game. Unfortunately they’re just ignoring the elephant in the drawing room. How much longer?
January 30, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Is this the India we want ?? Disgusting are these ministers who are not understanding anything about democracy and secularism and hell bent upon pleasing the masses.
I think that urban India needs to start voting badly. Because we are not a vote bank no one cares…
January 30, 2009 at 6:20 pm
these people should be publicly flogged and beg forgiveness from those girls! indian culture, my foot!!!!!
its just so annoying that i dont even know how to react! am thinking should get some serious marital arts traini9ng so that if it ever happen to me (not impossible) i can kick them in the nuts!
a$%holes!
January 30, 2009 at 7:36 pm
aahh, what would we do without our moral brigade??
India would be a progressive country if they were not there, what would become of that abyss that we are heading to? IT would be rendered empty, right?? So, for the sake of that abyss, let us at least get up and salute these armies.
January 30, 2009 at 9:54 pm
What is Indian culture? It’s a term so abused by these culture vultures that the real meaning has got lost somewhere! It has become synonymous to archaic ideas being shoved down our throats!
Never thought I would be gagging on an overdose of culture!
January 30, 2009 at 9:59 pm
oh w8 a second aren’t we all going against our culture by talking against these goons? But well it is in our culture to also rebel and fight against discrimination ….
January 30, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Instead of pubs, let’s then bring back country liquor bars, nautch girls, et al – After all they were very much part of Indian culture as they were patronised by the maharajas, emperors, zamindars and the like.
Bring back the “Madhushala”
I hope, they don’t ban Harivanshrai Bachchan for this.
One interesting fact: Congressman Gehlot has declared young couples dating as against Indian culture. So what does he have to say about his boss – Sonia Gandhi who dated Rajiv Gandhi in their student days in England. Obviously, Sonia Gandhi has disrespected Indian culture, right? And it means end to the nightlife of Raoul (Rahul) Gandhi
January 31, 2009 at 12:22 am
Election time. One upmanship is bound to take place. After all the leaders want voters attention to divert from the core issues.
January 31, 2009 at 10:01 am
Frankly I don’t like seeing girls smoking, and I hoped that they would be more sensible than the men who do it! Cause i think it to be a foolish thing.
But ofcourse I totally condemn the ram sena attack, but the truth is that this is where the Indian masses are at.
It is because we live in cities, when I used to work in an NGO with a lot of rural co workers, there was a clear difference in the way women were treated opposed to men. As in they were badly treated.
So while we talk about our freedom what about the fact that the rural masses are getting shocked and apalled by our behaviour??
(I am just trying to look at a solution here; no point just flaring up!)
January 31, 2009 at 11:54 am
They are not guardians of Hindu culture. They are guardians of what they consider Hindu culture.
Hinduism is way beyond the peripheries of morality and bondage. Unfortunately, many people today see it as feudalism, misogyny and casteism that dominated what can be called the middle period of India.
The way to get out of this rut is to not consider the attackers as protectors of Hindu culture. Their education about India is banal. And the fact that they attack and harm goes against the crux of the Indian philosophy.
And yes, the politicians are models of timelessness. They belong nowhere.
February 2, 2009 at 1:15 pm
why there are always irrelevant people who step up to uphold the virtue of women. If they had been concerned about that archaic notion of virtue, they would have stayed home. When they stepped out, it means they want to break away from those long established norms.
February 2, 2009 at 2:19 pm
@Ronak: Welcome and thanks for the comment.
@Indyeah: Finally, it is we who are at fault.
@Chirag: Perfume kitna bhi laga lo, murde se badhboo to aayegi hi. This is our country. You think these guys care about bad-duas? You think the voters care? Look at the people contesting or wanting to contest.
@Hades: More hooligans than idiots, I suspect.
@Oxy: Yes, it seems like that – though this was the same Sheila Dixit who said implied that Soumya Viswanathan asked to be killed!
@IHM: We seem to be hitting new lows everyday. Thank for consistently raising the flag.
@Sajid: Thanks for visiting and the comment. Conservative? Yes. Great? Definitely not.
@whatsinaname: we need to save ourselves from these netas. It is a task even beyond God.
@AD: I suppose letting their “boys” loose in Nandigram is more Indian culture.
@Solilo: Isn’t their hypocrisy admirable?
@Ajit: We are digging deeper and deeper…..
@Liju: Our achievements are going to take a much longer list. I don’t think anything’s going to change….in the elections, we will still vote – if we vote – on the basis of language, caste, religion and region. We will have another rickety coalition with the same pressures and problems. This mess is not going away – it’s just getting bigger.
@Vikram: Unfortunately, and predictably, you’ve still got it wrong. Do you seriously believe that our culture has no impact on the republic and the constitution? If you do, not only are your beliefs more naïve that I thought, it also explains why your arguments are often ridiculous and always fallacious.
@Priya: Anuja has hit the nail on the head…..all we did with our freedom was misuse it. (Which includes looking the other way when others misuse it.)
@Anuja: Well said. And that comment of Ms. Dikshit was simply unbelievable. That’s what I mean when I say it’s not just the goons – even allegedly urban, progressive people like La Dikshit seem to be speaking the same language.
February 2, 2009 at 2:22 pm
@Sonal: Welcome back. Yes, education seems to be the only answer.
@SS: But that’s the point – and that’s what makes it so pathetic. Because if they’re playing to the gallery, in our democracy, it implies that the tune is what the majority wants to hear. Not a very encouraging truth, is it?
As for Sheila Dikshit – you remember my rant on the Soumya case? Perhaps what she meant to say was that women can go to pubs, but not late at night!
@Dhiren: Isn’t democracy about pleasing the masses? This is what Indians want. This is what the netas are giving them.
@Abha: Martial Arts training is always a good idea for a woman in India. Women will have to help themselves.
@Manpreet: I guess we are the people who are in the way of India’s glory and pride!
@Sheba: What we saw on TV was Indian culture.
@Vishesh: Like I said, we are stopping India’s march to greatness by protesting against these goons.
@Ananya: Very good point…..but what our Great Leaders do, and what they expect us to do, are two very different things. Another hallmark of this brilliant democracy called India.
@Mumbai: Voters anyway don’t care about “core” issues. Why would we have such abysmal developmental indices otherwise? Language, religion, caste: these matter more than anything else.
@Priyanka: I think everyone agrees that this is just one of the many instances of violence against women. The reason this particular incident has shocked us all is the audacity of the attack…..in defiance of every law there is, in full view of the media.
As for the smoking (or drinking, or pre-marital sex) bit: health concerns aside, it is a matter of personal choice, and no one can dictate to an individual what her personal choices should be. You don’t smoke and think it’s unhealthy. I respect that. And I’m sure you respect the personal choice of the men and women who do choose to smoke.
@Kartikey: That’s an interesting argument you have there. Care to shed more light on it?
@Tazeen: It’s always the irrelevant – as in faltoo, unemployed, bekaar – people who find such ‘causes’.
February 3, 2009 at 8:42 am
QI, culture certainly has an affect on the workings of the republic, but not on the idea of republic, or the political equality it established (atleast in principle).
And yes, Indian culture has mostly no effect on the Constitution. Indian culture is mostly represented by social stratification and gender inequality, and the Consti has been and is a tool to undermine both these evils.
February 5, 2009 at 11:20 am
@Vikram: “(atleast in principle).” Exactly.
There is a difference between the idea and the real-life manifestation of the idea. And the real-life manifestation of the idea is, quite literally, shit.
“And yes, Indian culture has mostly no effect on the Constitution.” Really? That’s why, I suppose, ours is perhaps the world’s most amended constitution in the shortest amount of time. Culture, for better and for worse, affects the constituion. And you’ve forgotten the fact that the constitution has also been affected by being rendered inconsequential in almost a third of the country, and pretty much disregarded in the rest.
Wake up. Smell the coffee. You can perhaps do more good to this great and wonderful country of ours by getting over your delusions of “East or West, India is the best!” The first step towards change is to acknowledge that things have gone seriously wrong. Living in idealistic denial doesn’t help.
January 30, 2010 at 11:56 pm
[…] to add:- Quirky Indian’s ‘Indian Culture is alive and kicking!‘ has just made me aware of the fact that Communists are not far behind!And so the […]
June 10, 2010 at 10:40 pm
[…] Indian Culture is Alive and Kicking. Literally. […]