Bangalore: City cops, moral police veto ‘SlutWalk’

Mtoday news/ DHNS

Bangalore, Dec 4, DHNS: The planned SlutWalk in Bangalore did not come off on Sunday, with the City police withdrawing permission for the march, apparently under pressure from the “moral police”.

The organisers of Bangalore’s version of the walk, which took place in cities across the globe on Sunday, had managed to get police permission for the march, but the law enforcers developed cold feet the night before.

A late night call to the organisers from the Commissioner’s office on Saturday, just hours before the march, informed that the permission was withdrawn and a letter to the effect was sent over subsequently.

 

 

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) Suneel Kumar, said: “...We had intelligence reports that the law and order situation could be disturbed if the walk were to proceed, and therefore, we cancelled permission.”
“...There was strong opposition from some parties,” Kumar said, refusing to name the parties or the organisations.

However, a volunteer for the march, on conditions of anonymity, said the police backed out, fearing opposition from organisations like the RSS and Sri Rama Sene.

When a Deccan Herald reporter called Sangh leader Santosh, he pleaded ignorance and directed the reporter to Mamatha, the BJP Mahila Morcha President.

Mamatha admitted of having made a phone call on Saturday asking for cancelation of walk as it was “not in line with our culture”.

Asked whether this was her individual opinion or the party’s stand, she said: “It is both. I did not have to consult people from the party. I took the decision in my capacity as the president of the mahila morcha.”

The organisers of the walk rued that it was the first time that the SlukWalk had been called off because of police refusing permission in any city of the world. “...Technically, they should have allowed us to go ahead with the walk and prevent those people from causing any trouble,” a volunteer complained.

He said: “We are trying to throw light on issues such as sexual harassment but are deliberately being pushed under the rug.” One of the main organisers, Dhillan Chandramouli, complained that in the name of culture, freedom of women is curbed.
“When it is not mentioned in the law about dress code why do certain groups insist on it?

Why is it that in most cases the victim of the abuse is blamed for not having dressed properly?” he wanted to know..

But Mamatha argued: “It is not fair that we expect the male population to close their eyes and walk. It is because of women who dress skimpily that crimes like rape and physical molestation are on the rise.” Another BJP member, Manjula, the Chairperson of the Women and Child Development Commission said: “Dressing in skimpy clothes is provocative and it is the duty of the women to see that they do not provoke men.”

On asking these women whether banning such expressions in a democracy like India was fair, given that societies that are considered more rigid have allowed this world-wide movement to become a success, Majula said: “We cannot compare cultures. If you ask me they should be prosecuted under the Indecent Representation Act.” Claiming that Indian culture had not reached “such a desparation point,” Mamatha said: “Because you see sculptures of naked women on the walls of our temple, doesn’t mean we allow women to walk around in revealing clothes.”

Berin Lucas, a sociology lecturer for over 15 years condemned the ban and said: “I must say that it is a very narrow way of looking at things”