DO YOU HEAR THAT Mr. MUTHALIK? - “GOA DOES NOT NEED MORAL POLICING”

IN THE TOI on 22 MARCH 09- p. 4

A leader and his group booked for promoting enemity amongst various religious groups and causing injury to honor of women boasts of setting up a moral policing cell in our modern, liberal, yet culturally and ethically sound state. Goa, one would agree with me, scores more on a cross cultural, modern thought and liberalism scale compared to Mangalore, the long Portuguese regime and the modern yet morally stable outlook of the people being the main reasons. The leader of the Ram Sene, Mr. Pramod Muthalik, now cherishes a dream to open a state branch of the same party in 10 states including Goa. It was amazing to know that he was cooling his heels in the Gulbarga prison when he was all for his moral policing aim. Wait, the news doesn’t end here. On 16^th March 2009, the district administrator and deputy commissioner banned Mr.Muthalik from entering the Mangalore District for one whole year!! Well, courtesy: His outfit members attacking boys and girls in a pub in Mangalore in a bid to pursue their moral policing mission there, well, you women hitters, ever heard of that sanskrit saying, Yatra Naryesthu Pujanthe Ramnathe Tatra Devata.(Where women are respected, that is where god lies).

In whose wildest dreams, do you think Mr. Muthalik, will a sensible resident of Goa allow you to start an office in the state, especially after that aforementioned excellent biodata which would compete with that of a Hypocrite Hitler? How can a man who boasts of a fountain of morals in his backyard ever think of hitting and causing injury to the honor of women? If not for you, it is for us in Goa to think and take the requisite step.

Morality may be synonymous with ethics or a code of conduct, the word by itself tracing its origin to the latin term moralitas, meaning manner or proper behavior. It would be absolutely bizarre for the Ram Sene to think that our own government cannot take care of the state and the needs and conduct of its citizens leave alone moral policing. But the moot question is, in a society like ours, do we need moral policing at all, and if yes, by whom?

What would you morally police? Pub culture, western dressing, women drinking, smoking, or would u police lovers who express themselves, away from the precincts of the society. The basis on which the whole ideology of moral policing of the outfit is portrayed is absolutely senseless. Why would I as an individual, irrespective of my sex, want to be policed by a divide creating element for the places I visit, socialize at or the drinks I consume, or for the love I express, as long it is not against the law of the land? And if I act in a manner that is allegedly antagonistic to the norms of the law so created, it would be the requisite authorities to take actions against me and not a group of influenced minds attacking me at a leaders sign. Progressing towards the Goan scene, pub culture, cross cultural clothing have been a part of the society for ages, the then crude form of pubs being the Tavern or small restaurants/drinking place literally translated, and the modern outlook of the society being implied on account of the Portuguese regime for 450 years. In fact on a general note… somarasa, madira have been part of the Indian cultural heritage for thousands of years finding mention in ancient scriptures. That woman did not consume alcohol in ancient times has no staunch proof on record. On a contemporary note, in Goa, all these form part of the gross earner tourism industry, with the trends being imbibed in historical paradigms. If this code of conduct is well espoused by rational people in preference to any other options available, then a question of disobeying morals does not arise at all. In such a situation, why would I want a Ram Sene or any such outfit to be a part and parcel of Goa and create havoc out of peace and tranquility over issues that are nonexistent? Our government does take action on issues that affect or hurt the morals of the states citizens, and well account for it.

Conceptions of morals and morality have and should change significantly over time. What may seem modern and futuristic today may be very much an essential ingredient of the society tomorrow. Before I hit a woman who drinks in harmony or harass a couple only because they express their love on Valentines Day, I should ask my own very self whether I would stop drinking, or I would stop expressing love, no matter which way. One might ask why? The answer lies in the very fact that we are a democratic country with right to equality and right to life forming an essential part of the constitution. No one, including you Mr. Muthalik, has a right to deny a woman her right to drink, or from expressing my emotions towards another which form an ingredient of the essence of a human life, so long as it is not barred by the government of my country.

I believe that I have made my locus clear here. Goa, that state that is, does not need you or your elements to inspect us. We are ethically, morally, religiously, philosophically and to get in dept… meta-ethically sound and stable. The states machinery is competent enough to deal with any moral issue if, may god forbid, arise. With Goa`s leaders sounding the horn against the Muthalik “dream moral police gang and their shop” the protest has already begun. It’s high time we take a step forward.

It is not that we in Goa do not believe in god or religion, its just that we believe in humanity and sensible equality all the more.