A group of young Indian women plan to send pink knickers to a Hindu radical organisation that attacked female students in a pub last month and is also threatening to target unmarried couples celebrating Valentine’s Day.
The Consortium of Pub-going, Loose and Forward Women – which had more than 10,000 members by last night – is urging Indian women to defy the radicals by enjoying a drink at their nearest pub on Saturday.
The group was founded on Face-book last week in protest at the Sri Ram Sena (Lord Ram’s Army), which assaulted several young women last month in a pub in Mangalore, a college town in the southern state of Karnataka.
Pramod Mutalik, the SRS leader, said at the time that his followers were “custodians of Indian culture” who had prevented the women at the pub from going astray.
That prompted outrage from women’s rights activists and stirred a national debate about culturally acceptable behaviour for women in a society that is changing but still deeply conservative. Mr Mutalik was arrested but has been bailed. He has vowed to force unmarried couples found together on Valentine’s Day to either get married or to tie rakhis – string bracelets – on their wrists signifying that they are brother and sister.
The consortium responded by asking supporters to send in pinkchaddi– Hindi slang for underwear – which it will post to the SRS on Friday.
The chaddi gesture is an allusion to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the biggest and oldest group in the Hindu nationalist movement, which includes the SRS and the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party. RSS members are often called chaddi wallahs because their uniform includes baggy khaki shorts. “These people are not loonies – they’re guys looking for political capital,” Ms Susan said. “The worrying thing is that we’ve seen before in this region how there can be a period of freedom and then it’s taken away. Look at Afghanistan.”
There was no comment from Mr Mutalik, but he has made it clear that he will continue his campaign against “Western deviations” from Indian culture. “Valentine’s Day is definitely not Indian culture,” he was quoted as saying last week. “We will not allow celebration of that day in any form.”
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| Pink Chaddi vs Pink Saree...which one would you prefer? Muthalik has offered Pink sarees in return for Pink Chaddis!!! On Valentine's daye Sri Ram Sene Cheif Pramod Muthalik said that dating couples in Karnataka would be forced to ger married... Ram Sene, who is now out on conditional bail in the Mangalore Pub attack case, has made it clear that his outfit will disrupt Valentine's Day celebration as it is against Indian culture. So do you agree with Ram Sene or would you like to throw rotten stuff on him?? Let's discuss... | |
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