In Kannada there is a very popular saying: “as connected as Imam, Sabi is to gokulashtami“, which in other words means what does a Muslim have to do with gokulashtami, a Hindu festival? Well the same could be said of Ayesha Yasmin who joined for the Bachelor of Commerce course at S.V.S.College, Bantwal. Of course, S.V.S. are the initials for Sri Venkarama Swami, the popular deity of the Gowd Saraswath Brahmin community who had a lot do with the founding and running of this college, though as of now it is a government aided institution.

This college got into the headlines for all the wrong reasons as things in this area are now wont to. We are well known for our moral policing, pub attacks, church ransacking, communal riots and “religious sentiments” getting hurt at the drop of the proverbial hat. The latest in this is this curious case of the girl who wants to wear a burkha to college. For those who may not be familiar this term it is a garment which supposedly guards the morals of Muslim women, and according to some is the prescribed dress code for every Muslim woman above the age of puberty. Let me tell you frankly that I may have a bias in this case because the correspondent of the college, Venkataramana, Dr. Bhamy V. Shenoy, is a close friend of mine and we have fought many a issue together in the consumer and rationalist movements. He has taken a stand against unscientific attitudes and beliefs and has been at the receiving end of uncomplimentary remarks from communalists of various hues. Two years ago, he conducted a series of lectures on true education and had invited me to speak about superstitions. After this he had to face the wrath of the community of Gowd Saraswath Brahmins into which we were both born. He had been under attack for inviting a person like me who encouraged students to ask questions about their beliefs, customs and rituals. Probably some of the students had gone home done just that, naming me as the inspiration. Read the full story

If this sounds like the title of a B-grade Hindi movie, I crave your indulgence. It was all of a sudden that Basava Premanand decided to pay a visit to Mangalore to see some of his old friends and acquaintances for what we feels is his last visit. Though we are not inclined to agree with him about that, it is certainly a miracle that he is alive as on today. He was written off when diagnosed with cancer in November, 2006. An eminent specialist to whom he was taken soon after informed his relatives that it would be better to leave him alone as the large lump in his stomach could not be operated upon. In fact it was said that if he was operated upon, he would die on the table. But, a cancer surgeon was ready to operate and Premanand with his usual candor said better die on the table than have a lingering death. Read the full story

This article first appeared in Mangalore Today, an English magazine published in Mangalore.

Welcome to the new saviours of Hinduism who have now graduated from being guardians of morality to vultures of culture. While what they are doing is questionable and one would like to ask whether a culture which has survived thousands of years of attack by a number of forces needs a rag tag band of ex Bhajarangis and those expelled from Bharatiya Janatha Party for its survival, the intentions of this gang are very clear. While culture has many definitions starting from all the combined experiences in a group of people to ways of living, their definitions over ride all these- it is what they say that is the right culture!

Read the full story

There was a protest meet held at Mangalore on the 20^th Feb against violence in the name of “Protection of Culture”. These groups consisting of antisocial elements, had been holding the city to ransom for the past several years through various acts directed mainly against people who did not conform to their so called value systems. Though that was flaunted as the main motive, the members of the groups are basically anti-social elements trying to take advantage of the situation in which a pro-Hindutva party had come to power. These so called cultural police are not bound by proprieties and niceties such as civil rights or even the fundamental rights under the constitution. Theirs is the right of might. Anyone who protests against their modus operandi would be hounded, persecuted and even prosecuted by an ever compliant government machinery.

Read the full story