Mangalore: Meeting focuses on need to fight moral policing in district
Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (MD)
Mangalore, Dec 26: A consultation workshop was held by like-minded people at NGO hall here on Thursday December 26 to discuss the issue of moral policing and crimes against women in the district.
Addressing the meeting, Asha Nayak, advocate said, "We are living in a world where police are doing nothing and locals are taking law into their hands. Everyone knows what is going on in Mangalore. Yesterday in Pilikula, teenaged boy and a girl were accosted by activists of Hindu organisation. The police instead of taking the Hindu activists to task, called the boy and girl along with their parents to the police station."
"When the family comes into the picture, a boy or a girl changes the statement. This consultation workshop is to let people know what is going on in Mangalore. We do not have round-the-clock lawyers to help us," she added.
"People say that a person who commits a crime must be punished, but no organisation is insisting on it. Only the media is taking these things seriously. Politicians support all these things only when there is an election coming and they need voterss," she said.
Vidya Dinker, social activist said, "We want cent percent commitment from all the like-minded organisations. We should not hide from these things, we must fight back. Already Mahila Daurjanya Virodhi Vedike and DYFI are protesting for this cause. When anything bad happens, it is remembered only for a few days and protests will take place. These are all momentary, soon everything is forgotten. In schools and colleges, student welfare offices must organise awareness programmes regarding moral policing."
She added, "When a girl complains that she is being accosted by a few men, the girl is highlighted by everyone, but not the criminals. The privacy of the girl is exposed. We need enough people to support us and fight for the cause."
"Our next main task is gathering all the people and spreading awareness regarding moral policing in all the colleges," she said.
PUCL state president P B Desa and others were present.