Kerala's Shame: When The Police Do Moral Policing!
By K.P. Sasi
04 March, 2014
Countercurrents.org
Why is the police bent on trying to portray Kerala Sahitya Academi and Sangeeta Nataka Acedemi in Thrissur as dangerous places through the mass media, where booze and drugs flow? You will not find anything outstanding of such excessive behaviour beyond what happens in the rest of Kerala. Next to the Sangeeth Nataka Academi, there is only a beer parlour of KTDC, an institution owned by the Kerala Government. This beer parlour is one of the few places in Thrissur where even women are allowed to have a beer without hearing so many social comments from the male public. There is no beer parlour next to Kerala Sahitya Academi, though most of the Malayali writers who visit the institution may feel the need for it.
These literary and cultural institutions are public properties and can rightly be mentioned as commons. Technically, the Chairperson, Secretary and the staff of these institutions are care takers of the public. The civil society can not be denied access to the premises of these institutions, since these are built and maintained by the taxes from the public. It is in these premises that a large number of youth come and discuss with each other in Thrissur. With the present trends of globalization and communalism, obviously many of these discussions revolve around State repression, women’s issues, sexuality, people’s movements and communal fascism. The discussions could also be about music, literature, films, theatre or poetry. Needless to say that occassionsal romances between youngsters also take place, since these are ideal public places for boys and girls to meet. Most of these youths are outside all political parties, but are willing to take part in issue-based politics.
It is becoming obvious in recent times that the police machinery in Thrissur is becoming more and more upset about the discussions on the premises of these cultural institutions. Though indirectly, they have started sending a clear message these days in Thrissur: Do not talk in public places. For if you talk, it may turn against the State! Remember the famous slogan of the Indian State under Emergency during 1995-1997? `Stop Talking and Start Working!’. If the civil society talks to each other under the present regime of Silent Emergency, it may create problems for the State. The present attempts of the State is to silence the cultural and political discourse in Thrissur. But unfortunately, the discussions are becoming wider and wider.
There are also other reasons for the police machinery to worry about. During the last one decade in Kerala, several women as well as women’s groups have raised the issue of the growing self appointed moral policing of the conservative male lobbies. If a boy and a girl are found at night, obviously they are out to start some action, they think. Thus, sexually starved moral police lobbies who may belong to political parties also have created enough trouble for various working women who have travel at night with or without male company. There are several cases on this list. When these issues were discussed in the news papers, even the Chief Minister of Kerala came out in defense of the right of women to travel in Kerala at night safely. Naturally the expectations of the society was on the police machinery to make such protective measures. However, it appears that the moral policing today is being undertaken by the police machinery itself. Apart from harassment of women, even the world famous musician Bob Marley’s photographs are also not spared, for they consider Bob Marley as an ambassedor of drugs.
A few months back, when the police forcibly picked up a girl and a couple of boys who were chatting on the grounds of Sangeetha Nataka Academi without any reason, it is these same teenagers who have been shaped through the discussions in the cultural institutions who came forward and protested against the police action. Finally, the secretary of the Sangeetha Nataka Academi, Mr. Krishnan Nair had to intervene and he complained to the Police IG demanding to release the victims. Such incidents have not been uncommon in the past.
Thrissur is often quoted as the cultural capital of Kerala. But the cultural institutions are increasingly getting threatened by the State interventions against free flowing ideas and freedom of expression. Activists feel that there is an urgent need for the civil society of Thrissur to protect the cultural spaces, freedom of expression and the right to discuss on the premises of common properties like Kerala Sahitya Academi and Sangeetha Nataka Academi. The main reason why Thrissur is called the cultural capital of Kerala is that important cultural institutions are stationed here. These cultural institutions need to be protected from both State terror and communal fascism.
Recently, the Sub Inspector Lal Kumar of Thrissur East Police station forcibly picked up film students, a camera woman and they were beaten up badly. When a woman advocate Asha came with her children for their release, they were also beaten up. Around 200 advocates belonging to the Bar Association of Thrissur protested and demanded immediate action on the Sub Inspector. The CJM issued a non-bailable warrant against the East Police Station SI Lal Kumar. His bail was not accepted on March 3, 2014 and the decision was postponed for ten days. The women’s groups in Ernakulam have already expressed their protest against the police atrocities on women by the police in Thrissur.
What was most interesting is that when the teenagers were picked up by the police and beaten up in the police station, the policed used video cameras to shoot their resistance. But the police was careful not shoot their own violence. These footages were also used to show that the police is absolutely innocent. The policemen today are becoming trained as wonderful documentary producers also!. As a person who has been associated with VIBGYOR from the beginning, I take liberty to express that the camera is not just an instrument of art or an instrument of political expression today, it is also a powerful instrument of oppression. These days, every protest is being shot by the police machinery on video. It is time that we should suggest a video festival of police videos. Who knows, there may be extremely talented camera persons even among the police!
Perhaps the Sub Inspector Lal Kumar genuinely believes what he is doing. Perhaps he has seen too many super cop Malayalam films where all problems are solved with muscle power. Perhaps Lal Kumar himself could be a victim of his perception of his own image. Perhaps this could be the reason why he led a major lathi charge against the activists who were struggling against the chemical pollution by NGIL at Kathikkudam. Unfortunately, women and children were beaten up badly then. Perhaps this could be the reason why the higher ups in the police machinery is trying to protect him, in spite of public protest for his removal. The police organized a press conference to claim that no one was beaten up by the them. The medical reports of the victims tell a different story. The other reason they claim for the police action is drinking in public places. But they do not have any medical records to prove it.
The circumstantial evidences of the behaviour of the police Sub Inspector also show his interest in protecting the communal fascists who barged into the campus of VIBGYOR International Festival and destroyed the office of the festival and also made some minor destruction on the properties of the Sangeetha Nataka Academi. The police so far has taken no action against the leader of BJP, Gopalakrishnan and his Sangh Parivar hoodlums. The activists of VIBGYOR and the audience courageously resisted the communal forces peace fully and the BJP leader and his goons were forced to retaliate. VIBGYOR today is peacefully trying to deal with the muscle power of communal fascists as well as the muscle power of the executive machinery of the State.
The issues to be raised now are the following:
1. Protection of cultural spaces
2. Protection of women from the police machinery which is supposed to protect women
3. Right for the civil society to access the commons
4. Immediate removal of all cases on camera woman Neethu and all others.
5. Immediate action on the Police Sub Inspector Lal Kumar who has physically abused and attacked a woman lawyer, a woman camera person, a minor girl and film students who have been volunteering with VIBGYOR.
6. Immediate action on the leader of BJP, Gopalakrishnan and his goons for leading a physical attack on VIBGYOR International Film Festival and proper compensation for the losses for their goondaism.
7. A public apology from the Sub Inspector Lal Kumar and Gopalakrishnan and a commitment that such fascistic methods will not be used in future.
8. Preserve the culture of the often mentioned Cultural Capital of Kerala.
A statement endorsed by several prominent writers, film makers, film lovers, film students and social activist groups condemned the violence by the police machinery as well as the communal forces. The statement is available at: http://www.countercurrents.org/cc260214.htm
Though the statement was circulated to the press in Thrissur, the mainstream press ignored it and chose to print the police version of the story only. It is a regular practice among some of the journalists of our mainstream press to depend on the police machinery as the only source of information. According to them, the words from these institutions are God’s own words. After all, this is `God’s Own Country!’
Without much delay a protest was organized by the human rights organization, Pouraavakasa Samiti comprising of PUCL activists as well as many other activists, in front of the Police IG’s office. Five of those activists are facing fabricated charges on them for challenging the super cop.
A public protest of a joint action council of various activists groups in Thrissur under the leadership of ex-MLA Rajaji Mathew Thomas took place in front of the Thrissur Corporation on February 1, 2014, demanding immediate action by the administration. However, these public issues need wider support. This issue is not limited to Thrissur alone. The problem is there in many campuses and cities and towns in India.
Today, the struggle is between creativity and muscle power, between culture and goondaism, between misuse of power and democratization of power, between freedom of expression and suppression of discourse, between respect for women and patriarchy, between access to commons and acquisition, between moral policing and moral rights, between State repression and people, between fascism and secularism, between national chauvinism and freedom and perhaps the list may go on if we really go on analysing the recent incidents in Thrissur.
And for those who feel confused about what can be done in situations like this, the only answer is: `Start Talking and Start Working!’
K.P Sasi is an award winning film director and a political activist. He is also an Associate Editor of Countercurrents.org. He can be reached at [email protected]
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