God’s Foot Soldiers Exposed
By Raja Jaikrishan
16 May, 2010
Countercurrents.org
The Tehelka sting operation has done what Karnataka state failed to do. It has gathered clinching evidence against Sri Rama Sene president Pramod Muthalik.Last year’s virulent face of the saffron brigade is this year’s gangster.
When his gang attacked women in Mangalore pub Amnesia on January 24, last year, there was widespread outrage over foot soldiers of Sri Ram Sene. Their protest against dancing and drinking (by women) was considered a clash between Hindu orthodoxy and the post-modern religion of consumerism. The gang’s groping and molestation of the terrified women put them in league with lumpens who drive the capital roads raping girls in their zippy cars.
Now Sri Rama Sene goons have been caught on camera agreeing to vandalize an art exhibition in return for money. Muthalik was seen accepting Rs. 10,000 from an undercover Tehelka reporter, who posed as an artist, keen on being M.F. Husain. He puts the artist in touch with his aides ready to vandalize the proposed exhibition at a sensitive Muslim-dominated locality.
Muthalik is seen agreeing to stage the “rent-a-riot” operation in Mangalore or Bangalore. Vasant Kumar Bhavani, Sri Rama Sene's Bangalore head, also suggests that Karnataka Minister for Wakf and Minorities Welfare Mumtaz Ali Khan be invited as the chief guest. It was decided that 50 “boys” would be sent to do the job.
The artist/reporter meets national vice-president of Sri Rama Sene, Prasad Attavar, in prisons in Mangalore and Bellary to discuss how the riot would be staged.
Muthalik on Friday morning complains to police seeking action against the reporters.
Rama Sene and Khap Panchayats diktats abetting honor killings and people with caste prejudices enjoy the patronage of the ruling elite opposed to MNC driven consumerism.
The Swadeshi Jagran Manch of Gurumurthy is a suave version of Rama Sene. Wellness guru Swami Ramdev is their patron saint. For India shining they favor labour-intensive Indian business. This approach is closer to the Chinese (Pre-globalization). They accepted deaths of workers to displacement of people due to labour –intensive mining. Mostly in double digit, sometimes in three digits, Xinhua reported deaths of Chinese miners.
Priests of consumerism support rights activists’ protest against Rama Sene brand of violence.
Being a witness to vandalizations of art works one condemned them as philistines and hired saboteurs, ignorant of why and what of their actions. The expose tempts me to say: ‘Didn’t I say so’.
Muthalik, Mahinder Sigh Takiat, Raj Thackery appeal to people in metros who cling to bare subsistence-level acquisitions of counterfeit goods. The followers of consumerism perceive Rama Sene as god’s foot –soldiers, but they turned out to be scared men with feet of clay.