After jail bharo, it's pub bharo

After jail bharo, it's pub bharo
By: MiD DAY Correspondent Date: 2009-02-06
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Bangalore: Women and child development minister Renuka Choudhury is contemplating launching a "pub bharo" andolan as an answer to Sri Ram Sene's Valentine's Day threat. Renuka Choudhury on Thursday said that the youth should swarm pubs to make their point and teach the moral police brigade a befitting lesson.
For her part, Renuka has also made it clear that Muthalik's attitude was unacceptable in a civil society and any extreme step took by his men would be viewed as a "national security issue".
Malavika Rane in her blog says, "I wholeheartedly support Renuka Choudhary and the 'Pub Bharo Andolan'. It may be political issue for her, but its something we can use it for our benefit.
Venting her ire on Mutalik and his men, Malavika says, "I just can't understand why Sri Ram Sene has not been banned yet. Is it just because the elections are close at hand, the Karnataka CM is turning a blind eye towards such acts? They can think what they like, but they cannot force their 'born in frustration' thoughts on us."
Another blogger says, "It's indeed a good move by Renuka Choudhary. Sri Ram Sene activists, who claim to be the custodians of Indian culture, are bunch of idiots. They don't know how to respect a woman. We don't need any such senas to teach our culture and traditions. I hope Renuka's call for Pub Bharo Andolan will be a hit in Karnataka, especially in Bangalore and Mangalore."
However, Renuka's comments have not gone down well with some of the bloggers. They feel there are other better ways to tackle the so-called moral police. A blogger in his comment says, "Renuka seems to have been inspired by the "jail bharo" slogan of the Indian independence movement. It is necessary to take on the repressive activities of the fundamentalist gangs, but "pub bharo" is not at all a good idea."
Another youth in his blog feels that all this politics of protests would not have been necessary if the police had dealt with the goons in a proper manner.
"Now that a minister has given a call for 'pub bharo andolan', a civil society group has also called for a similar protest on Valentine's Day. Would all this politics of protests have been necessary if the goons had been dealt with firmly by the police?" the blogger questions.
Another blogger opines that Renuka Choudhury in her 'enthusiastic' move to oppose tyranny of the moral police brigade was misleading the youth. "Just because she has to oppose specific people, she is misguiding the youth and actually asking them to fill pubs as a show of defiance! People should live life on their own terms. Freedom should compromised at any cost," he says.