Sri Ram Sena

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The Shri Ram Sena (literally, "The Army of Lord Ram") is a right-wing Hindu group founded by Pramod Muthalik, a former member of the RSS, the Bajrang Dal and the Shiv Sena.^[1] (English transliterations of Shri Ram Sena include the variant spellings Sri, Shriram, Rama, and Sene.)

Contents 1 Sena acts in 2008 2 2009 Mangalore Pub Attacks 3 Abduction of MLA's daughter 4 Valentine's Day Issues 5 Ban 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Sena acts in 2008

On August 24, 2008, the Sri Ram Sena vandalized an exhibition of M F Husain's paintings in Delhi.^[1] The Sena claimed that M F Hussain had painted Hindu gods in a derogatory manner, including a nude representation of Bharathmata(mother India). The exhibition had been organized by Sahmat, an NGO, to protest the controversial exclusion of Husain’s works from the concurrent India Art Summit. The artist's framed paintings and photographs were smashed. The vandals left behind scribbled notes attacking Husain.^[2]

The Sena was implicated in numerous attacks on churches in Karnataka during September 2008, claiming they were issuing pamphlets defaming Hindu gods and promoting conversion.^[3]

They reportedly have also attacked various fashion shows including one at Moti Mahal in Mangalore on December 20, 2008.^[4]

The Sena has repeatedly spoken out against the celebration of Valentines Day, and has said it will stage protests against it.^[5]

The group also finds mention in the Malegaon blast charge sheet filed by the Maharashtra Police. In the transcript of a conversation, the prime accused Colonel Purohit is heard praising the Shri Ram Sena, and calling Muthalik its leader.^[1] In an interview given to a website, Muthalik staunchly defended Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, another key accused in the Malegaon blast case, saying she is innocent. After the investigation its found that there is neither any involvement of sri ram sena nor Pramod Muthalik in this case^[1]. In an interview with Redriff, Pramod Muthalik, saying "Look at the Hubli case where so many terrorists were arrested. These arrests helped in cracking a nation-wide nexus of the Students Islamic Movement of India. It was our boys who gave information about these terrorists and on the basis of our information the police nabbed these anti-national elements." ^[6]

On October 27, 2008, activists of the Sena ransacked the central office of the Samajwadi Party in New Delhi, in retaliation to alleged defamatory comments made against slain Delhi Police Inspector M C Sharma by SP leadership. Taking responsibility for the attack, the outfit's national general secretary Binay Kumar Singh told PTI that he and his supporters had entered the premises of the SP office at Copernicus Lane and damaged some vehicles parked inside, as well as furniture and hoardings.^[3]

[edit] 2009 Mangalore Pub Attacks

On January 24, 2009, the group gained notoriety by attacking girls in a pub in Mangalore. A group of 40 activists of the Sri Ram Sena barged into the pub "Amnesia — The Lounge" and beat up a group of young women and men, claiming the women were “violating traditional Indian values”. The video of the incident has become one of the most watched clips on YouTube. ^[7]

Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik apologized for the attack at a Mangalore pub, saying the way the right-wing group acted "was wrong" but insisted it was done to "save our mothers and daughters".^[8]

He was later arrested under IPC section 153 by the Karnataka Police for some other case.^{[9][10][11][12][13]}

The Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa, also from the ruling BJP party of Sangh Parivar, had said the Shri Ram Sena is not a Sangh Parivar outfit and asserted that stringent action will be taken against the culprits.^[14] He also has ruled out banning the Shri Ram Sena even though the outfit’s chief admitted to wrong doing.^[15][16] The CM has also stated that Sri Ram Sena may not have been involved in the Pub attack, stating that "Five out of the six culprits have been arrested. Most of them (culprits) are not from the state. They do not belong to either BJP or Sri Ram Sena." This conflicts with the statement of the Sena chief, and the arrest of the Sena leader.^[17]

The Ram Sena chief has threatened a similar protest on Valentine's Day.^[12]

Around 27 people were arrested related to this incident till now.^[11] The Shri Ram Sena, which has 1,000-1,500 cadre in the coastal Karnataka region, had threatened to carry out a state-wide bandh if Muthalik was not released by 29 January 2009, Thursday evening.^[18] A pub attack victim has told NDTV that she received threat calls.^[19]

The Union Minister for Women and Child Welfare Renuka Chowdhury commented on this as "Mangalore being Talibanised ". Based on a case filed by the BJP-led Mangalore Corporation mayor Ganesh Hosabettu^[20][21] against the minister saying her comments brought disrepute to the city, a Mangalore magistrate's course directed the police to register a FIR against Renuka Chowdhury under sections 153(a), 153(b) and 505 of IPC, since she ignored a legal notice directing her to apologise for her remarks.^[22] Responding to the case, Renuka Chowdhury replied that allegations being made against her were part of a "political conspiracy" to divert attention from the "actual issue" of attacks on women by "lumpen elements" trying to impose fundamentalist ideologies.^[23]

[edit] Abduction of MLA's daughter

On February 6, 2009, the daughter of MLA C H Kunhambu. The abductors were suspected to be members of the Sri Ram Sena.^[24]

She was traveling from Kasargod for an exam, along with a male companion, who is Muslim. She was told that Hindu girls should not speak to Muslim boys. The two of them were then dragged out of the bus, and were put into an autorickshaw and taken away. She was released after an hour. Her companion was released later, after being tortured.^[25][26]

Sena chief Pramod Muthalik said the allegations about its involvement in the abduction were false.^[27]

Soon after, the police arrested 5 persons and were trying to find out if they were associated with any group. The perpetrators claimed that they were actually members of the student wing of the CPM, the DYFI. The MLA in question is also a part of the CPM.^[28]. On its part, the DYFI has said it has no connection with the incident, and the victim mentioned a Hindu religious organization in an interview with news agencies, leaving a doubt as to which organization was really behind the incident. Later the police confirmed that it was indeed the DYFI who was behind the attack.

[edit] Valentine's Day Issues

On January 2009, Muthalik announced an action plan to target couples found dating on February 14, Valentine’s Day. He said "Our activists will go around with a priest, a turmeric stub and a mangalsutra on February 14. If we come across couples being together in public and expressing their love, we will take them to the nearest temple and conduct their marriage.^[29] On 9th feb 2008, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said that "Sri Ram Sena is a threat to the country. The Centre is watching its activities with great concern" ^[30]

The remarks of Muthalik raised widespread criticism and protests like the Pink Chaddi Campaign. As an additional precaution, Muthalik and 140 others of the Sri Ram Sena have been held in preventive custody on Valentine’s Eve ^[31] and released 4 days later.

To distance themselves from the Sri Ram Sena group, the RSS called for stringent action against the group, and said that they would have no objections should the government ban them.^[32]

[edit] Ban

Sri Ram Sene was banned in Goa in March 2008.^[33]

[edit] See also

• Hindu Taliban
• Hindutva
• Pink Chaddi Campaign

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Shri Ram Sena