Reacting to the attack on a pub in Mangalore by volunteers of Shri Ram Sene, Urdu papers have expressed their views on the broader context of India’s culture. In an editorial, written in anger and entitled, ‘Samaji thekedari ka mausam’, Rashtriya Sahara (February 5) says: “It is true that whatever is happening in our country in the name of progressivism and modernism does not match with the culture of our country. With the winds of western culture many things have come here that are considered not virtuous by us all. But any civilisation, howsoever old it might be would certainly be a victim of changes with the times and there is no possibility of it being static.” It goes on to ask if drinking alcohol, smoking or wearing jeans are bad, why they are so for girls only and not boys? The paper says: “The country has gone so ahead that the urge for becoming Miss India, Miss World and Miss Universe is part of every beautiful Indian girl’s heartbeat. Now, the conservative class cannot suppress these heartbeats.”

While describing young men and women going to pubs wrong, Delhi-based daily Jadeed Khabar, in its editorial entitled, ‘Tehzib ke muhafiz goondey’ (Goonda protectors of culture) writes: “Western culture is raising its head all over the world. But this should not be responded with resort to goondaism in the name of protection of Indian culture.” An editorial entitled, ‘India needs Ram-bhaktas’ in Hamara Samaj, published from Delhi (January 29), says that if volunteers of Shri Ram Sene had respect for Shri Ram Chandra, they would have done something to project the real ideals of Ram to the world. It writes: “Today, to get back its lost prestige and greatness, India is in search of true Ram-bhaktas and not goondas of Ravana.”

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