For many Mangaloreans, the assault on young men and women who were celebrating a birthday in Morning Mist Homestay at Padil on July 28 was the culmination of smaller, unreported attacks and threats that party organisers had received for months.
Similarities
Four months ago, a group of around 20 Hindutva “activists” stormed a party organised by college students at Bajjodi in the city. According to an eyewitness, the scenes played out at Padil were similar to that witnessed at Bajjodi: from involvement of one of the key accused in the latest attack and targeting of women in the party to showing beer bottles in front of the camera.
The eyewitness said a Hindu woman was targeted to the point to being “molested” as she “was found in a party organised by Catholics”. Like during the Padil incident, no policewoman was present at Bajjodi to escort the assaulted women. Though police were called, a “compromise” was reached between the victims of the Bajjodi incident and the assaulters, according to the eyewitness.
An event organiser in the city said there was “an atmosphere of fear”, wherein after receiving threats, the police would advice them to cancel the parties instead of providing security.
The cancellation of Mangalore Country Club’s ‘You and me’ party, which was scheduled ahead of Valentine’s Day this year, was a case in point, he said. “Even though the party was meant for families, the club received threats from certain people. Following which, the police advised us to cancel the party,” he said.
In April, he said, an event organised at Pegasus Bar and Restaurant had to be cancelled after a group of men verbally abused women dressed in “western outfits” at the venue.
“There is a sort of Taliban mentality. Either they (Hindutva ‘activists’) get used to us, or we get used to them,” he said.
Police excuse
The owner of a club in the city said there was a general belief in the inability of the police to provide protection even after being informed about such threats.
“Often, the police claim lack of manpower and advice us to cancel the event to prevent any untoward incident,” he said.
Majority of threats to clubs and minor attacks occurred because the Hindutva “activists” misunderstood the notion of a live band, he said. “They automatically assume that a live band means girls dancing at the event, instead of a band performing for the dining guests,” he said.
