Mangalore bishop decries pub attack

(January 31, 2009) Terming the recent attack on a pub in Mangalore as "beastly" and "inhuman,” Bishop Aloysius Paul D'Souza of Mangalore asked all democratic forces to join to fight "anti-social elements.” The bishop in a statement said all the "democratic forces" should come together to oppose elements that oppose legitimate freedom and rights of citizens. The bishop urged the law-enforcing authorities to initiate stern action against anti-social elements. It rests “with the authorities to bring those involved in anti-social activities to the mainstream," he said. Some members of a group of Hindu group called Sri Rama Sene (army of lord Ram) on Jan. 25 attacked a pub and some women inside it, in their effort to oppose what they called growing “western culture” in this coastal town. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) also condemned the attack and demanded to ban the organization in the state, which witnessed a spurt of attacks on churches in late September. The attack was a continuation of many such incidents which were occurring for the past six to seven months, said their spokesman. Association of Mangalore University College Teachers has condemned the actions of the "self-styled protectors of moral and culture" that attacked the pub. Such actions also brought disrepute to the highly literate and educationally progressive city of Mangalore. The government should check the high-handedness of intolerant individuals and organizations, it said.