Alcohol blamed for Mangalore attack

Bangalore: Participants at a discussion claimed “alcohol” was the main reason for the recent attack at the Morning Mist Homestay in Mangalore. Kannada thinker M Chidananda Murthy, senior advocate Pramila Nesargi, Women’s Commission head C Manjula and KSTB chairperson Sacchinanda Hegde said the victims were under the influence of alcohol. During a seminar on the ‘Role of Alcohol and Drugs in the Mangalore Attack’ that was jointly organised by the Karnataka State Temperance Board (KSTB) and Karnataka Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi at Gandhi Bhavan on Monday Hegde insisted that the victims were part of a rave party.

“According to my fact-finding, I have learned that it was a rave party. It was portrayed as a birthday bash as daughter of a police official was present at the party. However, what they consumed is what needs to be discussed,” he said. “Was the attack right? No. But then, are we justifying the acts of drinking and immorality? The officials found beer bottles at the homestay,” he added.

C Manjula, who recently submitted a report on the homestay attack, hit out at “pseudo-feminists” for not raising their voice over other instances of atrocities against women. “Where was your consciousness when a girl was pushed out of a train in Mandya? Thousands of women are suffering, and there’s no one to talk about it.”

She reiterated her claim that victims of the homestay were consuming drugs. “Why was I criticised when all I asked for was a probe into this? I didn’t ask for a death sentence!” she said, adding that irresponsible district administration was responsible for such behaviour of youths.

Nesargi demanded a law that mandates having licences to party. Referring to the attack, she averred, “Necessity knows no law. They (attackers) probably went there with the objective of saving the girls from the clutches of alcohol. In United States of America and Britain laws restrict any person from participating in rave parties. Are we waiting for a death to bring a law?”

One Bachelor of Arts student from Sheshadripuram College in the audience asked the panelists why they were not raising their voice against manufacturers of alcohol and tobacco. His question remained unanswered till the end.