Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (CLP)

Mangaluru, Apr 8: The Mahila Daurjanya Virodhi Vedike organized a silent protest at Nehru Maidan on Tuesday April 7 condemning the recent moral policing in the district and atrocities against women.

Addressing the media, Gulabi Bilimani, a women activist said, "In the name of moral policing, immoral policing activites have increased in the district. So we have organized a protest to condemn it. In the Dakshina Kannada alone 39 moral policing cases were reported from January to December 2014. In the month of March 2015, five such cases were reported. This is really alarming. In the name of moral policing they are attacking women's rights, the rights which have been given by the Constitution of India," 

"If we are violating any rules, we have our parents or relatives to look after these issues. When a girl is walking in the street she is abused and thrashed. We condemn this so-called 'teaching lesson to women'. The state government is also equally responsible for the rise in such incidents. The state government is not taking any concrete steps. It lacks will power to curb these forces, thus there is a rise in these cases in the district," Bilimani added.

"The police is also equal responsible. The police is cooperating with the moral police activists instead of providing safety to women or to a girl found talking to a boy. We condemn all the actions taken by police as these are actions against the victims of the incidents rather than action against the moral policing activists. The police participation plays a vital role in reducing such cases in the district," Bilimani concluded.

Most of the women wore black and displayed placards condemning the recent moral policing incidents. Men along with a few children were also present.

Vidya Dinakar with other women activists, other members of Mahila Daurjanya Virodhi Vedike were present at the occasion.