Mangaluru: Renowned social rights activist and Secretary of All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA) Kavitha Krishnan gave a call to all the youngsters to speak for their rights and be dissenters in their approach.
Addressing the students on ‘Freedoms and Dissent in a Democracy’ at St Aloysius College here on Monday February 8, Krishnan said that any country is best known by its dissenters. Terming them as the most patriotic lot, she said that it is by dissent that one can reform the society. Citing the examples of BR Ambedkar and Lenin, she said that they differentiated from the widely followed norms to form a better society and stood for their opinion even though they had to face witch hits and succeeded in refining the society.
She said a country’s hopes lie in those who challenge the odds.
However, she said that being a dissenter will earn an individual the title of being an anti-national. Referring to the case of PhD scholar Rohith Vemula who committed suicide, she said that Vemula was a staunch follower of Dr Ambedkar and organized agitations demanding facilities. He was a member of Ambedkar Seva Association and differed in views shared by the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). She said that unfortunately, ABVP members have been misusing their powers as their ‘big daddy’ is in power and they termed Vemula as an anti-national. She pointed that several Dalits had resorted to suicide and most of them had a structural reason.
Slamming the ABVP, she said that they lack the power of reasoning as most of them do not read and blindly use bullying power to get things done.
While she called few activities of the ABVP as immoral policing, she also said that immoral policing also happens to women in a phased manner at homes and among relatives. She said that a woman’s freedom is taken away in the name of safety. “A girl is supposed to reach back home soon after class or duty hours. She is not supposed to mingle with men. However, in most cases, she is physically and exploited but men belonging to her family. On the other hand, one gets to learn much more than what is mentioned in the textbooks when she socializes,” Krishnan said.
She questioned a circular by the Karnataka government issued to colleges to inform parents as to what time the college would leave so that they could pick her up. “The reason said for this is safety which cannot be justified,” she said.
Krishnan opined that the oppressed, deprived and the marginalized class should be allowed to have a greater say so as to create a society which can think and act freely.
