Goa PWD minister calls for a ban on pubs, bikinis
PANAJI: The culture of pubs, swimming in bikinis on public beaches, massage parlours and illegal casinos is against "Bharatiya saunskruti" (Indian culture) and should therefore be banned, Goa PWD minister Ramkrishna "Sudin" Dhavalikar said on Tuesday.
Dhavalikar belongs to MGP, an alliance partner of the BJP-led government in Goa.
Dhavalikar initially made a statement on Monday opposing the culture of pubs where he said girls go in mini-skirts and other scanty clothes, drink alcohol and dance till early morning. Dhavalikar's statement came after media persons asked him for his reaction about the reported comments by Sriram Sena chief Pramod Mutalik that he would set up a branch in Goa to weed out the culture of pubs because it is corrupting the youth, particularly girls.
By Tuesday, when the statement kicked up a storm, Dhavalikar had added other "ills" that were corrupting Indian culture like swimming in bikinis on public beaches, massage parlours, etc.
When approached, Dhavalikar told TOI on Tuesday, "We do not need Pramod Mutalik to stop this culture in Goa. Pub culture is not our culture. For girls to dance in pubs in scanty clothes and that too after imbibing alcohol till early morning leads to fights between boys over the girls," Dhavalikar said.
Dhavalikar also opposed swimming in bikinis "on public beaches" despite Goa being a tourist destination. "When ladies in bikinis swim on public beaches, do you think that the men are looking at the sea? No, they are only ogling the ladies. Our daughters and sisters should not do this. We cannot sell our daughters and sisters for the sake of tourism," Dhavalikar said.
The minister claimed that since his statement became public, he has received support from many parents and even two Christian priests.
When asked, Dhavalikar said he does not support a ban on the entry of Mutalik into Goa but reiterated that the government would not allow the Sriram Sena chief to create a law-and-order situation.
Though he claimed to be making the statement in his personal capacity, Dhavalikar said he was confident that chief minister Manohar Parrikar would be in agreement with him. "We have closed down several massage parlours in Goa. We will not permit anything that goes against Indian culture," Dhavalikar said.
This is not the first time, Dhavalikar finds himself at the centre of controversy. In 2009, then-home minister in the Congress-led government Ravi Naik had announced that police would probe links of Dhavalikar's wife Jyoti with the Sanathan Sanstha, a Hindu group, then suspected to be responsible for a bomb blast in Margao that killed two of its members. Dhavalikar was then also the transport minister in the same government.
"The comment is outrageous and not acceptable. Such comments from persons holding responsible positions will drive away tourism from Goa. On the one hand the state tourism ministry is making all out efforts to attract tourists and on the other hand some others are undoing their efforts. A woman has a right to choose her lifestyle just like any man. Goan culture as well as law treats men and women equal. The statement of the minister is uncalled for and unwarranted and we need to condemn it."
— Francisco de Braganca, president, travel and tourism association of Goa (TTAG)
"PWD minister's statement endorsing Pramod Mutalik's stand shows that he is openly supporting Sriram Sena. No MLA or minister can impose such ideology on others. We, Goan women have a high moral (standard) and one should not judge a woman by what she wears. It is not a matter of short skirts or a bikini but of a sick mentality. We very well know what to wear in churches or a swimming pool or the beach. You cannot wear saris and salwaar kameez for a swim. Goan women have their parents, brothers and husbands to guide and protect them. May be Dhavalikar can tell his wife and daughter not to wear bikinis or go to pubs."
— Pratima Coutinho, spokesperson, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee
"He is talking the language of (Pramod) Mutalik and more importantly that of the BJP which shares the same ideology. We do not require moral policing and (Ramkrishna) Dhavalikar's statements are sexist. They are born out of certain prejudices and a discriminatory attitude towards women. I do not find any statement from him condemning aggression and sexual assault against women. By making such statements they are trying to find false justification for violence against women and take away the onus from the perpetrators of violence against women."
— Albertina Almeida, advocate & human rights activist
"Each individual has his or her own opinion; (Ramkrishna) Dhavalikar is from a traditional Hindu family and is entitled to his beliefs. It's true that the tourism industry and businesses like mine have certain needs, but we cannot always expect a politician to think like a businessman, and at the end of the day, India already has a huge number of more pressing problems—rising prices, failed monsoon—why are we stuck discussing skirts and bikinis? Let us ignore statements like these and not make them national headlines, as it will only affect Goa's tourism industry if we begin to project Goa as a fanatic state."
— Nandan Kudchadkar, businessman/nightclub owner
"There is no space for (Pramod) Mutalik in Goa as we are capable of discriminating what is good or bad for us. He need not come here and teach us that. Our way of living has been influenced by the Portuguese for 450 years. This influence is definitely there and cannot be removed easily. (Ramkrishna) Dhavalikar may have commented on bikinis with some good intention, but we do not support Mutalik. We have enough NGOs and women's organizations to take care of these types of problems."
— N Shivdas, Sahitya Akademi award-winning Konkani writer
"(Ramkrishna) Dhavalikar is part of Sanatan Sanstha and his statement is part of what the organization propagates. This statement should be condemned as (Pramod) Mutalik is trying to divide entire Goa on religious lines. We have been living in harmony for many years and all religious groups celebrate their festivals and join in each other's festivities. But for Dhavalikar, who has been elected with support from people cutting across religious lines, it is not right to make such a statement."
— Govind Gaude, social worker
"The PWD minister (Ramkrishna) Dhavalikar should do his job properly instead of behaving like (Pramod) Mutalik. He should see the state of the roads and gutters in Goa and not try to interfere in cultural matters. Bikinis do not relate to anybody's culture. A bikini is beachwear and if it not used on the beach, should it be used on the streets? The likes of Mutaliks have lived their lives and want to deprive teenagers and youngsters of their right to life? This a free country."
— Michael Fernandes, chairman, Goa citizens welfare trust
Dhavalikar belongs to MGP, an alliance partner of the BJP-led government in Goa.
Dhavalikar initially made a statement on Monday opposing the culture of pubs where he said girls go in mini-skirts and other scanty clothes, drink alcohol and dance till early morning. Dhavalikar's statement came after media persons asked him for his reaction about the reported comments by Sriram Sena chief Pramod Mutalik that he would set up a branch in Goa to weed out the culture of pubs because it is corrupting the youth, particularly girls.
By Tuesday, when the statement kicked up a storm, Dhavalikar had added other "ills" that were corrupting Indian culture like swimming in bikinis on public beaches, massage parlours, etc.
When approached, Dhavalikar told TOI on Tuesday, "We do not need Pramod Mutalik to stop this culture in Goa. Pub culture is not our culture. For girls to dance in pubs in scanty clothes and that too after imbibing alcohol till early morning leads to fights between boys over the girls," Dhavalikar said.
Dhavalikar also opposed swimming in bikinis "on public beaches" despite Goa being a tourist destination. "When ladies in bikinis swim on public beaches, do you think that the men are looking at the sea? No, they are only ogling the ladies. Our daughters and sisters should not do this. We cannot sell our daughters and sisters for the sake of tourism," Dhavalikar said.
The minister claimed that since his statement became public, he has received support from many parents and even two Christian priests.
When asked, Dhavalikar said he does not support a ban on the entry of Mutalik into Goa but reiterated that the government would not allow the Sriram Sena chief to create a law-and-order situation.
Though he claimed to be making the statement in his personal capacity, Dhavalikar said he was confident that chief minister Manohar Parrikar would be in agreement with him. "We have closed down several massage parlours in Goa. We will not permit anything that goes against Indian culture," Dhavalikar said.
This is not the first time, Dhavalikar finds himself at the centre of controversy. In 2009, then-home minister in the Congress-led government Ravi Naik had announced that police would probe links of Dhavalikar's wife Jyoti with the Sanathan Sanstha, a Hindu group, then suspected to be responsible for a bomb blast in Margao that killed two of its members. Dhavalikar was then also the transport minister in the same government.
"The comment is outrageous and not acceptable. Such comments from persons holding responsible positions will drive away tourism from Goa. On the one hand the state tourism ministry is making all out efforts to attract tourists and on the other hand some others are undoing their efforts. A woman has a right to choose her lifestyle just like any man. Goan culture as well as law treats men and women equal. The statement of the minister is uncalled for and unwarranted and we need to condemn it."
— Francisco de Braganca, president, travel and tourism association of Goa (TTAG)
"PWD minister's statement endorsing Pramod Mutalik's stand shows that he is openly supporting Sriram Sena. No MLA or minister can impose such ideology on others. We, Goan women have a high moral (standard) and one should not judge a woman by what she wears. It is not a matter of short skirts or a bikini but of a sick mentality. We very well know what to wear in churches or a swimming pool or the beach. You cannot wear saris and salwaar kameez for a swim. Goan women have their parents, brothers and husbands to guide and protect them. May be Dhavalikar can tell his wife and daughter not to wear bikinis or go to pubs."
— Pratima Coutinho, spokesperson, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee
"He is talking the language of (Pramod) Mutalik and more importantly that of the BJP which shares the same ideology. We do not require moral policing and (Ramkrishna) Dhavalikar's statements are sexist. They are born out of certain prejudices and a discriminatory attitude towards women. I do not find any statement from him condemning aggression and sexual assault against women. By making such statements they are trying to find false justification for violence against women and take away the onus from the perpetrators of violence against women."
— Albertina Almeida, advocate & human rights activist
"Each individual has his or her own opinion; (Ramkrishna) Dhavalikar is from a traditional Hindu family and is entitled to his beliefs. It's true that the tourism industry and businesses like mine have certain needs, but we cannot always expect a politician to think like a businessman, and at the end of the day, India already has a huge number of more pressing problems—rising prices, failed monsoon—why are we stuck discussing skirts and bikinis? Let us ignore statements like these and not make them national headlines, as it will only affect Goa's tourism industry if we begin to project Goa as a fanatic state."
— Nandan Kudchadkar, businessman/nightclub owner
"There is no space for (Pramod) Mutalik in Goa as we are capable of discriminating what is good or bad for us. He need not come here and teach us that. Our way of living has been influenced by the Portuguese for 450 years. This influence is definitely there and cannot be removed easily. (Ramkrishna) Dhavalikar may have commented on bikinis with some good intention, but we do not support Mutalik. We have enough NGOs and women's organizations to take care of these types of problems."
— N Shivdas, Sahitya Akademi award-winning Konkani writer
"(Ramkrishna) Dhavalikar is part of Sanatan Sanstha and his statement is part of what the organization propagates. This statement should be condemned as (Pramod) Mutalik is trying to divide entire Goa on religious lines. We have been living in harmony for many years and all religious groups celebrate their festivals and join in each other's festivities. But for Dhavalikar, who has been elected with support from people cutting across religious lines, it is not right to make such a statement."
— Govind Gaude, social worker
"The PWD minister (Ramkrishna) Dhavalikar should do his job properly instead of behaving like (Pramod) Mutalik. He should see the state of the roads and gutters in Goa and not try to interfere in cultural matters. Bikinis do not relate to anybody's culture. A bikini is beachwear and if it not used on the beach, should it be used on the streets? The likes of Mutaliks have lived their lives and want to deprive teenagers and youngsters of their right to life? This a free country."
— Michael Fernandes, chairman, Goa citizens welfare trust
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Goa-PWD-minister-calls-for-a-ban-on-pubs-bikinis/articleshow/37595483.cms?
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