Mutalik: No one can take me For granted

Sri Ram Sene chief takes time out for a candid chat with B V Shiva Shankar on V-Day, which must be one of his busiest days of the year

Pramod Mutalik (pictured) spent a peaceful Valentine's Day in Kolkata, three days after a group of youth blackened his face for threatening to disrupt V-Day celebrations again.
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Taliking to MiD DAY on Lovers' day, the Shri Ram Sene chief said he was immune to insults like people blackening his face and that the violent protests that ensued proved that nobody could take him for granted. An excerpt...

How did you remove the black ink from your face?
Our workers were around when the incident took place and they took me to a toilet in Ravindra Kalakshetra. Somebody brought a piece of soap and washed my face. It was not that difficult to wash because it was just ink and not some chemical paint.

What was going through your mind when they blackened your face?
I have faced bigger insults than this and I am immune to these things, so I remained calm. But they (the youth) brought shame to the Hindu community as a whole by blackening my face and the people's violent protest in response is testimony to this.u00a0

Are you justifying the violence that broke out following the incident?
No, I am not supporting the violence. But, the protests showed that nobody can take me for granted. It is also a lesson for the ruling BJP, the police were arresting me whenever the government wanted. Now, they know they cannot touch me.u00a0

But, reports say the Karnataka bandh called by your organisation was a failure?
Who said that? The bandh got a good response in parts of north Karnataka and the coastal region. Don't go by the people's reaction in cities like Bangalore. The message was loud and clear: You cannot take us for granted.

According to police sources, a TV channel had stage-managed the incident to help enhance TRP ratings?
Police commissioner Shankar Bidri has said that. The investigation is on and I cannot name the channel now.

You had pledged to prevent Valentine's Day celebrations in the state, but you are in Kolkata. Is this not escapism?
No, my being in Kolkata had been scheduled long back. I came here for the second anniversary of Hindu Sangati, a Hindu organisation. My workers are there to ensure the failure of this vulgar festival anyway.

Lovers were reportedly happy with your absence. Any comments?
We were able to prevent the celebration in all parts of the state except Bangalore. I would say the success rate was 80 per cent. It was Sunday, so the colleges were also closed. This helped us to a great extent.

The Sene forced two couples to get married today. Did you take their parents into confidence?
That wasn't necessary because the couples were majors. We have to encourage inter-caste marriages so that we can get rid of casteism.

Why don't you support the marriage of people from different religions?
We won't support inter-religion marriages because it will spoil the Hindu religion. If anybody decides to follow Hinduism to marry a Hindu counterpart, he or she is welcome. But not otherwise.

An old question to you. When you are not married, what right do you have to force anybody to marry or not fall in love?
An old answer to your old question. I am not married because I have dedicated myself to social service. That does not mean, however, that I am not qualified to talk about the subject.

Any chance of changing your mind and falling in love with a woman?
Never, no chance.

Former minister Renuka Chowdary had offered you a kiss last year. Did you meet her?
No, I didn't want to meet her.

What if she meets you with the same offer?
She will not be allowed. And please don't talk about this.

People like Kannada Chalavali Vatal Paksha leader Vatal Nagaraj have taken a pledge to get you married.
They will fail.

Last year, when you dealt with V-Day, you didn't know who gays and lesbians were. Have you learnt anything on the subject?
Yeah, I learnt about homosexuality from my people. I had to learn about this because the Delhi HC has decriminalised homosexuality. I came to know that homosexuality is the West's gift to our country and we definitely don't want this.