‘Be careful of drunk men on Holi’

VARANASI/LUCKNOW: The raging debate over Nirbhaya documentary and lynching of a rape accused in Nagaland hadn’t died down yet when on the occasion of Holi a controversial banner was put up at Varanasi’s Dashswamedh Ghat, warning girls and women to stay indoors during Holi celebrations as “all man will be totally drunk and that is why all Indian women stay at home (sic)”.The poster was even tweeted a number of times with netizens questioning the insensitiveness.
Boatmen Pradeep Sahani of Dashswamedh Ghat said, “A foreign woman, who has been visiting the holy city for more than a decade, had displayed the banner on Friday morning with the help of locals at Dashaswamedh Ghat. She took the banner with her in the afternoon.” However, the poster failed to dampen spirit as women were seen celebrating Holi in large numbers, said the locals.
River police constables, deployed at Varanasi ghats to warn people from going in deep water, also admitted that a banner was hanging at the ghat till 1 pm on Friday but was later removed.
Deputy SP of Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) V N Dubey, who is also responsible for monitoring the foreigner regional registration center (FRRO), said, “foreigners visiting the city on tourist visa have no right to indulge in such practices. It was the responsibility of civil police present at the ghat to ensure that no objectionable article is displayed at the site like Dashaswamedh Ghat.”
He said that the woman would be identified with the help of boatmen and other locals and warned against indulging in such activities.
Netizens termed the poster as a “bad-behaviour-ahead” warning. “That’s like telling people if we are out to molest, you have been warned,” wrote Sumeer Mathur on a Facebook post which had the picture of the banner. “And they want to ban the film on Nirbhaya?” wondered Anu Arunima on Facebook.
Juhi Saran Mittal from Delhi asked, “Were we always like that? Or this is something new? Or it’s just that it is more visible now? How disgusting are we? Where is the end to this? Sickness. This mindset is incurable!”
On Twitter, the viral picture was tweeted hundreds of times. Mosiqi Acharya (@Mosiqi) tweeted: “Dear PM @narendramodi, have you seen this outrageous banner in your constituency #Varanasi? What a shame!” Some tried to relate the same with the Nirbhaya documentary controversy. “A well-meaning advice to women on Holi in Varanasi. Think this is the culture December 16 rapist’s lawyers were talking about (sic),” tweeted Ruchica Tomar (@ruchicatomar).
Many wondered whether the banner was put by the Varanasi district administration or some miscreants were behind the same. “Is this an actual tourist advisory in Varanasi?” tweeted Sanjay Hegde (@sanjayuvacha) with a picture of the banner. Others chose to question why such a defamatory banner was allowed to be put up at the ghat. Different pictures posted on the social media platforms revealed that the banner was up from early dawn to at least till afternoon. “All man will be totally drunk.. all Indian Women stay at home. Why this banner in Varanasi allowed (sic),” tweeted Kanika Gahlaut (@kanikagahlaut).
Netizens, in unison, slammed the mindset as shameful and termed it as a disease which needs to change. Not all hope was lost though as the tweet by Gunjan (@damsel15aug) summed up: “I am #IndiasDaughter who still has hope in humanity that I live in a safe place. But a notice board in Varanasi :(“
What the poster read
# Welcome to Varanasi to celebrate Holi festival on 6th of March. For your information it is a dangerous festival for the girls. All man will be totally drunk.
That is why all Indian women stay home. For security reason we give advise to the tourists to enjoy this festival with Indian family of the guest house or on the hotel from 8 AM until 2 PM. Don’t give any hug this day!
Nobody keep control so don’t take any risk.