Fearless Vidya, Fearful Times

Filing the report in the office as quickly as possible I went to the hotel where a Delhi based environmentalist was put up. Mangaluru that evening saw unexpected rains and hence I was drenched slightly. As I entered the room of the environmentalist I saw Vidya Dinker seated there discussing environmental struggles and the issue of Mangalore Special Economic Zone. On seeing me drenched Vidya asked, “Is it raining here too?” and when I said “Yes,” getting up from her seat she moved towards the window to peep out saying, “It is raining in Kudubi Padavu. I didn't realize it is raining here too.” On confirming that it is raining in Mangaluru too she said, “Yes,” to herself.

I was shocked to realize that Vidya though did not know of the rain in the place where she was, knew of the rain falling on the soil on the land of Kudubi people for whom she was fighting. It was a moment which in a strange way said how deeply she was connected with the Kudubi people who were to be dislocated from their land by MSEZ. She was more with them than with herself, the moment revealed to me. “You are unbelievable,” I said staring at her for a moment before I sat on an empty chair.

Kudubi Padavu is a village where the Kudubi tribal people live, near Mangaluru. Their land was to be snatched away from them for the MSEZ. Vidya was spearheading the fight against MSEZ and for the Kudubi people.

The Delhi based environmentalist while conversing with Vidya and me that evening recollected someone having told him that “there is only one MAN in Mangaluru and that is Vidya Dinker.” That made all of us laugh. But before the echo of the laughter could fade away Vidya said, “I am not a MAN and there is no need for me to be one.”

Vidya Dinker, along with likeminded people, felt the need to start an organization for the victims of gender bias and atrocities. The need was felt more than ever when the issue of moral policing, which Vidya, like many, likes to call immoral policing, was on the increase. She has fought for the justice of women across all religions and against fundamentalist groups putting to shame the name of all religions.

Once when Vidya and I went to Kudubi Padavu a group of people, sent by the MSEZ, surrounded us and picked up a fight with us. They also took out the blow from the tyre of the vehicle we had taken. Behind these people were standing the goons of MSEZ which made my entire life flash before my eyes. But throughout the fight Vidya just did not lose courage or appear frightened. She actually wasn't frightened. Thankfully her strength made the people back off and thankfully our journalist friend Naveen Soorinje who we had called came to the spot and took us back on his vehicle.

While fighting for the Kudubi people's justice the fight at one point involved the seer of Perjawar Mutt which angered quite a few like me. When I raised my objections to the same Vidya said, “It's not about your faith or non-faith but about the Kudubis, their land and their life. She was of the belief that the seer's involvement will add strength to the fight. Plus the Kudubi people had faith on the seer as a religious leader. Kudubi people's faith was respected by Vidya whatever her faith her stand was. Pejawar seer was never disrespected by Vidya whatever her faith her stand was.

When Gregory Patrao's house was demolished by the MSEZ, Vidya, as I saw in a video recording of the event, faced the police bravely. In the post-Amnesia pub attack incident I have seen her bravely taking on, in public, the immoral police. Whenever Vidya created ripples here and there all these memories always made me say, “Vidya is brave and one need not fear for her.” But now when the goons of Bajarang Dal have unleashed a hate campaign and war against Vidya threatening to rape her and murder her, following her filing case against the Bajarang Dal goons who interrupted the screening of Dilwale in Mangaluru, my heart is shivering and I am gripped by fear.

I am gripped by fear even when Vidya, amidst all these threats, asks me for the translation of a romantic Kannada poem, when I call her to express my solidarity with her. She romances life even at the face of death, such is her love for life, such is her faith in love (in the most humanitarian sense). Such is her courage, such is her bravery. Yet, my heart shivers and I am gripped by fear.

The reason for this being what is happening around Mangaluru these days. Bhuvith Shetty, a Bajrang Dal leader, openly threatened to kill someone and the police did not take action on him. In some time Bhuvith Shetty did end up murdering an innocent human. Even now the police are not taking necessary action against those who have threatened to rape and kill Vidya. How am I to believe that another Bhuvith Shetty is not in the making? Especially when the Hindutva extremists, in the current atmosphere, can pull the courage to threaten people openly and in an atmosphere where the police are also silent.

I fear for Vidya Dinker. I am with Vidya Dinker.

The author is a former journalist, poet and freelance writer based in Manipal