Progressive thinkers in Mysuru protest SL Bhyrappa’s remarks on marital rape

Mysuru: Celebrated Kannada novelist SL Bhyrappa was accused of being a ‘fundamentalist’ by a group of protesters who gathered at Town Hall under the banner of Pragatipara Sanghatnegala Okkuta (Forum of Progressive Thinkers) on Wednesday. Progressive thinkers and like-minded individuals came together to condemn Bhyrappa’s remarks on marital rape.
At a public ceremony held in Bengaluru recently, the Saraswathi Samman recipient had voiced fears over the proposed criminalisation of marital rape, stating that such a move would chip away at the fundamental ethos of Hindu society. Bhyrappa’s statement about the prospect of a husband having to obtain written consent from his wife before he could touch her has left liberals and progressive thinkers outraged, and the protest at Town Hall was held to voice their dissent over the writer’s remarks.
“An acclaimed writer like Bhyrappa does not have to criticise the Constitution. The Constitution is a holy document for Indians. Bhyrappa is an old man, and he is respected only for his advanced years. The people are aware of his ideologies, which he expressed in his novel ‘Avarana’,” said former director of Rangayana Janardhan, popularly known as Jenni.
The senior theatre artiste warned Bhyrappa of staging street plays and writing songs critical of the writer, and performing it in every nook and cranny of the city. “We shall inform the people about his ideological leaning. As a responsible citizen, Bhyrappa should be the voice of the deprived and poor. But, by criticising the Constitution, he is disrupting societal peace,” Janardhan.
Feminist activist Rati Rao expressed regret over a writer of Bhyrappa’s stature passing such remarks. “Rape must be considered a crime regardless of circumstances. India has witnessed such a large number of heinous crimes against women,” Rati said.
However, rationalist and writer KS Bhagavan was refused permission to address the gathering since he had not received prior approval from police to do so. Cops stationed at Town Hall asked Bhagavan not to deliver a speech since they feared that their number was inadequate to offer proper protection.