When we observe people behaving so ruthlessly arrogating to themselves the right to behave as they want with least respect to law, we wonder whether we are moving a step forward or retreating two steps backward.
Cow vigilantism has been a new term brewing up since the last couple of years. Ever since the concept of ‘gaurakshak’ was introduced by the right wing activists to protect the cows, attributing divinity to it as per their religious beliefs, a lot of hooliganism is being committed by the self-styled guardians of law, randomly targeting the people as per their whims and inflicting worst humiliation on them.
So many people have been mercilessly killed alleging they were taking the cows for slaughter.. Charges have been levelled on people that they were storing beef in their houses and the brutal groups have even killed one person though it was found the meat was mutton and not beef.
Of late a new trend is emerging wherein mischievous elements have been spreading the rumours of child lifting on social media and targeting innocent people, and the mobilised gangs butchering them to death.
Recently, five nomadic tribesmen in Dhule village of Nashik in Maharashtra were clobbered to death by hundreds of villagers on suspicion of the child lifting rumours, despite the police intervention. It is shocking that since May 20, 14 deaths have been reported from 10 states across India, by inciting people on social media through videos and messages that outsiders were lifting the children.
The Supreme Court while dealing with a bunch of petitions filed by activists on the subject has observed that no matter what the motive is, mob lynching is a crime and being a law and order issue the onus lies on the State governments to stop the menace. Apart from these two types of cases it is observed that quite often particularly in crowded places, when there are any instances of pickpocketing, eve teasing, etc, people just hammer the offenders at times even maiming them. Sometimes innocent people are targeted to settle past scores. How right are the people when they take law in their own hands?
Strict laws need to be framed making lynching an offence to be severely punished no matter what the motive is. Further adequate compensation should be paid to the afflicted irrespective of the victim’s religion, caste, race or gender.
