Mob Lynching, Indian civilization has been known for imparting certain fundamental values like tolerance, brotherhood, harmony, secularism, liberty, etc. across the globe. These values have preserved and protected the interests of minority and vulnerable sections by keeping the unity of our diversified nation intact.
However, the spate of incidents of mob lynching over the past few years has put a strain on our societal values and has led to a heightened sense of insecurities among marginalized sections of the community.
A recent inhumane incident of Palghar, Maharashtra where three impeccable people are beaten to death is a shame one our so-called secular state. What was the fault of those innocent people? Oh yes, they were at fault because they believed in a secular state and their biggest crime was to trust the police who in turn fed them to the mob. This savagery has shaken every sentient being to the core but now, where are those so-called liberals who come waiving the flag of intolerance in every trivial matter? Is this is what we proudly call “Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat? Are we living up to the dreams of our constitution-makers?? It’s high time all of us should understand the reasons behind the recurrence of such mob-killings and measures for preventing them.
Reasons behind mob lynching:
1. Failure of constitutional machinery:
There are no stringent laws to penalize mob lynching, no strict laws against the dereliction of duty. Lack of justice for victims further reinforces the vicious cycle of impunity.
2. Promotions of communalism by vested interests:
are encouraged by an atmosphere of hatred and suspicion created through sustained propaganda.
3. Role of violence in Indian politics:
Popular anger, outrage, and violence are integral features of everyday politics in contemporary India. Thus mob feels empowered to take the law into their hands.
4.Misuse of social media:
In recent cases, it has been seen that social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook are used to spread rumors of kidnapping, child lifting etc.among people and innocent people fell prey to such kinds of baseless rumors.
5.Lack of public reaction:
The lack of public reaction to such kind of incidents implies a degree of acceptability of violence as an expression of vengeance against injustices.
6. Silence of political class:
There is little condemnation of such heinous crimes by those in authority except in generalized terms.
Measures to readdress them
1. Stringent laws to deal with lynching like Manipur, Rajasthan, and West Bengal are the need of hour along with the appointment of nodal officers in each district to check them.
2. States should organize drives and campaigns from time to time to make people aware of the consequences of mob-killings.
3. Preventing further atrocities requires respect for the rule of law and strong prosecutions and expeditious punishments.
4. Draconian measures for dereliction of duty either by police officers or by administrative officers.
5. The states should also keep an eye on the misuse of social media like Whatsapp, Facebook, and prevent the spread of rumors.
It becomes very essential to check these “horrendous acts of mobocracy” as described by the supreme court to stop it from becoming a normal way of life, to save the basic tenets of our constitution, and maintain our social fabric order for what we are known since time immemorial.
