India is a second most populous country of world. The country embraces almost all major religious communities in its composition. The Hindus and Muslims are by far numerically superior to their counterparts. Apart from this wide geographical extent and varied topography gives rise to multiculturalism. That’s what is oft repeatedly quoted “ Nation in making”. Britishers left the politically united India governed by rule of law but what was left unfulfilled is culturally united nationality. This social cohesion governed by harmonic balance is completely missing in the social composition of India. Our country’s mixture is guided by social solidarities where religion, language, ethnic allegiances are sufficiently strong to override the national unity. The manifestation of these extreme solidarities when run rampant perverts to events like Mob Lynching, Communal Riots, and Terrorism etc. The country is facing menace of mob lynching these days. The wide ranging events along length and breadth of country are manifestation of this trend only. From UP to Rajasthan country is boiling due to these bleak incidents. What is it and why does this happen after all?
Lynching is an extrajudicial punishment by an informal group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate a group. It is an extreme form of informal group social control such as charivari, skimming ton, riding the rail, and tarring and feathering, but with a drift towards the display of a public spectacle. To a simple explanation the extreme and wanton killing of a man due to illegitimate action of a mob is termed as Mob Lynching. This Lynching is out of those social solidarities which claim perversion of basic core to apparently support the legal view. In its present status the mob lynching incidents are justified on communal orientation or they seem to be performed for religious belief. Is this religious solidarity or what Amartya Sen terms “ Social Exclusion”. I would more cautious than said Economist to call it a “irreligious exclusion to apparently serve religious cause”. The name of Gau Rakshaks is the lip talk of every conscious being in country. These men support their Thesis to protect Defamation of Cow deemed to be sacred in religion. Nevertheless Cow Is sacred in Vedas which read them “ Aghanya means cow not be killed “but does they support lynching to prefer killing of human being over rearing of cow? The lackadaisical belief of promoting and thereby safeguarding religion by these events shudders one’s consciousness. The dismal picture of country guided by Gau Rakshaks speaks volumes about the tall claims where human beings are murdered in broad daylight.
Mobocracy as is glowing in the headlines is active in northern regions of country. They defend the action in terms of perverted religious narrative. The fail to grasp the essence of religion and siphons it of its moral character. The essence of almost all religions of universe express Compassion towards humanity irrespective of religion, race, caste and sex. Be it Hinduism, Islam and Christianity among others the base rests on foundation of humanity through Monotheism. The philosophy teaches that God is One for everyone and Created of whole world. God doesn’t distinguish between man and man. This philosophy runs through all religions. However country is witnessing altogether erratic atmosphere guided by saga of killing people of other communities on petty nuisance grounds. The role of police in this direction is not satisfactory also. Whatsoever the reason may the ground situation speaks for itself. Mob Lynching has severe consequences for the social fabric and political system of country. First of all it deprives victim from right to life as guaranteed by article 21 of Indian Constitution equally. On the 2nd front it widens the already prevailing gulf between communities. This manifestation may express through communal riots later this disrupting normal functioning of political system of country. Law and order is affected and the developmental activities come to halt. Moreover the overall image of country gets deteriorated for world community. When the report declared country as most dangerous for women, Switzerland Squash star (women ) cancelled Indian tour on this pretext. Same fallout may diffuse in the mob lynching case. This image deteriorates tourism, business, indices and political image of country.
Supreme recently took cognizance of this urgent matter and declared it “ An act of horrendous mobocracy “. It directed the government to take immediate steps for prohibition of this evil practice. In this direction GoM under supervision of Rajnath Singh is looking out the serious matter to bring law for this. However government is not more than a facilitator and regulator although steps need to be expedites on government’s part but citizenry should awake from slumber to leave this in lurch. The steps on legislative part would be to fast forward the law making process for free and fair investigation correlated with strict Punishment as per merit of the case. Those found to be involved be given severe punishment. To a slightly incremental step the law needs to include the provision for life ban on politician involved in such acts either directly or indirectly. The supervision and the awareness programmes at local level be devolved to local self government to make it absolute participatory in nature. This provision will enhance its prestige for after all the matter is social in nature. The executive machinery should be depoliticized from the entire case. The provisions of making DC and SP directly responsible for such events be inscribed and enforced immediately. Law and order shall be strictly enforced. Concerned SHO be permissibly held responsible for any sort of callous negligence on his part. Recent cry over illegal involvement of Rajasthan police in mob lynching death is a case in example. Apart from this long drawn strategy rests on shoulders of religious preachers and politicians. After all the incidents are correlated to politics which prim pumps it with necessary impetus for performance?
Summing up the discussion on this horrific trend leads one to conclude that religion when alienated from its moral character manifests through horrible incidents of which Mob Lynching is buzzword along corridors of country today. I genuinely believe if Swami Vivekananda would come to see this religious allegiance he would fail to demarcate line between ideal and practical. The ideal of heaven on basis of Karma Yug theory is believed to be fulfilled by lynching the men of other community. For Raja Ramohan Roy this tragedy of mobocracy would be none other than mad craze for selfish ends. Off all these great intellectuals the essence of religion interprets to Respect of one’s own religion in complementarily with respect of others as well. The secular Democratic credentials of country are in crisis and the endangering cancerous growth of nip and tuck events makes mockery of largest established Democracy in world. As John dewy rightly summarized Democracy in thoughts as well as deeds. The need of hour is to reorient, reshape and rethink our social functioning or the war like preparations to face degradation of established order in itself. This narrative reminds me the universal dictum “ united we strong but divided we fall “. Unless and until both communities learn to live peacefully, these incidents wouldn’t fade away. Let’s hope society of incremental inclusion flourishes over gradational exclusion to save our country from wrath of mobocracy. We earnestly desire democracy than pejorative form of mobocracy…….
Shakoor Mushtaq can be reached at shakoormushtaq91@gmail.com
