It was a day of shame for India and everyone was shocked to learn, through a viral video, how two Kuki women were paraded naked by a large number of howling hooligans, who were molesting them shamelessly, dragging and criminally gangraping them before finally throwing them in a wayside farm. This inhuman crime was committed in broad daylight on May 4. But it came to knowledge of citizens only when the video went viral on July 19. CJI D.Y. Chandrachud, in a suo motu action, said it was the “grossest constitutional and human rights violation.” He said the government should take urgent action, and if it is not happening, he will take action.The Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not attend the opening session of Parliament. He chose to address a press conference outside the Parliament House, in which he said that the incident has shamed the 140 crore Indians and assured that the law will act with its full might and no guilty will be spared.
This shocking incident has anguished not only India but the whole mankind. Its reverberations have been seen all over the world. It has struck one more nail in our dwindling fame in the civilized world. It should be remembered how former US president Barack Obama remarked about the treatment of minorities in India which may pose a danger to the integrity of India. The European Union also has criticised our government for neglect of human rights, bad treatment of minorities, burning of churches and widespread and continuing violence in Manipur. Political observers, social activists and opposition parties are squarely holding responsible the style of functioning of our government for this disturbing and warlike situation.
Some observers have reminded about the anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002 when thousands of murders, arsons and rapes were committed brazenly. It was the time when then India’s Prime Minister, Mr. Vajpayee reminded Mr. Modi, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, to follow Raj Dharma (the duty of a ruler). A few months back a B.B.C. documentary portrayed all those condemnable incidents and suggested that Mr. Modi was responsible for those incidents and he did not do his duty. That film was banned by the present dispensation. But it has been viewed in the free world by crores of people. It tarnished our image badly.
India’s common people have been continuously suffering from inflation, unemployment and lawlessness. The national and regional political parties have joined hands under the banner of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). They have resolved to fight 2024 general elections jointly and do away with the misgovernance and communal and authoritarian policies of the present government.
It is time the Modi government took urgent corrective steps and shunned the divisive policies. The writing on the wall is crystal clear. Don’t tolerate violence and crime, dismiss criminals from the party. Don’t divide people on religious and ethnic lines. Don’t adopt majoritarian policies to destroy minorities. Follow law and order, don’t adopt polarisation for dividing Hindus, Muslims and other religious communities. Don’t damage the federal structure of this great country. Don’t fall prey to crony capitalists and don’t sell India to the Adanis and Ambanis.
The message is loud and clear. People will no longer tolerate undemocratic, communal, parochial and fascist policies. It is time to mend the ways, otherwise it would be end of days.