Recent crime data of India is full of mob lynching incidences. Earlier in the name of cow protection and now over rumours of child lifting, innocent persons are being killed. It all started in June 2014, when a young techie Mohsin Sheikh was beaten to death in Pune – yes, without any provocation. The attackers were irked by his Muslim appearance. The matter was taken seriously for obvious reasons and three of the accused of murdering an innocent person were granted bail. While granting them bail (January 12, 2017) the Judge of High Court cited clinching evidence against them on record but said, “The fault of the deceased was only that he belonged to another religion.” With due respect and faith in our judiciary, it may be inferred from the order that, “to belong to another religion” may be a valid cause to kill a person.
On September 28, 2015, one Akhlaq Saifi was dragged out of his house in a village near Dadri, UP, and lynched to death after the rumour of ‘beef in his house’ was spread using loudspeaker system of a nearby temple in midnight. Then came the cases of Pehlu Khan, Alimuddin, and others. In all these cases too, the accused got easy access to bails, sending wrong signals and emboldening violent youth. This series of lynching in the name of beef has roots in “victims belonging to another religion” and in disguise of false religiosity to “cow protection”.
Recently a different trend of mob violence has emerged. In this trend the twin factors i.e. “belonging to another religion” and “in the name of cow protection” do not exist. Instead the rumour of “child lifting” instigates the people. In almost all such cases reported in the media, religious identities of the killers and the killed are the same. The rumours were spread through WhatsApp and FB posts. Our Government is yet to identify their originating source. We welcome the concern of the Judiciary as well as the Centre. After Dhule incidence, killing of five persons in Maharashtra, Union Home Ministry has issued an advisory to states and UTs. However, there should be no doubt that delivering a sermon in the form of an advisory, or a letter to WhatsApp, will not help cure remove the blood-poisoning until root causes are not identified and addressed accordingly.
gravity of the crime
In the last one year 27 people have been lynched, and hundreds others injured by frenzied mobs after “child kidnapping” alerts on social media. From Tripura and Assam to Tamil Nadu rumours on social media made the people blind as they brutally killed or injured un-suspicious strangers. Even mentally and physically disabled persons were not spared. Being an outsider, moving after the sunset, taking an unfamiliar road, stopping to ask for directions, and even offering a chocolate to a child on the way has become life-threatening and in most cases fatal. It was never so before we entered the newly found “national pride era” and “digital India.” What is killing our instincts of humanity and generosity and infusing enmity, hatred, fear, and violence in the minds? Consider the emergence of deceptive slogans of “national pride”, “valour” and “Hindu Rashtra” on political and social platforms.
Root Causes
An on-the-spot study of recent lynching cases (IE- 6&7 July) shows a lack of education, rising unemployment, and other factors playing their crucial role. To make effective corrective measures, the study of socio-economic indicators is a must. Understanding the causes which are creating uneasiness in our youngsters, making them angry and violent is the first need. To stop the occurrence of heinous incidences, through police and administration action may not be enough, especially when the administration of justice has become toothless under the influence of widespread corruption and disrespect to “rule of law” from top to bottom. Under the present system, our Police and civil administration are not free to perform their duty as mandated in accordance with the rule book. They have to face the politicians, who can do anything to make or destroy them for their political benefit.
The study conducted by IE into 27 lynching cases across nine states has found stark parallels in the educational and economic status of the accused persons, their demographic composition and the location of the crime. It found that of the 25 suspects arrested in Dhule (Maharashtra) where five people were killed (July 1, Sunday) on the unfounded suspension of ‘child lifting’ only four have completed higher secondary, five up to primary level, the remaining 15 have never been to school. Almost all of them are unemployed or casual labour. Among them, 15 were under the influence of alcohol.
The study shows that at least 24 incidents occurred in the villages situated deep in interior areas, where education and employment are rare but smartphones are popular. The IE team also found that most of the residents of the village Rainpada in Dhule, where five strangers were killed, had never been to school. They live on low income. Almost all youth who attended up to Higher Secondary, are unemployed, work as daily labourers and comprise a frustrated lot. As Mr. Bipin Bihari, ADGP (law and order), Maharashtra Police pointed out: “When a mob comprises unemployed, illiterate and those battling poverty, it manifests itself in a most violent way. They have anger against the government, various establishments and the society at large, and this pent-up anger finds an outlet in a group that is faceless and anonymous.”
The police are blamed for laxity, delayed action, and corruption. This is partially true. We must also consider the conditions in which the policemen work. The Police lack in equipment and proper training, genuinely oriented men-power. The Police under the political bosses are used for all wrongs. We badly need reforms to make Civil and Police administration immune from political pressure.
It is found that no case of child lifting was recorded in police stations in any of the lynching spots during the last three months. There were only rumours on WhatsApp and FB and people acted upon the false and fake news within minutes. Internet penetration even in remote villages is increasing. Smart-phones in the hands of illiterate or semi-literate hands have become a tool for enjoying violence, porn material and immoral clips which are pushing them into sex crime, including raping minors and committing violence.
As G V Siva Prasad, SP Karbi Anglong, Assam, puts, “In the interior areas, there is less presence of authentic mainstream media… and forwards on WhatsApp or Facebook are considered truth. With the advent of easily available smartphones and social media, people can get — at a cheap price — access to photos and videos. Rumours go viral in seconds. The first response regarding rumours of child-lifting was that ‘this is on Facebook’ — as if what’s on Facebook is the definitive truth.”
Arnab Ghosh, SP Malda, West Bengal, alarmed, “This trend is alarming for the entire country. With advancements in technology, we have to be prepared for crime emerging from social media.”
Soft attitude
The dangerous spike in lynching cases demands strict action against wrongdoers and steps to politically disown them. Instead not only accused, even convicted persons are being freed from the jails within short term on bail and being honoured by leaders of the ruling party. What message do they want to send to the nation? Recently when a reporter posed a question to Tripura CM Biplab Deb regarding mob lynching in the state, he was all smile and said, “I think that you all should think that today there is a wave of happiness in Tripura. You should also enjoy this happiness wave and you will also become happy. And you think for once…. Look at my face, how happy I am.”
In Hazaribagh, Union Minister Jayant Sinha went on to receive and garland eight convicts of Alimuddin lynching case, who were sentenced to jail for life term but came out on bail within few months. The Minister of Modi Cabinet promised them to extend all help. These acts of political leaders look in the line of Government policy.
Centre’s advisory
On July 5, Union Home Ministry issued an advisory and “urged the states and UTs to keep a watch for early detection of rumours and initiate effective measures to counter them”. A home ministry spokesperson stated, “The centre has asked the states and UTs to take measures to prevent incidents of mob lynching fuelled by rumours of child-lifting circulating on social media.”
The directive came four days after five people were lynched in Maharashtra’s Dhule district, over the suspicion that they were part of a gang of “child-lifters”. Two police personnel were also injured in the incident. The lynching followed rumours on social media suggesting that “a gang of child-lifters was active in the area”.
The advisory strangely did not mention other causes of lynching like cow protection. But it should not be construed that this is a licence to kill non-Hindus and Dalits over cow slaughter, riding horse, sporting moustaches and using a suffix with the name used by upper castes.
In spite of taking firm stand on WhatsApp and FB, functioning as rumour churning machines, the centre asked the WhatsApp to take “immediate action” over the “irresponsible and explosive messages”. Union Minister Ravi Prasad Singh seemed satisfied by the “prompt reply” that the company has plans to create a label for the forwarded message.” It is strange why the Government cannot shut down WhatsApp? There are only a few who use these facilities genuinely. Every user should be properly identified. WhatsApp admin should be made answerable for all posts and be properly registered prior to starting the group. Information must be shared with district police.
Certainly spread of cheap internet connectivity and free social media are not the parameter of prosperity. It benefits only multinational companies. Our need is education, employment, physical training, good health services, road and rail links with time-bound services and fewer burdens of taxes and levies. Instead, we are making our youth lethargic as they go on wasting precious time on smartphones.
[The contributor is a senior Journalist and a Civil Rights Activist. [email protected]]