Crimes like lynching and man being hacked and burnt alive are signs Modi government is weak
The Frankenstein monster now has a mind of its own and is not afraid of its masters. From Mohsin Sadiq Shaikh in Pune, Maharashtra to Mohammad Afrazul in Rajasmand, Rajasthan, the terror being unleashed by right-wing fundamentalists is going unchallenged by the government.
A man burnt alive allegedly for committing love jihad in Rajasthan's Rajsamand. The attacker filmed the act which was later put on social media & warned those involved in alleged love-jihad will meet similar fate. The accused has been arrested, Rajasthan HM confirms to CNN-News18 pic.twitter.com/QrRXS4phAr
— News18 (@CNNnews18) December 7, 2017
For all the talk of being a strong government, the BJP is unable to deliver on the very basics. As the government is in deep slumber, those who fought and died for our freedom are being mocked - one murder at a time.
The government has become so weak that such acts of terror are being filmed and shared to intimidate minorities and even those who are opposed to the fanatics. Their rabid brand of nationalism and appalling sense of cultural superiority is gaining credence while the government is clueless about how to handle this brand of terrorism.
We have come to accept and tolerate such atrocities to the point that the video of a man being hacked and burnt alive barely shocks us. More worryingly, the killer openly enjoys support from sections of the society. With people donating money to the spouse of the killer to express solidarity with him, no longer do we pretend to be a civilised.
The communal innuendoes in public discourse are not subtle any more. Violent threats and announcements of rewards for beheading fellow citizens are being issued without batting an eyelid, even by senior members of the ruling party, while the government drags its feet on bringing them to book. Meanwhile, the government appears to be using all powers at its disposal to silence dissent against it.
Such nonfeasance from the government has led to the fringe elements occupying the mainstream and their lunacy becoming insolent. So much so that on Friday, right-wing groups gathered in solidarity with Shambu Lal Regar, despite the police anticipating such protests and imposing section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which prohibits the assembly of four or more people. Not only did the administration have to face the embarrassment of failing to contain the gathering but had to resort to a lathi-charge as the unruly mob hoisted a saffron flag at the entrance of the Udaipur district and sessions court complex. In the scuffle that followed, scores of police personnel were injured, including senior officers.
It makes one wonder whether the government is so weak that no one is scared of the law anymore. That such atrocities are not only being committed but also being condoned openly by some people is a blemish on our collective conscience. It appears that the government is dealing with such lumpen elements with kid gloves considering that protesting farmers are met with bullets. It therefore makes one believe that the government is not in a slumber but pretending to be asleep. As everyone knows, it is impossible to get a government to act if it chooses not to.
While the scourge of religious fundamentalism is not alien to Indian society, what is worrying is this government's lax attitude towards it. Despite the high-octane speeches, laced with bravado, the BJP government has been completely ineffective in handling matters of public safety. It continues to talk about development and making India a modern nation, but lacks the common sense to understand that a society with such pronounced fault lines is hardly conducive for development.
The hoisting of the saffron flag at the court complex should worry all right-thinking citizens as it is a brazen affront to the very idea of a plural society. Sadly, the frequency of such atrocities appears to have numbed us and the protesting voices have become feeble. Sane voices are being drowned in the cacophony of TV debates. Meanwhile, the media, the so-called fourth pillar of democracy, is silent and appears too afraid to pose uncomfortable questions to the government. While they go ballistic over trivial matters, their shrill silence over the most important issues is deafening. The scaffolding of our democracy is falling apart.