Public anger. Mob fury. People's justice. Mob mayhem. The year 2007, has been a year when the Indian Citizen has risen – at times justified, at times horrifyingly so and on others times in manners that raises questions about We, the people and those who supposedly lead us. And apparently protect us.
It all started eerily with a mob molesting a girl and disrobing her at the Gateway of India, Mumbai, on New Year's eve. And as if on cue, the first day of the year pretty much decided the tone for the rest of the year to follow.
Sample these:
September 12, Vaishali, Bihar: Ten alleged thieves were lynched to death by villagers in the Vaishali District of Bihar on Wednesday. The band of thieves was spotted by a villager who raised an alarm. Within minutes, nearly 200 villagers collected and lynched the men. (Theft incidents have been on the rise in the area with eight being reported in the last three months. People had asked for police deployment, but no action was taken.)
September 10, Nawada, Bihar: An angry mob in Nawada district blinded three youths on Monday after they tried to steal a motorcycle. All three, who have been admitted to hospital in Nawada, have criminal records. (Complaints had been made, again the police had not responded).
September 4, Wazirganj, Lucknow: An angry mob beat a man to death after a two-and-a-half year old girl was allegedly found raped and murdered in his house. The girl's death sent shock waves among the locals, who turned their ire on the neighbour, who was facing charges of raping a 12-year-old girl two years ago and was recently released on bail.
August 29, Agra: Violence erupted in Agra after four people were mowed down by a speeding truck, with angry protesters torching 20 trucks prompting authorities to clamp curfew in Nai ki mandi and Mantola area.
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August 28, Bhagalpur, Bihar: In Bihar's Bhagalpur district, a chain-snatcher became a victim of mob fury, with policemen just looking on. A chain-snatcher — identified as Aurangzeb — was caught trying to snatch a woman's chain in the Nath Nagar area of Bhagalpur. A mob soon gathered and beat up the man.
May 18, Charminar, Hyderabad: Four people were killed in police firing in Hyderabad on Friday hours after an explosion hit the Mecca mosque near the historic Charminar monument. The four were killed when police resorted to firing to control a frenzied mob that had gone on a rampage in protest against the blast.
March 16, Singur, West Bengal: Even as a bandh to protest the Nandigram killings completely shut down West Bengal, the violence did not die down as more than 300 people attacked the Tata Motors site in Singur. Though the police successfully managed to disperse the mob, the crowd managed to hurl crude bombs and damaged the fencing.
Janaury 21, Various points, Bangalore: The IT hub of India showed its ugly face. After sporadic protests against the hanging of the former Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein on Friday, the city saw more violence on Sunday evening. What reportedly triggered off the violence was a religious gathering of the VHP in the minority-dominated Shivaji Nagar area on Sunday evening…
My mind is reeling. All it took was a few searches – only on ibnlive.com – to reveal a series of violent episodes where the Indian citizen rose up in arms. Across the nation in various different incidents of violence, the mob spoke by burning buses, torching jeeps, destroying property.
Even as one tries to formulate the next sentence to this story; one question keeps coming up: The mob does NOT think, WHO is thinking for the mob? WHO is instigating the mob?
So perhaps in Bihar, it's an apathetic police – supported by least bothered ministers – who just do not respond to complaints. Now each time a thief is caught, the chances are he will be dealt with then and there, more often than not, in life-taking ways. By any stretch of imagination, death for stealing is too harsh a penalty. But then, the mob does not think. WHO is thinking for the mob?
So in the Sarvodaya School, a mob–that suddenly appeared, mind you–nearly disrobed a female teacher who was allegedly involved in an yet-to-be-proven sex racket. It was an allegation and so far the so-called 'sting operation' has come out to be a fake. Was it right then, for the mob to react the way when charges were not proven? But then, the mob does not think. WHO is thinking for the mob?
Or take the case of city of IT and intellect, Bangalore burning in January over Saddam Hussein being hanged. Strangely, VHP chose a Muslim-dominated area to hold a religious meeting. Wouldn't a religious gathering of Hindus make more sense if a Hindu locality? So they chose that area and suddenly, violence broke out. Couldn't the mobs see that their fighting would not bring back Hussein? Or that perhaps, Hussein's hanging was not a Hindu-Muslim issue at all? But then, the mob does not think. WHO is thinking for the mob?
There are three months more to go and perhaps another General Election in the offing. Check those mob-rioting dates. The frequency is increasing, every two days there is something… It could be anywhere in the country. Are these mob risings related? Is there more to them? And is there anything you and I can do to stop it?
The mob still does not think… And yet, it is you and I who form the mob. Why don't we think? And if the mob does not think, WHO is thinking for the mob?
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