The vigilante attack on Jharkhand tribals is not just an incident, it is symptomatic of a system that condones it

Seems the eastern State of Jharkhand, which accounted for 17 of the 44 lynching deaths in the country between May 2015 and December 2018, is unlikely to get rid of the tag of being a “hotbed” of cow vigilantism anytime soon. If anything, it demonstrates how an artificially created fear psychosis and the vicarious thrills it generates are being used to create an ambient temperature and vote polarisation before the Assembly elections. Most worrisome is the fact that attacks on minorities seem to be an easy tool as the perpetrators are pretty sure that they can avoid the law. Just three months ago, 24-year-old Tabrez Ansari was killed on the alleged suspicion that he and two of his friends were guilty of theft. Despite viral videos on what should have been an open and shut case, the accused were let off at first and booked only after a public outcry and a detailed medical inquiry. This time three Christian tribals — Kalantus Barla, Philip Horo and Kachhap —  were attacked in Khunti district in the belief, arising from a chain of whatsapp messages, that they were carving out meat from the carcass of an animal. Overlooking the lessons from the Ansari incident, self-styled vigilante groups took it upon themselves to deliver justice to the three without even confirming the truth behind the messages. An agitated mob beat one to death while the other two are battling for life in the hospital. Of course, the police, unlike the Ansari case, has taken swift action in this case. As soon as the matter was reported, it lost no time to rescue the victims and is now probing all angles that led to the heinous act.

It is deeply distressing that lynching incidents, mostly manifestations of bigotry, caste or communal, and accelerated by social media platforms, continue to remain a recurring theme not just in Jharkhand but also other States. This despite the Supreme Court berating politicians for their failure to deal with such offences. It had asked the Parliament to formulate an anti-lynching law and provide adequate punishment for such incidents while also asking respective States to “take specific preventive, punitive and remedial measures.” Two high-level committees were set up to guide the Government in the formulation of a law but nothing much has yet been achieved. Forget the drafting of a law, even the guidelines to prevent misuse of social media platforms for hate campaigns haven’t taken shape. Which is why on Monday, the top court had to step in once again to haul up the Government, asking it to submit details of the progress made in holding social media firms accountable for their failure to trace the origin of online content within three weeks. While lynching-specific laws may not be there at present, there are others that can effectively tackle the menace. Only the political will seems to be lacking. This has only created an environment that has allowed wrong-doers to overcome all sorts of inhibitions and kill people legitimately in a group to make a point. The Raghubar Das Government, which is seeking another mandate, has to order a thorough investigation into the matter and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book unlike in the Ansari case which continues to linger, marred as it is with several twists and turns. More than anything else, instilling a sense of fear of law among vigilante groups is essential.