Unpardonable!
The deaths from Delhi riots are (officially) 27, many grievously injured and in various hospitals. Delhi is a stark reminder of our lives on the tenterhooks, which may not see another day in a jiffy. The riots were not in a faraway place from civilization, but right in the heart of the capital of an often bragged ‘world’s largest democracy.’
The divide seems to get deeper, the place of occurrences of the disturbances mostly in those areas where BJP had won in the recent Delhi Assembly elections. Was it a victory march by the supporters, or a trial exercise to drive away from the minorities from those “Hindu ruled’ areas? The riots expose the unforgettable sufferings of the majority during the partitions and the recent growth of a militant Islam in India.
The passive and submissive Hinduism steered by Brahmanical ideology during the past is now controlled by the surge of hitherto snubbed members. This may be debatable though!
The role of the political leaders, the intelligence apparatus, the security forces and the courts have all been despicable, not to mention the notorious gleeful media, which thrives on every riot and death to inflame passions.
What is the limit of legal tolerance limits of the fiery speeches of the political leaders? We have deplorable levels of communal barbs and threats from many, cutting across the party lines. Does an election time bar the courts to intervene and leave it only to the Election commission to take any action for violations? Why was no FIR filed against the Anurag Thakur for his infamous, ‘Goli Maro,’ remark? Why was Kapil Mishra not promptly arrested for inciting his supporters?
The intelligence machinery is usually reactive in India and not preventive. All these messes could have been avoided if sufficient security forces were present and doves from the minorities had taken control. It seems that the mayhem helped a few in further polarization of communities for their petty political gains. Disciplinary action must be initiated against the officers of the security forces on the ground, sending a strong message in the maintenance of law and order and not wait for the orders from the above!
The courts in India have become laughable. They send interlocutors to the Shaheen Bagh protesters, engage in days of tête-à-tête, submitting their opinion to the court in a sealed cover. The court has now indefinitely adjourned the hearings, and the matter lies in limbo.
Multiple organisations meddling delays or deny timely address of problems. Delhi suffers from a unique faultline. The local government has no control over the police, and the brooding Central government run by the BJP, licking its wounds of electoral defeat is looking for a return-punch. By blaming each other, neither the Delhi Government nor the Central government, which controls the state police, the RAF, the CRPF and the military are helping the return of peace, now or ever.
The killing of the IB officer, a constable on duty is cruellest, and so is each one dead. Many have lost their businesses and wares, who have to be rehabilitated.
Rather than concentrating on the stones, the government must reach the minds of those hurling stones. Homogeneity and plurality have to be redefined again, and again, and again!
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
In Pic: IB officer, 26-year-old Ankit Sharma gruesomely killed by Mobs.
