Until it acts decisively on violence against minorities, India will live with the shame of international scrutiny – Editorial
…Data suggest that there has been a chilling rise in incidents of lynching ever since the Narendra Modi-led government took up the reins of the country. Muslims and Dalits have been the targets of such violence.… A number of factors explain the sense of impunity among perpetrators. Investigations into such violations are often shoddy; the conviction rate is also poor. But the biggest signal allegedly emanates from the political establishment.…
What is clear is that homilies, such as the one that Mr Modi spouted while attempting to reach out to the minorities, cannot contain the scourge of lynchings. A weak political spine from an ostensibly ‘strong government’ to tackle lynchings or religious violence is rather curious.
It is the absence of political will that prevents keepers of the law from doing their job. Even a special law on lynching, as has been proposed in some quarters, will not be enough unless it is acted upon. Till the government acts decisively, India would have to live with the shame of international scrutiny on its pluralist legacy.
SEE ALSO:
- Misusing Hindu gods to lynch and spook Indian Muslims – By Taniya Dutta (Jun 26, 2019, TRT World)
https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/misusing-hindu-gods-to-lynch-and-spook-indian-muslims-27813 - Lynching of Tabrez Ansari in BJP-ruled Jharkhand says a lot about Muslims’ future under Narendra Modi 2.0 – By Ashok Swain (Jun 24, 2019, First Post)
http://www.jantakareporter.com/india/narendra-modi-2-0-puts-indias-muslims-under-greater-danger/254360/ - The India in Which Tabrez Ansari Died Continues to Live – By Apoorvanand (Jun 24, 2019, The Wire)
https://thewire.in/rights/jharkhand-muslim-lynching-tabrez-ansari - Tabrez Ansari’s Death and the Steady Damage to Secularism in India – By Kavya Thomas (Jun 26, 2019, The New Leam)
https://thenewleam.com/2019/06/tabrez-ansaris-death-and-the-steady-damage-to-secularism-in-india/
