Union minister has erred grievously

It speaks of something going terribly wrong, this recent spate of mob violence across India. But we have no time for analysis; we must stanch it out here and now. Swift and tangible action against this public brutality—speedy delivery of criminal justice—is imperative. Yes, we must tighten the screws around the spread of rumour and fake news through social media platforms. But it’s no less crucial that public figures—particularly elected representatives and ministers—conduct themselves in a responsible manner. At no rate can they be seen to be fanning mob violence or showing sympathy towards criminal vigilantes.

Union MoS Jayant Sinha’s garlanding of eight convicts in the gruesome lynching of a meat trader in Jharkhand is deeply unfortunate and sends a horrible message. In case he has a grievance against the conviction of the said eight, who have merely been released on bail by the Jharkhand High Court and no more, he could have legitimately offered them legal aid. It’s possible that he believes there’s no material evidence—and it is his prerogative to act on that legally.

But in publicly giving convicts of mob violence a heroes’ welcome, Sinha has erred grievously. He later tweeted that he’s against all forms of vigilantism, but then he has the minor onus of ensuring his actions conform to his words. As it stands, his personal political concerns relating to his constituency are obviously his priority, not the public good. Even if the eight are later found to have been just onlookers and not participants in mob violence, it will not lessen the cynical nature of Sinha’s move.

Nor take away from the fact that those eight did little to stop the lynching. Factor in the presence on the scene of local BJP strongman Nityanand Mahto, who too has been convicted. That makes it a double whammy—first a political activist watches a gruesome act without intervening or trying save the victim, then a minister arrives to felicitate crime. Garlanding is what a devotee does to an idol. Or it’s a marriage. One shudders to imagine the message that goes out to law enforcers.