R. K SINHA
Growing incidents of mob violence on the streets of many parts of the country is a matter of serious concern. What is disturbing is inaction of the Police force that looks on when violent mob lynch and kills innocent people on mere suspicion. The lynching of 6 innocent people in Jharkhand on the mere suspicion of they being child lifters are shocking. Equally disturbing is rising incidents of attack on the Police force in different parts of the country.
In Jharkhand, there was no complaint or any FIR of missing children. Yet, some people spread rumour and lynched innocent people alleging they were child lifters. This happened in Singhbhum district. The victims belonged to both communities, Hindu and Muslim.
With people in rural and semi urban areas having access to whatsapp and other services in social media, it is easy to spread rumours with criminal intent. It is said that a group of people on Whatsapp created this rumour by sending messages that child lifters were active in the area. They mobilized young people and went on the rampage attacking innocent men and women on streets resulting in the death of at least six people.
The Jharkhand Police has taken action and arrested some people. According to a senior Police officer of the state, the Police has ordered all groups on Whatsapp to include the local police station officer in their group so that the Police is aware of what kind of messages are in circulation in the disturbed areas of the state. This would help Police to identify trouble makers ought to creat panic and violence.
Caste Violence in Saharanpur
Hardly 180 kilometers away from the national capital Delhi, Saharanpur witnessed ugly violence in the name of caste. Houses were burnt and ransacked, some people died and there were violence on the streets and mohallas of Sasharanpur. Chief Minister Adityanath Yogi took prompt action by suspending some officials including the Superintendent of Police of Sharanpur and transferred some other officials found guilty of dereliction of duty. The violence continued for more than a week. It was Dalits and the upper caste Rajputs who clashed in the district.
In Shabirpur village under Badgaon Police Station violent clash took place between Dalits and Rajputs. Police station was also attacked and torched. More than 20 vehicles were set on fire. It started on May 5.
In Kashmir Valley
From school children to young and middle aged men and women are pelting stones at Police, Para Military and Army. Kashmir situation is different. Buy rising incidents of attack on Police force in rest of the country is a matter of serious concern. In Delhi, there have incidents when people were killed on small and petty quarrels like parking dispute and minor accidents. Someone riding a motor cycle brushed the car on Delhi road. The car owner fired and killed the man who had hit his car.
In Jharkhand, when Police reached the place of occurrence in Jamshedpur, the mob attacked the Police Party. The Irate people tore Police uniform of an officer. Fear of uniform appears to be receding. Criminals don’t fear Police these days. The question is why it is happening. The answer lies in the system. In most of the cases there is a nexus of Police, Criminals and Politicians. There are instances when even Ministers give protection to hardened criminals and at times Ministers protect corrupt and criminal elements in the Police force. In both the situation, the Janta Janadan see the nefarious run of the administration. Criminals and mafias see how the Police in uniform are not only corrupt but weak before the rulers. This gives the criminals and murderers a sense of fearlessness. They commit crime thinking the Police or the Neta would protect them.
According to a National Crime Bureau Record in 2015 some 731 Policemen were killed on duty. Maximum number of Policemen killed were from Uttar Pradesh, 431 followed by Maharashtra 95 and Punjab 82.
In Patna, sometime back, Police stopped a junior doctor who was driving two wheeler without helmet. The junior doctor and his fellow doctors beat the Policeman for doing his duty. In Delhi too there have been instances when Policemen were run over by speeding car drivers who were waived to stop at Police barricades at night.
Only a tough action against the criminals, speedy investigation and trial of offenders and a check on Politicians giving patronage to criminals, mafias and corrupt Police force can restore the rule of law in the country.
(The writer is Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha)
