The illogicality of mob justice

At a time when humanity has made enormous progress, idiotic beliefs and illogical perspectives becoming rampant in India is nothing but pitiful.

Superstitions not only penetrate through the society and propagated en masse, they form the basis even for official policies and legislatures. While the courts present the personal beliefs as established scientific truths, it will prove to be a retrograde step for the society shaming the nation before the world. That those with vested interests take advantage of all these factors for exploitation and organized attacks is more horrifying. Believers themselves have pointed out that it’s not historical realities or religious beliefs that was behind the recent incidents of ‘Cow terrorism’. It has also been proved that there are despicable, clandestine motives behind those intentionally spawned illogical lunacy. The final goals of such inane ideological campaigns that apparently seem harmless, is certainly to lure those ignorant and make them vulnerable to exploitation. Rajasthan Minister, Education Minister to be precise, who didn’t show any inhibition to flaunt his ‘scientific knowledge’ that cows exhaled oxygen, didn’t only bring humiliation but also triggered a chain of mindless justifications.

Gujarat Education and Revenue Minister and state Social Justice and Empowerment Minister recently attending a felicitation function of exorcists had quoted a controversy. They however, had defended themselves. There are people who justify even the Sati system. As per the estimated records, more than 2, 500 women accused of witchcraft have been killed over the last 15 years. The people performing exorcism siding with those with vested interests to get their hands on the money and properties of victims are also rampant. Dalits rolling over the leftover food eaten by Brahmins to ‘cleanse’ themselves are also recent incidents. Many religious leaders had protested against such exploitations in the name of beliefs.

The debacle of neo-modern movements have led to more opportunities for those who exploit in the name of religion. We witness not only the soil of Maharashtra where Jyotirao Phule, Savitribai Phule and Ambedkar led social reform movements but also the minds of Kerala that Sree Narayana Guru and Ayyankali attempted to ‘cleanse’, taking retrograde paces. Selling illogicality under the guise of one’s ideologies is certainly foreseeing some material benefits. It’s in this scenario that lies are propagated and blind faith take the form of violence. The Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Ordinance that later came into effect in Maharashtra is surely a deserving memorial for Narendra Dabholkar who was killed striving for logic and sense. The brainless remarks by even the leading politicians prove the need for such modern movements and legislatures across India. At a time when fake science and fraud scientists reign, there is a need of dynamic and logical reform movements. And also of strong legislatures.

The goondaism of cow vigilantism that has shamed India in front of the world today also has the character of senseless religious lunacy. It creates dangerous circumstances that approve of mob justice. ‘IndiaSpend’ has revealed that 24 of 28 persons killed by cow vigilantes are Muslims. However, the same communal sparks are sufficient enough to destroy others as well as the judiciary itself due to its illogicality. The racist attacks against the Africans are the consequence of this mob vigilantism. Nido Taniam, a student in Arunachal Pradesh, Raveendran an autorickshaw driver who was also a supporter of the Swachch Bharat project and a 42-year old mentally-ill woman were lynched by a violent mob. Isn’t there a need for a law that makes not just such incidents but also the senseless beliefs that lead to such tragedies, an offence? A public discussion on the matter might be expected. Like Meera Nandha says in her book, The God market, there is a ‘State-Temple-Corporate Complex’ behind the mindless ideologies propagated in the name of religious beliefs and practices. The leaders in the society have the responsibility to recognize these factors and resist them. The governments should also be led onto this path. Humanity sans logic will not survive for long.