Mass Protest On Streets As India Battles Lynching

As social and communal strife continues to haunt different parts of India, political dispensation, social organization and common citizenry have come out on the streets, demanding the Indian government take immediate action and end the menace that is impacting the social fabric of the nation.

In Delhi and across India, a large number of Indians cutting across political lines held a peaceful demonstration “not in my name” to protest against the killing of a 16 year old Haryana boy Junaid on the eve of Eid and gave assurance to his family that they stand by them in their hour of grief. Academicians and intellectuals have also joined the protest with the intention to support the end of violence in the name of cows.

Prime Minister Modi condemned the killing during his visit to Gandhi ashram in Sabarmati and said such violence in the country of Gandhi was unacceptable. Moreover, he assured the nation that such activities would be handled with firm hands. However, political parties say the Prime minister must walk the talk as mere words will not contain the embers that are glowing in the society.

Prime Minister Modi biggest appeal in the last election was his development agenda, the focal area of his campaign during the 2014 general election in which his party the Bharatiya janata party swept the poll, snatching power from the Congress.

Senior Congress leader and political thinker Subhash Chowdhary strongly questions this claim saying that development and hate campaigns are not compatible.  “No country can chart out the course of development if it is bogged down by social unrest and killing in the name of cow. It is these hoodlums that will soft pedal the development agenda if not checked,” he said.

“Everyone was accepting that now in power, Prime Minister will deliver the much needed development which was his roadmap, but what we got in return is social strife, communal divide and escalating tension in the society.  I am sure this was never the agenda of his government”. Subhash, who is senior Vice president of Haryana Congress, the state where the killing happened.

Chowdhary, who shot into political prominence as a youth leader under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in late 70’s and was the National president of the party Student wing,  said that India could develop to this modern stage and build its own reputation in the world merely because leaders kept these communal fringes at bay.

“There were communal clashes in the Congress rule, but they were not only controlled, but such elements were contained. No nation can be strong if it battles internal strife,” he pointed out.

Chowdhary, who visited Junaid family in his village in Mewat area of Haryana, said it was shocking to meet the parents who lost their 16 year old boy in a brutal assault by a mob.  “This has to be fought on all fronts as hatred is the major hurdle for the road to development,” he added.

Asked about what could prevent such gory incidents from happening in the future, Subhash said that the Indian ethos is so strong that it will reject such violence.  “India is a land that has assimilated so many cultures and philosophies and many streams of thoughts flow in the country.  I am sure the core values can never change, “ he affirmed.

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