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Guns Call The Shots: DARLINGS, WELCOME TO ANARCHIC INDIA, By Poonam I Kaushish, 17 May, 2016 Print E-mail

Political Diary

New Delhi, 17 May 2016

Guns Call The Shots

DARLINGS, WELCOME TO ANARCHIC INDIA

By Poonam I Kaushish

 

Violence is the rhetoric of the times as India reverberates to the sound of gunshots. Of a lawless and order-less State where brutality calls the shots, killing yet another signpost of our increasingly enfeebled law enforcement machinery. Symptomatic of the free-for-all which has gripped the country establishing a new cult, an “order” of rage. Wherein, the wails of sorrow are drowned in the cacophony of a paralytic Administration. Darlings, welcome to anarchic India!

 

So lucidly brought to the fore in Bihar, Delhi, UP, West Bengal and Kerala recently. From corrupt netas to goons and criminals. Desh drohis  juxtaposed with private senas. A gory account of muscle, money and mafia in politics.  Down to the gutter level.  Replete with blackmail, intimidation, hustling and muscling. Behaving like the devil incarnate.

 

Let’s start with Bihar synonymous with “jungle raj”. Last week, it lived up to this analogy when an 18-year old boy was shot dead by the son of a JD(U) legislator Manorama Devi and Bindi Yadav a “history sheeter” aka as  Bahubali.

 

The motive for the murder? The Maruti in which the boy was travelling overtook the MLC ladla’s Land Rover which led to row and in a fit of rage, the neta’s progeny shot the teenager dead. Thanks to public pressure, the father-son are in jail and the MLC suspended from the Party. A satisfied State Government preens, “Now let law takes its course.” Sic.

 

This is not all. Since Laloo’s RJD and JD(U)’s Nitish formed the Government last year, in two months alone over 687 murders and 400 cases of murders and kidnappings. Last December four murders took place in 72 hours. Reportedly, as many as 11124 armed license holders need to be verified. Over 10600 warrants and challans are lying unserved at different police stations.

 

It is pointless to argue that the State has withered away in Bihar. Which has reverted to being a battleground of caste senas, armed brigades and ideologically indoctrinated lumpens. In the absence of gainful employment and goaded by senseless courage and caste vendetta, a large number of unemployed youth are attracted to the senas.

 

Notably, Delhi is not far behind. Last month a young dentist was bludgeoned to death in front of his wife and son by neighbourhood miscreants simply because he scolded them for rash driving. Naturally, the police was missing as usual. So much with you, for you always.

 

Remember Haryana in February when for a fortnight it was in the throes of angry bands of Jats who went on a burning, looting and raping spree, demanding backward class reservation for themselves. So immense was the scale of disorder that they threatened to cut off the Union Capital’s water supply whereby the Army had to be called it to protect Delhi from them. Akin to anxieties last evoked in 1857.

 

Shocked? There’s more. Five rapes occur every minute across the country.  Early this month, Kerala reverberated to another Nirbhaya, a gory rape of a 30-year old woman with her body totally mutilated. Another 20-year-old mentally-challenged was gang-raped in a UP train, a 19-year-old mother is ravished in front of her husband in Odisha and another defiled by five men in a moving car in broad day light in Delhi…an 80-year-old grandpa deflowers an innocent five-year-old in Haryana.

 

Worse, the manner in which gun licences have been issued to arms dealers in UP is a pointer to the growing culture of violence. Today nearly 7.5 lakh people are licensed to carry arms and nearly three lakh applicants are pending clearance from the district magistrate. Interesting most of the applicants have a political mai baap. Imagine, out of 425 legislators in the State, over 165 MLAs have criminal record.

 

In far flung Kerala, too, there is complete political subversion of the rule of law. The probability of a political killer, arsonist, rioter or failed assassin to be brought to book is an unbelievable 0.3 per cent, according to a recent report of the Intelligence Branch of the Kerala State Police. In other words, those arrested in 99.68 per cent of such cases are discharged by courts for one reason or another.

 

Bombay is replete with instances of mafia don’s vice-like grip on politicians, industrialists real estate developers etc. who extort money at gunpoint. Who is responsible? The onus lies on all sides --- politicians, bureaucracy, police, ‘protected’ criminals et al. Politicians and the police are but two sides of the same coin. Both widely viewed nowadays as venal and incompetent.

 

Nobody sees red at the sight of blood any longer. Even if some blood is spilled in an ever-populated nation, what difference does it make? Fake encounters. Torture deaths. Want to get rid of somebody? Call up the “Police-wala Goonda”.

 

Criminals in khadi herald the new dons of tomorrow, hustling and muscling is the way to fulfil the people’s aspirations. And what should one say of hot young blood? Who will rape for kicks and kill for a drink. In this milieu can criminalized mafia dons be far behind? Who now have taken recourse to “out of court settlements” and extortions. Only last week two such encounters took place in UP and Delhi wherein an approver and accused were shot dead.

 

Add to this, one gets nothing or little from the courts. Remember, justice delayed (often indefinitely) is justice denied. Promising widespread social unrest at best and descent into anarchy at worst. Where might is brazenly right and “jo jeeta wohi sikander”.

 

For those who enjoy the ruinous events now unfolding in the country, there is some good news! The end of the tragedy is no where in sight. And the bad news? The tragedy is turning out to be a comedy of errors for the powers- that-be.

 

It’s simply a system’s failure! They collectively coo. Who failed the system? Not the politician or the bureaucrat. All point an accusing finger at each other. Nevertheless, everyone is agreed that there is something rotten in the State of Denmark!  

 

The forebodings are in the air: rising prices, over-population, urban decay and proliferating of slums. Normal life is disrupted at the outbreak of any festering conflict. In UP’s Dadri district a man was lynched to death on the rumour he “ate beef,” what to speak of Muzzafarnagar’s Hindu Muslim communal carnage last year.  

 

Evidently, the administrative system has practically collapsed. A life-style of Nano Yuppiesim has brought forth the macro consequences of the neglect of socio-political environment. An urban breakdown, rural poverty, unpaved roads, unsanitary surroundings and a collapsing sewage system. Of degrading poverty. At a stage, where another crisis threatens.

 

The truth is that even as we have achieved political and economic freedom we still remain hostage to the errant elements of the society. "Lopsided economic growth has created a dispossessed population which cannot relate to Western cultural values and norms," asserted a social scientist.

 

The tragedy of it all is that the political class exploits this. It gives them the opportunity to exploit the sentiments of the vulnerable aam aadmi. Get votes. Get attention. The increasing frequency of hooliganism exposes the continuing failure of law and order.

 

At the present reckoning, India might remain indefinitely trapped in its divisive rhetoric. Unfortunately, most Indians do not care. Absence of national character and indiscipline has led to a creeping paralysis of ‘sab chalta hai’.

 

Where does one go from here? Our leaders better pay heed. Time to remember that democracy is not a harlot to be picked up in the street by a man with a gun. Tough times call for tough action. Govern or get out! ---- INFA

 

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

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