Events & Issues
New Delhi,
21 October 2021
Violence in Politics
A DANGEROUS TREND
By Dr. S. Saraswathi
(Former Director,
ICSSR, New Delhi)
At
the venue of the farmers’ protest site at the Singhu border in Sonepat, Haryana,
a brutal murder of a young man was reported recently. The body with severed
limbs was found tied with ropes to iron barricades. The gruesome picture shown in
some TV channels is evidence of growing sense of intolerance
turning violent and readiness of some
people to torture and murder anyone coming in their way and exhibit the scene
without any compunction.
Not
all details on this frightening incident are known yet. Whether it is part of
the farmers’ protest or only using the protest site to commit this ghastly
crime or an act provoked by religious
sentiments unable to tolerate disrespect to a sacred text as complained by some
people is not known.
This
incident followed the violent farmers’ protest at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh
on 3rd October where eight people – four farmers, three BJP workers,
and one journalist were killed. The
farmers died when a car mowed them down and others in the crowd fell victims to
the scuffle that followed in retaliation. The result is escalation of violence.
Farm
protests were going on despite Supreme Court asking farm unions the reason for
continuing protests and road blockades when the laws are kept in abeyance and the
matter is in court. The Supreme Court had accused the farmers of “strangulating
the city (New Delhi)” with their protests. It has also been reiterating that
people have a right to protest, but not to block roads and obstruct normal
activities for several days at stretch.
Whatever
the provocations for violent protests, we have to be ashamed of the culture of
violence spreading fast in the country. While lynching has no place in an
orderly society under the rule of law,
treatment meted out to the dying person and the dead body is a barbaric act and
clearly looks like the work of a frenzied mob in a mobocracy.
No
better is the situation in Britain, the world’s proudest democracy. A
pro-Brexit Conservative Member of
Parliament was attacked inside a church and was killed while he was holding
fortnightly consultation with his local constituents – both a sacrilege in a place of worship and an attack on a
people’s representative while he was doing his work. It is reported that he was
stabbed by attackers multiple times in the presence of some staff members.
Britishers recall the murder of a pro-EU law maker belonging to the Labour
Party in 2016 before the Brexit referendum. Violence seems to be natural to man
to be applied as and when required whereas parliamentary institutions are still
nurtured to become natural.
Increasing
attacks on politicians are said to be damaging the great democratic traditions
of the British people. It is reported to be the second murder since 2016 of a
politician while meeting voters. Described as the “rising tide” of public
violence in a public place against elected representatives, it has led to
tightening of security arrangements for 650 MPs in Britain.
Unbelievable
is the violent attack on US Capitol in January last in the aftermath of Presidential election bitterly fought between
Democrats and Republicans. Reputation for smooth transfer of power following
electoral defeat received a big blow.
Violence
in politics is not a strange phenomenon. After all, politics is struggle for
power and survival of the fittest. But, concepts of democracy, representative
government, popular elections, independent judiciary, constitutional and legal
rights and responsibilities, ideals of human rights and social justice have
drastically reduced the need to resort to violence by people directly to
pressurise anybody to fall in their line of thinking.
Democratic
societies have various forums to discuss issues. Ignoring these platforms and the
growing cult of violence is antithesis to democratic virtues, values and
traditions. Viewed along with the continuous Parliament stalemate in India, it
is a dangerous trend that portends a grim future for Indian democracy whatever
be the source of inspiration for violence. Urgent remedial measures are called
for in the interest of safeguarding our democratic traditions and institutions.
Violence
in the democratic politics of a nation, as distinct from terrorism and violent
extremism, is of four major categories. It may cause direct attack of leaders
or politicians for any particular action or inaction. Assassinations of
Mahatma Gandhi, Deen
Dayal Upadhyaya, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi in India, Abraham Lincoln, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King in the
US, SWRD Bandaranaike in Sri Lanka are some specimens of this type.
Protests
against any decision of a government may turn violent in its course or even
start with the intention of forcing reversal of the decision. This is the most
prevalent form assumed by political parties and people. All bandhs on issues
like price rise, mega industrial projects, reservation policy, etc., which lead
to violence and firing fall in this category.
A
third type is open clashes between warring groups to settle their disputes
without recourse to legal and judicial doorsteps. Caste and communal clashes
are instances of public repudiation of authorities. A fourth type is murder, lynching,
kidnap, torture, etc., to create fear and make opponents submit to particular
course of action. They are akin to acts of terrorism. The victim(s) may or may
not be the target aimed at. This kind of violence may be committed against
anyone, not particularly against the opponent. This is presently witnessed on
many questions like farm laws, communal conflicts, re-organisation of Jammu and
Kashmir and so on.
Today,
political violence within nations kills more people than wars between States. It
no longer remains just a theoretical concern that rulers have to avoid. It is a
reality and a serious and growing
concern in all countries. Nations seem to agree that wars involving many
nations is no solution to problems. Why they are unable to put down domestic
violence is indeed a riddle.
Police
brutality is a kind of political violence common in all countries. It is
excessive use of force by police authorities to detect crimes, detain the
culprits, and handling the offenders in their custody for interrogation and to
enforce their authority. Custodial violence is often reported as normal police
procedure and sometimes it leads to death.
Chief Justice of India has suggested forming standing committees headed
by Chief Justices of high courts to investigate complaints received from the common
man on “atrocities” committed by the bureaucracy, especially police officers. At
the same time, there has also arisen a need to protect the police on duty and provide
security to judges.
At
the rate at which politics, meaning issues, involving political interests is
turning violent quickly, it is certain that Sustainable Development Goal No. 16
“to significantly reduce all forms of
violence and related death rates everywhere” will not be reached long after
2030. On the contrary, this goal is showing negative achievement. The first
specific target under this Goal is to “reduce violence everywhere”. Another is “to
promote rule of law and to ensure equal access to justice”. It requires the
will of the entire nation to eradicate violence from the vocabulary of
politics. ---INFA
(Copyright,
India News & Feature Alliance)
|