Shiban Khaibri
Our school days were as simple as anything as no malice was preached or nursed and the walls of the class rooms were adored with moral stories and quotes from famous figures. One of such quotes can be faintly recalled . It was about Voltaire saying, “It is better to risk saving a guilty person than to condemn (or kill) an innocent One.” The video clips showing how two Hindu saints and their driver were bludgeoned to death in Palghar, Maharashtra in a merciless and macabre manner on April 16 night in a part of the country with thousands of years of history, origin, roots and glory of the most ancient religion of Sanatan Hindu Dharam is unbelievable. That scene is horrifying as to how a profusely bleeding 72 year old saint distinctly recognisable and visible by the colour of the robe he was wearing begging, pleading and holding the hand for desperate help of his supposedly saviour, only to be kicked to be handed over to his blood thirsty killers armed with heavy sticks and boulders. Even though too many deadly blows ended up his life but despite that, he was hammered and continued to be struck with blows . Prior to this, how the two occupants were needled and push crashed within their vehicle with long lathis and blows , their vehicle turned turtle , the two bleeding saints and the driver still inside, would make even a devil weep bitterly not to speak of human beings.
Can this all happen in India – the only country where Hindus are supposed to live unharmed and with equal dignity? Can it happen in a country where four armed policemen and two armed forest guards can only supervise and watch like lifeless stones , the heinous crime being perpetuated by a two to three hundred unruly blood thirsty monsters without any ‘disturbance’ , disruption, ‘interference’ or any fear ? Can it happen in a country where gruesome lynching is seen in the context of which religion the victims belonged to by the so called liberals, pseudo democrats and secularists , fake news contractors , some design journalists and self styled intellectual writers ? Can it happen in a country where after 96 hours of the incident , the Chief Minister takes note of the incident ? Can it happen in a part of the country where Chief Minister represents the high legacy and cherished values pursued by Hindu Samrat Bala Saheb Thakery ? Can it happen in a country where the incident is reported in many “leading ones” as – suspected “thieves” beaten to death —–“mistaken identity” — people from “Nomadic tribes ” etc etc ? Could there have been the same untouched , indifferent ,feigned ignorance , tactical taciturnity laced response from political parties and their leaders from the Congress, Communists, TMC, Samajvadis, Aa Aa Party and the like in case the religion of the victims had been other than Sanatan Hindu Dharma? Could, in that case, the same response be seen from that large part of the media which either downplayed Palghar Hindu saints’ killings or twisted it to suit their editorial convenience and ‘policy’?
That the two Hindu saints along with their driver were butchered is not the only thing which is shocking and stunning but how the gruesome killing of these innocents was trivialised and thus defiled and the first comment from the secular Chief Minister was his warning not to communalise the incident . What in fact he wanted to convey could not be plainly understood. The question is who pushed this “mistaken identity” thesis and why so much and as much of complete silence over their killings. Who hatched the entire conspiracy and how this much of a number of savages was out in the dead of night during lockdown restrictions in a state which has the highest cases of Covid -19 virus and where the death toll too is comparatively higher than even international mortality rate .
Ex- Police Commissioner who had served the area under reference , Dr.Satya Pal Singh says, ” Years ago , I was the Police IG of the Palghar tribal area and in this area , crime rate is quite negligible but in clandestine manner in the name of and using the tools of service and greed , conspiracies of conversions are rife and who labelled Sadhus as thieves and incited the villagers to kill them — knowing this is very vital .” And this all did not take any less time , the hideous and grisly bloody drama lasted for more than an hour, Sadhus continued to be thrashed , the crowd continued to watch each and every scene of the bloody drama under the nose and patronage of the Police , some kept on recording live the lurid and horrendous scene till the three were as dead as stones.
This writer has all along been eulogising and glorifying the role of our police force and in one of the write ups exclusively , the role played by the valiant Mumbai Cop Tukaram Omble in capturing live 26/11 Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Qasab was highlighted to an extent that the police force was playing its superb role in protecting and guarding our constitution , in maintaining and preserving internal peace and tranquillity and the very sight of a person in Khaki is an assurance and a satisfaction of protection and security to a citizen. While some Police personnel were assaulted by some anti nationals in Delhi in connection with anti CAA stir, this writer pleaded that a lathi used by a policeman even unjustifiably was acceptable than a civilian using one against a policeman but what about those four cops who were armed did practically nothing in protecting these innocent people, why? Sections 97 , 100 and 102 of the IPC otherwise , subject to certain restrictions, deal with right to private defence as soon as reasonable apprehension of danger to the body arises and continues and in that case , the police was otherwise empowered to use force and even open fire , why it did not do that?
If the reports that some extremist Leftists in the area have gone out of the control of law and order and incidents of brutal violence have been there in the past, who are behind that and why are they roaming free. Are some Leftist goons so much emboldened and motivated that they resort to killing of innocent human beings just as a sport? In the same way, Swami Lakshamanandaji Maharaj of Orissa was killed in a heinous manner. It may be Akhlaq or Pehlu Khan or Kalpavraksh Giri Maharaj , Sushilgiri Maharaj and their driver – no one has and should believe to possess licence to kill anybody. Did the mob know about the arrival of the Juna Akhara Sadhus and assembled there in good number armed with lathis and big boulders and bricks? A human being is precious than anything in this world and one who kills and takes law into one’s hands must be tried in a speedy manner and given the maximum punishment provided under the law of the land. It is understood that while many persons involved have been arrested, the main culprits are still at large . They should be caught and caught very soon .
While the patience and sagacity of the Sanyasis and Sadhus especially from the bereaved Juna Akhara in not taking to streets is and should be highly appreciated, at the same time , no stone should be left unturned in ensuring exemplary punishment to the killers. At the same time, hypocrisy of Lutyens media over the savage cold blooded murder of Sadhus and their driver and not a word even from Award Wapsi Gang are astonishing. Moreover, fake news industry in whatever form in this country needs to be checked and while the country is currently facing an unprecedented challenge in the shape of corona virus pandemic, fake news continues to be rolled out in one or the other form which needs to be checked in the national interest. Fair, fearless , impartial and inquisitive but responsible journalism is the fourth pillar of our democracy . Any move to intimidate, coerce , influence or muzzle journalism and right to speech and expression is highly condemnable and must be discouraged and defanged as also resisted.
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