Sapna K Sangra
If only we were not bound by the so-called binaries of being Insiders vs. Outsiders, Jammuites vs. Kashmiris, Hindus vs. Muslims; if only our identities of being ‘humans first’ could surpass the other realities of our being and having said that, lets accept that this understanding of our ‘selves’ comes from our social conditioning and the worldview that we come to hold through the process of our socialization. Over the years, these identities of ours have got sharpened in the narrative of Here-There, We-They, Us-Them and Self-Other. It is the construction of this identity embedded with the idea of ‘Othering’ which has been proving dismal to the existence of mankind the world over. Should we not make consistent efforts to suppress these binaries and reflect as just the human beings? It is this idea of othering on the basis of our primordial identities such as race and religion, region and ethnicities that have been eroding our societies of its social fabric and inclusive character and if not handled and allowed to perpetuate; our future generations would hold us responsible for having been mere spectators allowing it to reach its lowest ebb.
Jammu being one of the divisions of the state of Jammu and Kashmir is an amalgamation of people belonging to varied cultures; following different religions, speaking different languages, belonging to different regions and ethnic backgrounds. This cultural mix gives pluralistic identity to Jammu and it is this cultural matrix which is the essence of Jammu. The sudden blow to our collective identity and inclusivity over the past few days following the murder and alleged gang rape of a minor girl in Rasana village of Kootah Panchayat in Kathua district have left us all shaken. Jammu has been demonized and labelled as the ‘saviour of rapists’ in this hubbub of Hindu rapists vs. Muslim victim and by handling the construction of this narrative irresponsibly, we have allowed this to take root, penetrate further and divide us on the sharp religious lines. Twitterati tweets ‘Shame Jammu,’ Pseudo Intellectuals sign online petitions and gather support; unethical media shouts with ill-founded disputing facts and the resultant protests seeking justice for the eight-years-old the world over rips Jammu of its multiculturalism and inclusivity. The convergence of too many issues being raised at different fronts the same time added fuel to the fire. In our biases and parti-pris, we forgot that for Twitterati, tweeting is the survival; who would know them but for their tweets. Pseudo-intellectuals, ask them the distance from Jammu to Kathua, they wouldn’t know it. For example, a journalist in one of the write-ups on the rape and murder in Kathua locates Kathua in the Valley. Electronic Media, for sure, in the need of the TRPs. Politicians, the blame game is their art that keeps them off the real issues of development of our receding societies: no water, no electricity, no health facilities, no employment facilities, no roads but the promises.
In all of this, Justice to the little girl became too far a cry; it became a yardstick, a scale, a weighing rod to settle our scores with each other. It became an ideal tool to give meaning to our hidden insecurities from each other. Leaving aside the real issue of seeking justice in one voice for the child who has been wronged, we found it more appropriate to abuse each other in the name of the region, religion, language, and ethnicities. This is, perhaps a sign of not progressive but receding societies. We may have developed in the sense of quantitative parameters such as the literacy rate and the birth rate but have failed miserably in the real sense of being aware, responsible, educated and progressive societies. The cultural lag, the gap between the material progress on the one hand and the nonmaterial culture on the other such as in our value system has been visible like never before.
Had it not been saner to have voiced for the third party probe on the basis of the divergent issues involved than making it Hindu vs. Muslim issue? The conclusions drawn by the local police and the investigation conducted by the SIT of the Crime Branch in the instant matter are riddled with contradictions. The State Crime Branch while establishing the criminal conspiracy of the alleged accused persons with the police officials has arrested amongst others the initial investigating officer and one Head Constable for destroying the evidence. However, a five-member committee of the Bar Council of India (BCI) in its 16-page report has endorsed the viewpoint of Jammu’s civil society and Bar Associations of Jammu and Kathua for a CBI probe.
Fair investigation and fair trial are concomitant to the preservation of the fundamental right of an accused under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. But the State has a larger obligation i.e. to maintain public order and preservation peace and harmony in the society. A victim of a crime, thus, is equally entitled to a fair investigation, and in the current scenario, a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation appears to be a wise decision in the interest of justice to the departed soul which is beyond the realm of any identity issue.
(The writer teaches Sociology at the University of Jammu and is the state Chairperson of SPIC MACAY. She blogs at criticallensblog.wordpress.com)
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