Editorial
Justice for Akhlaq will demonstrate India can tackle communal crimes
The first anniversary of Mohammad Akhlaq’s
brutal lynching, which shocked the conscience of the nation, has brought
little cheer to his family. This is a test case of whether India can
punish communally motivated crimes or not. Akhlaq was killed over
rumours of his family having consumed beef by his neighbours in Bisada
village of Dadri, just 50 km from the national capital. Progress has
been very slow in the case filed against 18 accused. There have been
eight adjournments out of a total of 18 hearings. Charges are yet to be
framed even as some of the arrested suspects have moved Allahabad high
court for bail.
The UP government must fast track this case to ensure the guilty are punished at the earliest. This is imperative to send a strong message of the state’s, and the country’s, ability to counter the growing menace of communalism. Rather than working to convict the guilty, UP police has been wasting time chasing red herrings. It has been investigating – and has finally cleared – Akhlaq’s family of a charge of cow slaughter.
This investigation has been mired in controversy from the start as the meat purportedly from Akhlaq’s house was found 500 metres away at a tri-junction. First the meat sample was declared to be mutton, later it was termed ‘cow progeny’ (sic). The police report claims to have seized 2kg of meat while the report prepared by the state veterinary hospital states it received about 5kg of meat sample – which, apparently, mysteriously grew in mass in the interim. All these antics appear designed to protect the guilty. Politics has complicated matters further. BJP leaders had jumped into the fray immediately after the murder, defending the accused and demanding action against Akhlaq’s family for allegedly storing beef.
But what’s astonishing is that even the ‘secular’ SP government has been dithering over the case and its police look like Keystone Cops.
The reason communal riots break out with such frequency in India is that the state is often unable to punish them. Politics intervenes before the law can take its course. But governments – both Centre and state – must decide whether they want to privilege religious sentiments or the rule of law. Else India will be going Pakistan’s way, with consequences similar to those already unfolding in Pakistan.
The UP government must fast track this case to ensure the guilty are punished at the earliest. This is imperative to send a strong message of the state’s, and the country’s, ability to counter the growing menace of communalism. Rather than working to convict the guilty, UP police has been wasting time chasing red herrings. It has been investigating – and has finally cleared – Akhlaq’s family of a charge of cow slaughter.
This investigation has been mired in controversy from the start as the meat purportedly from Akhlaq’s house was found 500 metres away at a tri-junction. First the meat sample was declared to be mutton, later it was termed ‘cow progeny’ (sic). The police report claims to have seized 2kg of meat while the report prepared by the state veterinary hospital states it received about 5kg of meat sample – which, apparently, mysteriously grew in mass in the interim. All these antics appear designed to protect the guilty. Politics has complicated matters further. BJP leaders had jumped into the fray immediately after the murder, defending the accused and demanding action against Akhlaq’s family for allegedly storing beef.
But what’s astonishing is that even the ‘secular’ SP government has been dithering over the case and its police look like Keystone Cops.
The reason communal riots break out with such frequency in India is that the state is often unable to punish them. Politics intervenes before the law can take its course. But governments – both Centre and state – must decide whether they want to privilege religious sentiments or the rule of law. Else India will be going Pakistan’s way, with consequences similar to those already unfolding in Pakistan.
