How can we stop mob lynching in India?

It was heart wrenching to read the incident of a 24-yr- old named Shams Tabrez taking place in Jharkhand who was caught by a mob, tied to a pole, beaten for more than seven hours and ultimately died.

Was it not a horrific murder in the name of religion? How human beings can be so cruel and is human life less important than a vermin?

What is most ridiculous in such cases is that the administration tries to protect the criminals rather than to stand shoulder to shoulder with victims or bereaved families.

The government and administration should realise that lynching and mob violence of any kind shall invite serious consequences such as anarchy, chaos, disorder and eventually there can be an emergence of a violent society.

Mob violence has been a concern in India for a couple of years as the country has witnessed a spate of mob attacks in some past years.

The elements that fueled this bloody mix include religious fanaticism (specifically, cow protection), increased penetration of social media and politicians, who ranged from being apathetic to instigators of violence.

Though there are no government statistics of hate crimes in India there are a few media outlets that have attempted to track them. According to IndiaSpend there have been 117 Gau Raksha-related incidents of violence in India since 2015.

As per Quint there have been 88 people killed in lynching since 2015 across India.

The Supreme Court, in July 2018, has recommended the Centre and states to create some preventive measures in place in order to combat the incidents of mob lynching.

But, regretful to say, the result is nowhere is seen. It is the duty of State to ensure the law and order in the country. So why then the states remained unsuccessful to carry out its responsibility in this regard?

Supreme Court also commanded the government to bring legislation that specifically targets lynching.

Apart from this SC ordered states to appoint nodal officers to prevent such incidents. Despite all the directions from the apex court, the incidents are taking place frequently.

One doesn't know why the government has made all intentions and priorities to enact a law against triple Talaq while the innocent people are being killed mercilessly all over the country?

As far as the legislation regarding lynching is concerned, neither opposition nor ruling parties seem to be serious to prevent the threatening incidents.

But, more sorrowfully, the political parties and their leaders use these incidents as to suit their own political vested interests not to satisfy the victim's demands.

So there is only one way to restrain public lynching that is the government must install harsh and preventive measures to set an example for the culprits.

In addition to it, every individual citizen must discourage such elements that have this sort of thinking because it is hazardous for the entire nation.

If we remain mute spectators not uttering a word concerning the incident happening in our surrounding, we lead the country to a disastrous situation and we only would be the responsible.

(The author is an English teacher and a columnist based in Mumbai)