Mob Fury

Newspapers today are filled with stories of violence against women and girls and moral policing from those who go against their own morals of decency and respect. In July alone the country has witnessed numerous cases of mob violence against helpless women, and the claims for such inhumane acts are that these women are breaching codes of conduct and are going against the culture of the land, whereas the offenders themselves are leading to the downfall of culture and morality. Recent shocking cases that were reported are: The molestation of a girl in Guwahati on the night of July 9^th has caused national outrage. During the incident that continued, the girl was pushed, dragged, beaten and stripped on a busy Guwahati street with onlookers just standing and watching. Few of the offenders have been arrested and police are on the lookout for the remaining culprits. A media person was found at the scene of the crime filming the whole event but he failed to inform authorities who could have stopped the problem. The Hindu Jagaran Vedike (HJV) formed a mob of 50 people and raided a party at a local resort in Mangalore on 28^th July; they brutally attacked people at the venue including girls who tried to escape. Some media persons accompanied the HJV to the record the event but they failed to report the case to the authorities. Mangalore police have claimed to take action against members of the mob and the media people present at the venue. A Hindi teacher of Sangameshwara Vidya Kendra in Bangalore, told a few girls in class that he would continue teaching only if they sat on his lap. Parents of the girls have filed a complaint with the management of the school and the Vijayanagar police and the suspect is now n the run.

These are only few of the cases that have been reported, several other cases go unnoticed and untold because of the fear and the trauma the victims are put through. In the modern era where people are striving to attain gender empowerment and equality, very little action is being taken to eradicate such crimes. The media whose prime responsibility is to create awareness against such evils are lending support to such moral policing outfits such as the Hindu Jagaran Vedike. The law on the other hand is also playing a minimal role to tackle this problem, and no justice has been provided for the victims. Some politicians have put the blame on women itself for having provoked the offenders whereas others have strongly revolted against it and are seeking more strict action from the Government. The community must also take more action and lend a hand to stop violence against women rather than being mere witnesses to such crimes.

VARUN.V

12COM6528