Vigilantism has no place in a civilised society -- be it mob violence or even a mob dispensing ‘justice’ as was witnessed late last week in Calangute when a group of enraged youth humiliated a local boy and made him publicly apologise for a casual comment the ‘victim’ had made referring to Calangute as a ‘Muslim’ area in comments that were recorded by a foreign ‘influencer’ as he was walking past Calangute while recording a video.
The comments -- in which the youth claimed that he was supporting Pakistan because “this is a Muslim area” -- are in extremely poor taste -- not just because he was claiming that his personal choice to support Pakistan was because the “area is Muslim” cast aspersions and placed at risk the entire Muslim community by subtly branding them anti-India. Further to suggest that in Goa the community is divided along religious lines in “areas” and ghettos appeared to enrage the ‘locals’ who made him apologise.
That said, taking the law into one’s hands and dishing out impromptu and arbitrary punishments often involving humiliating the ‘perpetrator’ is even more abhorrent than the supposed ‘crime’ that was committed.
As a rules-based society, vigilantism, mob justice and decisions via a baying mob is nothing but an indication of a failed state -- a wild west, where might is right and the sword is mightier than the pen.
Instances like these, no matter how harmless they may appear on a plain reading, need to be nipped in the bud, lest it encourages and emboldens others to similarly begin taking the law into their own hands and dispense justice as they see fit and deny their ‘victims’ the right to a fair trial.
We have seen in States across the country where it is the vigilantes that are becoming the de facto law enforcement agencies, regularly beating up and even murdering any and everyone who they think fit. This has become the way of life largely because the governments of the day have given such louts a very long rope and have been generous in cracking down on them. In the absence of any oversight from the higher authorities or even the courts, the vigilantes have become more emboldened to even threaten legitimate law enforcement agencies and dictate terms to them.
In this case, no matter how serious or frivolous the crime may seem, the right way to go forward would be to report the matter to the police and demand that the police act against the alleged perpetrator as per law. Various legal and political options are available if one isn’t satisfied with the action taken by the police in a particular case.
It is incumbent upon the government now to act against those who sought to dispense their own form of ‘justice’ and act against them for taking the law into their own hands. Goa is a state that prides itself on the rule of law, a police force that is quick to detect crimes as well as a population that is largely peaceful and boasts of no major incidents of communal violence.
However, incidents like these, only add nervousness to already edgy communities including those regularly branded as ‘outsiders’ by those in Goa. Those who are from a minority religion and ‘outsiders’ are doubly vulnerable. The State also needs to move to reassure the community that they are available and will not hesitate to act should there be any disturbance in the community -- the prerogative is theirs and theirs alone to inquire into and act against any criminal activity or public nuisance. Anything else is a travesty of justice.
