The Christmas season is well upon us, and while it has brought much joy and cheer as usual, it was not hard to miss a perilous increase in attacks on Christians and people celebrating Christmas. The incidents are hard to ignore. Street vendors selling Santa hats have been confronted, harassed and attacked often by lone vigilantes. Groups of men claiming to be affiliated with Hindu groups like the Bajrang Dal and like-minded organisations have carried out a series of attacks ranging from singing the Hanuman Chalisa outside Churches, attacking service-going Christians, damaging Christmas-themed revelry in malls, shops and along the streets, besides also threatening various groups of Christians against celebrating Christmas.
What has also not gone unnoticed is that most of these attacks have happened in BJP-ruled states and that, by and large, the attackers have gone unpunished, save for in some states, where the attackers faced arrest. These attacks have received condemnation from various quarters -- opposition parties, social activists, the media and other well-meaning citizens.
What has also not gone unnoticed is that these attacks have come at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself chose to very publicly take part in Christmas celebrations at The Cathedral Church of the Redemption in New Delhi. "May the spirit of Christmas inspire harmony and goodwill in our society”, Modi had said in his message.
The question is not what is seen on the outside. Those messages of goodwill and communal peace, and presence at inter-religious events will be meaningless if the political leadership don't have the mind to act on those spreading hate and intolerance. It is a bluff of deception because vigilantism is getting a free rein. The impunity with which hoodlums operate and the leniency with which the police fail to act against them and sometimes even side with them indicates that these so-called ‘fringe elements’ are in fact nothing but state actors in the clothing of ‘non-state actors.’
Goa, too, was not immune to this phenomenon. It was only last year that self-styled ‘gau rakshaks’ began attacks against beef traders shipping beef into the state, leading to a shortage of beef during the Christmas season. No action was taken against these elements. In fact, a senior police officer, South Goa SP Sunita Sawant, was transferred following her directive to police officials to gather data on such anti-social elements.
Christmas is a time of joy, togetherness and most importantly, a message of humility and the triumph of simplicity over power. In general, vigilantism should have no place in society, much less a society governed by a Constitution that guarantees equal rights, protection for religious minorities, and most importantly, a society that is governed by the rule of law.
Unfortunately, we can state without hesitation that today, we are terribly let down by leaders at the helm who not only act in a partisan manner but also see themselves as the ultimate arbiter of what’s allowed and what’s not -- meaning cracking down on those not aligned with them and turning a blind eye towards those aligned with them and their ideology.
If allowed to fester, such an attitude will simply promote a state of lawlessness and anarchy, as those who are on the receiving end of the violence and injustice will simply turn towards extra-judicial means of settling scores and seeking to safeguard themselves when the government looks away. It’s happened already in bits and pieces. The day is not far when it becomes a regular feature.
