The image of Kuldeep Singh Sengar walking out of Tihar Jail to a hero’s welcome is a stain on our collective conscience. The real tragedy is not just the man in the garland; it is the hands putting the garland on him, the cameras flashing to capture his “victory”, and the millions of us watching in silence.
We often blame the judiciary or the “system” for being slow or biased. But who powers the system? We do. We are the ones who prioritise caste, religion, or political loyalty over the character of our candidates. When we elect individuals with criminal records to the highest seats of power, we are not just giving them a job”we are giving them a shield.
Sengar is not laughing because he is innocent; he is laughing because he knows that as long as the common citizen remains a silent spectator, the law is merely a suggestion for the powerful. Every time we choose silence over a victim’s cry, we become accomplices. We must stop being a society that celebrates the “survival” of the powerful and start being a nation that ensures the survival of justice. It all begins with us.
