Another Lynching in India; Who’s the Latest Victim?
Newsreel Asia Insight #1
Oct. 1, 2023
A brutal lynching during the recent Ganesh Chaturthi festivities in Delhi resulted in the death of 26-year-old Isar Mohammad, highlighting the increasing incidence of extrajudicial violence in India. This disturbing trend has repercussions not only for the victim and their community, but also carries wider implications for society at large.
Mohammad, a Muslim man, was beaten to death on suspicion of taking a banana meant for a temple offering. The Wire reported that the incident took place in the Sundar Nagri area on Sept. 27. Eight to 10 men seized him, tying him to an electric pole just 20 feet from the stage. For about two hours, he was beaten. Videos of the assault spread like wildfire on social media.
A local resident was quoted as saying, “I was woken up by a sharp scream around 4.30 am. When I came out, I was horrified to see a group of people brutally beating someone. The cries echoed in the neighbourhood.”
It was not an isolated incident. IndiaSpend reported in 2017 that 86% of lynching victims in cow-related violence since 2010 were Muslim, and that 97% of these attacks occurred after the Bharatiya Janata Party took power in 2014.
Official crime data in India does not differentiate between general violence and lynchings. IndiaSpend’s database was, therefore, the first to offer statistical insights into the growing debate around this violence. But sadly the last!
Data on lynchings is essential, as various studies and research have found that the impact of these acts extends beyond the immediate victims. India may not have extensive research on this subject, but valuable insights can still be drawn from studies and research carried out in other countries.
For example, Amy Louise Wood’s book, “Lynching and Spectacle: Witnessing Racial Violence in America, 1890-1940,” outlines how such acts undermine the rule of law at large.
In the United States, lynchings were more than isolated acts of violence against individuals; they had a profound impact on the broader society. Often staged as public spectacles, these events drew large crowds. This generated a climate of fear and intimidation, particularly within Black communities. The underlying message was unmistakable: deviate from the norm, and you could be the next target.
The author highlights the spectacle aspect of lynchings, captured in photographs and disseminated through media, saying it was designed to normalise the violence, thereby making it part of the very fabric of society.
In India, the spectacle aspect of lynchings is also prevalent, as these acts are frequently videotaped. When “justice” is meted out without due legal process and publicly, it sends a message that official channels are either inefficient or unwanted. This diminishes public faith in the judicial system, causing people to take the law into their own hands. The reality that lynchings in India disproportionately target specific communities exacerbates their detrimental effects on society.
Similarly, sociological research frequently suggests that violence and crime can erode “social capital” and trust within communities.
Political scientist Robert Putnam’s “Bowling Alone” explores, among other things, the depletion of social capital — defined as the shared values or resources enabling individuals to collaborate effectively towards a common goal — in societies marred by lawlessness and violence.
Putnam argues that the depletion of social capital leads to reduced political participation, weakened community ties and a decline in the sense of trust among individuals. The author suggests that when people are less engaged with their communities, they are also less likely to participate in civic activities like voting or volunteering, which in turn weakens democratic institutions.
Further, criminology research has looked at the “culture of fear” that can develop in areas with high levels of violence or vigilante justice. Mark Warr’s study “Fear of Crime in the United States” demonstrates how violence breeds a culture of fear, changing how people perceive safety.
Warr examines how fear of crime can lead to various negative outcomes. For example, it can result in people avoiding certain areas or activities, thereby limiting their social interactions and reducing community cohesion. This fear can also lead to increased demand for stringent law enforcement measures, which may not always be effective or fair.
Furthermore, child development studies have shown that exposure to violence can have lasting impacts on children, affecting their emotional and psychological well-being. L. Rowell, Huesmann and Nancy G. Guerra’s study reveals the detrimental effects on children’s emotional and psychological well-being due to exposure to violence.
As India grapples with another instance of public brutality, the act stands as an indiscriminate assault on every Indian citizen. It lacks any justifiable rationale, serving only the interests of the politicians who aim to keep the populace divided for their own political gain.
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Khairunissa, along with her siblings and parents, spent years living in a multi-religious and multicultural apartment in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. When communal tensions and targeted violence against Muslims erupted in the city on February 28, 2002, her family initially felt secure, confident that their neighbours would be able to protect them. But then Khairunissa saw a mob approaching their building. In an instant, their lives and circumstances changed dramatically. More than 22 years later, the lasting impact continues to affect them and hundreds of thousands of Muslims in the state.