In the United States, the word “lynching” became associated with the public killing of African Americans by white mobs, where violence was used not only to kill individuals but also to intimidate an entire community. India has its own long history of mob violence, communal killings and caste violence, but the word acquired renewed prominence in public discourse during the last decade as killings involving Muslim men, cattle allegations, religious identity and other accusations began appearing with greater frequency in news reports.