June 22 proved to be another dark day for the country as 22-years old Tabrez Ansari died due to multiple injuries and improper healthcare. He was a victim of vicious mob lynching by a group of villagers who couldn’t stand the fact that he was a Muslim.
On June 18, Tabrez Ansari was walking back home (Ghatkidih village, Jharkhand), when a group of villagers attacked him, accusing him of theft (which he later confessed to) and allegedly forced him to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’ and ‘Jai Hanuman’. The mob tied him to an electric pole and brutally beat him up for hours. As per the sources, nobody came to the man’s rescue, even as he pleaded and begged them to stop the assault; the local police were also insensitive towards the case. His health was neglected when he was in judicial custody, and was finally admitted to a hospital in the Saraikela-Kharasawan district on June 22, where he died. According to the Indian Express, the post-mortem report suggests that Ansari died of a brain haemorrhage caused due to a head injury that went undetected. 11 people have been arrested so far including Papa Mandal, the head of the group. 2 police officers have also been suspended because of not handling it cautiously.
Twitter has been raging with #NoToJaiShriRam against this.
In case you’re thinking that the inhumane activities have just started, then I’m sorry to burst your bubble but it is not so. On June 22 itself, a madrasa teacher (Hafeez Mohd Sahrukh Haldar) in West Bengal was pushed out of a train because he refused to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’. Another incident took place when Maulana Momin, a resident of Delhi, was hit with a car by a group of extremists when he refused to chant the same.
Ironically, India recently rejected a US report that stated that religious intolerance has increased in the country. The cases in hand clearly suggest otherwise. The issue here very obviously is extremity by people towards their religion. Two things that we are failing to comprehend are –a) The essence of democracy lies in its diversity. Trampling on the differences means trampling on democracy. b) This doesn’t just end here. This might trigger a chain reaction in the name of ‘defending religion’ and ‘taking revenge for it’ and bring in violence that we do not need. Ever.
Raise your voice. Use the tools at your disposable. We are the only ones that can bring a change.
/socialketchup/media/agency_attachments/oTmmYmTemGaSn2TxEWbL.png)
Follow Us/socialketchup/media/post_banners/DszNqNIDAMyWlNCauHox.jpg)
/socialketchup/media/media_files/zgCOXtVzzE34YN2gSiiR.png)