Communal fault lines leading to mob violence: CPI-M

Blaming failure at the political level for increasing cases of mob violence, the CPI-M has said that communal and sectarian fault lines "which have opened up in our society lead to dehumanising and anarchic violence".

"The unconscionable and brutal violence emanating from the child lifting scare reveals deep social pathologies," said an editorial in "People's Democracy", the official organ of the Communist Party of India-Marxist.

It pointed out how in the last two months a spate of mob attacks and lynching in different parts of the country had led to the death of at least 30 innocent people in 10 states.

The mob attacks were mostly sparked off by rumours of 'child lifting' sent out through WhatsApp messaging service.

It said the most affected states were Jharkhand and Maharashtra which accounted for seven and nine deaths respectively.

The editorial said thia wave of violence began with the targeting of Muslims in the name of cow slaughter or eating beef in 2015.

"The atmosphere of hate built up by targeting Muslims and Dalits is now erupting in the form of the scare of 'child-lifting' and resultant mob violence.

"The BJP-run state governments and the RSS-BJP outfits sought to either justify or underplay the violence unleashed by the cow vigilantes. The constant hate campaign against 'the other' launched by the Hindutva forces have taken its toll.

"It is this which has encouraged the general atmosphere of impunity and breakdown of societal values."

The editorial said that in all the affected states, the political leadership in the state government had not come out effectively rebutting the false propaganda and declaring their resolve to put down strongly such irrational mob violence.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "who is adept at using the social media, has been conspicuously silent", it added.

--IANS

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