Seven months back, when the four people suspected of raping and killing Dr. Priyanka Reddy were killed in an encounter, many cheered. They thought the legal process was slow and and there is no guarantee that criminals will be punished. So rather than wait for justice to come, were happy that justice was delivered soon.
They wanted closure, and they got closure. But at what cost?
Vigilantism was normalised, by subverting the judicial process.
There are many crimes today that qualify as "rarest of rare". They are all heinous crimes. The criminals need to be punished. But due legal process has to be followed by the police and the judiciary. Evidence has to be collected, guilt has to be proved beyond any doubt, and the punishment should be as prescribed by law. If we think the process is slow, we should push for judicial reforms so the legal process is fast tracked in such cases.
But nothing can justify vigilantism.
The day we support one act of vigilantism, we forfeit the right to question other similar acts. And then we get on a slippery slope to lawlessness. We surrender all claims on any legal process.
Today, because you don't have the patience to wait for justice, you justify killing a rapist in an "encounter".
Tomorrow, the rapist's brother decides you are insulting him, and kills you.
The law cannot protect you, because you have neutralized the law by letting it be bypassed.
And who benefits when there is no law to protect?
The criminals.
The strongmen.
The people who have might.
Who loses?
The weak.
The marginalized.
The ones who require justice the most.
If you believe in justice, demand better laws and better implementation of existing laws.
Else, accept that you are partially responsible for all the crimes against the marginalized. Because you helped dismantle the laws that might have kept them safe.
1 comment:
Agreed. law and order should be effective.
Post a Comment