Throwing the baby out with bathwater is common in any society; especially the one that’s threatening to turn fascist by the hands of moral police. This tide had ebbed, now I fear there’s going to be some reawakening.
The cause this time is a very unfortunate incident of a minor girl being raped by youth in the wee hours in Surat. The anguish is but predictable; so is my worry that in the name of security and moral policing, many a innocuous people will be blamed, and may also be penalized. The bigger threat, however is that ideas and thoughts will suffer a bigger blow and few will oppose it because it comes wrapped in and attached with a very sensitive cover.
Many a things around me force me to take such a stand – the pro-people language used by daily newspapers; the headline that writes – Muslim Youth – clearly citing and inciting junta; the news tag-line – Rape on Wheels - developed by Divya Bhaskar; blaming coaching classes for early morning class timing; totalitarian organization like the VHP announcing a bandh on Monday.
Hoping the victim kid recovers and find her life soon; and the hoopla that has surrounded the real issue doesn’t take too much toll; as a safety measure, I have taken off some party pictures from the online photo gallery.
