By Farhan Akhtar:
Editor’s Note: Another Gandhi Jayanti has passed us by but have we managed to honour Gandhi’s teachings and principles? Farhan Akhtar brings up this simple question in a letter to the people and the Government, who stood silently as a person was brutally lynched in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh for ‘allegedly possessing’ beef. India was built on the principle of democracy and individual freedom, but how much freedom do we actually have in the country? With the government dictating what we should eat, what should we wear, what we should speak, how long can we call ourselves a democracy?
Farhan Akhtar’s letter below, re-published from his Facebook post here, urges everyone to never forget the Dadri killing because of the hypocrisy associated with it:
“It’s been almost a week now since a man (husband and father) in Dadri, U.P was brutally murdered. He was dragged out of his house and in full view of his family, beaten to death by a mob. His son is in critical condition, doctors still struggling to keep him alive. His wife and daughter will probably never recover from this incident.
Reason: He was rumored to have stored and/or eaten beef. Let me repeat that. He was RUMORED to have stored and/or eaten beef.
Now one would imagine that those who committed this crime are lunatics who have no ability to think for themselves, their lives devoid of any purpose and who therefore cling on to the lamest of reasons, or more specifically, sorriest of excuses so as to give meaning to their own existence.
They should be given the harshest punishment to send a message out that this sort of kangaroo justice will not be allowed in our nation.
But will that happen?
It’s the aftermath with the routine insensitive quotes from politics leaders, some blatantly blaming the victims eating habits, others sheltering the accused, that have already started creating the blueprint for what is to follow. We’ve seen it before. Do we want to see it again?
The police sprung into action and have sent the meat from the dead victims house for Forensics!!!!
Need one say more about how twisted this is beginning to get.
The point of this post is that another thing will be routine. The silence of the peace loving citizen. But this is NOT the time to remain silent.
What has happened once can surely happen again and unless we, the people, do not unite in demanding immediate action, this is going to turn into a circus with all the usual suspects having a go at each other, trying to score PR points.
There are serious implications if justice is not swift and exact.
During this week, another Gandhi Jayanti has passed us by. I know one family in UP that must wonder what happened to the principles that he built this nation on.
Indians killing Indians killing Indians. Let’s face it.. His memory has been completely dishonored.
Let us not allow the Dadri incident ever to be forgotten or repeated. Jai Hind.“