COMMUNAL DIMENSION TO CRIME
It was around the beginning of the previous year that two Muslim youths travelling in a car picked up a Hindu girl in the wee hours on a desolate road in Surat city, and took her to the outskirts and raped. By that evening Surat had come to such a boil that but for a determined and very large police force – and some decent political and social management by Muslim leaders – [also Modi did NOT want a riot] a huge riot may have cost a hundred odd Muslim lives. Nonetheless the most despicable comments were publicly aired and hundreds of Muslims actually left the city from unsafe areas for days. Ditto for Viramgam, and two other cities of Gujarat – with some variations.
Back to the question: How do we INSULATE the innocent Muslims when the rapist/s happen to be Muslim/s and the victim a Hindu adding communal dimension to a heinous crime? The killers and their instigators are not kind enough to give advance notice, much less to distinguish between the guilty and the rest [else, Sabarmati burning of 57 Hindus would not have produced the ‘reaction’ and revenge across Gujarat costing 2000 odd Muslim lives].
Political management, diplomacy, tact, pragmatism are also inalienable pillars of a throbbing yet infirm democracy like ours. It is okay to sound legally correct in say the US, but even there I notice some nuances out of racism.] Realpolitik can not take a back seat. Hence I insist ever since that Muslims must proactively demand harsh punishment, Muftis should declare fatwas, Muslim social leadership must announce boycott of the rapists’s families. And make other suitable noises, IN ADDITION to genuinely punishing the guilty as per law.
OR SIT QUIET ON CONSTITUTIONAL NICETIES AND GET KILLED SO THAT SCHOLARS AND COMMENTATORS ENGAGE IN DISSECTING THE CAUSES OF THE REACTION FOR A DECADE!
