The tyranny of vigilantism in India

Recently, there was news about Bajrang Dal "protesting" against a former MLA and Konkani writer who made remarks about King Shivaji that they did not like. They even targeted his home and family members.

There have been numerous reports about these semi-employed and unemployed vigilantes with close political connections, whose sole purpose seems to be harassing authors, artists, businesspersons, and others.

As teenagers, we used to joke about how these groups harassed young couples. But in reality, they are a serious problem in India.

  1. These vigilantes engage in various forms of harassment. They target authors, businesspersons, and movie directors. They also attack dairy farmers who purchase cows from other states and transport them.

  2. They have close connections with the police. For example, when they stop a dairy farmer transporting a cow from another state, they pressure the police to take action. The police, in turn, are happy to collect bribes from these farmers. It’s a quid pro quo relationship.

  3. These groups also have strong political ties, which makes them fearless. Politicians rely on their support during election campaigns, and in return, they allow them to operate with impunity. They also collect chandas (donations) for local political party offices.

  4. Many members of these groups have criminal backgrounds. There have been numerous reports of them even fighting amongst themselves using firearms.

  5. Those members who are hesitant to engage in physical violence but have financial resources exploit India's slow judicial system to harass their enemies through legal means.

Sadly, a large section of India's population supports these groups, including some right-wing "intellectuals" who appear on TV and YouTube. They ignore the fact that vigilantism creates chaos in society, breeding violence and corruption.

There should be an urgent crackdown on these groups by the administration so that citizens can enjoy their constitutional rights, the rule of law can function properly, and corruption can be reduced.