Mob Lynching in Bihar: Nitish Kumar indulging in word play, says NAPM

By A Representative
The National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) has said that Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar instead of taking a recent incident of mob lynching head on is indulging in "idle word play" at time his administration "is not serious about citizens' safety or in promoting a secular environment.
Commenting on the killing of three persons in Saran distict, the CM had said thar it is "not a case of mob lynching but of murder arising out of local situation." In the mob lynching incident, Raju Nat, Bides Nat and Naushad Quereshi of Paigambarpur village were killed on July 19, 2019.
"It has been alleged that the deceased were cattle thieves. The police have stated that villagers caught them while they were stealing cattle and beat them up using sticks and iron rods leading to their death. Three men have been arrested in this case so far", NAPM, a network of tens of grassroots organizations in India, said.
This is the third incident of mob lynching in Bihar in the last one year. In October 2018 Zainul Ansari was burnt to death by a mob in Sitamarhi, and in December 2018 Mohammad Kabul was beaten to death by crowd in Araria district.
A rising trend in India ever since the Modi government came to power in 2014, as many as 19 people losing their lives in Jharkhand alone due to mob lynching. Marginalised communities of Muslims, Dalits and Adivasis are mostly the victims of such hate crimes, said NAPM.
"We are witnessing, almost on a daily basis, that people are being forced to chant Jai Shree Ram and are being beaten up by a crowd if they disagree. Most recently, on July 20, Imran Ismail Patel, a hotel employee in Aurangabad, Maharashtra was beaten up and forced to chant Jai Shree Ram", said NAPM.
In a statement, NAPM has demanded that district magistrates should be held accountable for such incidents, there should be proper and fast investigation and speedy trial by special courts to ensure justice is done, existing laws should be implemented in letter and spirit to provide a safe atmosphere, and compensation should be given immediately to the victim’s family.

Neville Cardus: The man who turned cricket writing into poetry

By Harsh Thakor* Neville Cardus was one of the most remarkable literary figures of the twentieth century. A prolific English writer and critic, he achieved distinction in two vastly different fields: cricket and classical music. Entirely self-taught, Cardus rose from humble beginnings to become both the cricket correspondent and chief music critic of The Manchester Guardian . His achievements in these contrasting disciplines earned him widespread acclaim and established him as one of the foremost critics of his generation. In February 2025, the cricketing and literary world marked the fiftieth anniversary of his death, which occurred in February 1975.

Ideological shifts and structural realities within India's left-wing insurgency

By Harsh Thakor* The Maoist insurgency in India is arguably at its weakest point since the formation of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in 2004. Years of sustained counterinsurgency operations, leadership losses, shrinking territorial influence, declining recruitment, and growing technological advantages enjoyed by the state have significantly eroded the movement's operational capabilities.

The Dalit body on screen: Stereotypes, sacrifice, and subjugation in Hindi films

By Dr. Prem Singh* Despite centuries of reformist efforts, from Gandhi and Ambedkar to contemporary activists, the caste system remains deeply embedded in the Indian psyche. One of the primary reasons for this persistence is the religious sanction provided by Brahminical scriptures, which have shaped not only social structures but also cultural and artistic expressions.

Counterview

Search This Blog