From Hariom’s lynching to the attack on the CJI: The same poison of caste hate

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* 

The recent attempt to assault the Chief Justice of India inside his courtroom has shocked the nation. That anything can happen today in the name of “Sanatan” is no longer surprising—but it is deeply alarming. This incident cannot be seen as an isolated one. While the Supreme Court has not pressed charges against the lawyer involved, the matter is far from simple. The normalization of hate has become the most powerful and lethal weapon in the hands of these hate mongers.

Though the BJP leadership, including the Prime Minister, has condemned the incident, the way memes and hate posts have been encouraged and circulated on social media by so-called “influencers” demands a thorough investigation. Who are the people promoting these posts—those not justifying the attack but glorifying it? Will the authorities, particularly the Home Ministry, look into the activities of these hate influencers? What prevents the government from taking action against such criminals?

It is equally important to understand how those steeped in caste prejudice have been angered by the CJI’s rejection of certain cases. Many of these lawyers are constantly searching for new controversies to stoke. There exists a whole industry now—one that misuses the legal system to perpetuate communal and caste-based divisions. They are not satisfied with disputes over Kashi or Mathura; they wish to dig everywhere, disturb everything.

Once, the law was the strongest pillar of justice for the common person. Today, it has increasingly become a tool of the elite—a means for the dominant castes and classes to preserve their power and maintain the status quo. Justice for the ordinary citizen has become elusive.

What the Chief Justice of India faced was, at its core, an act of caste hatred. It is not a “normal” incident, as some are trying to portray. The same hate mongers who routinely abuse Dalits, Adivasis, and Muslims are now celebrating this act on social media—openly justifying it—and nothing happens to them. They know well that they can say or do anything in the name of “Sanatan” and escape consequences.

That is why I wrote yesterday that the Supreme Court must take suo motu cognizance of the brutal mob lynching of Hariom, a young man from the Valmiki community, and order a thorough investigation into caste crimes and hate crimes. The Court must go to the root of such violence and ensure its orders are implemented in both letter and spirit.

The case of Hariom, unfortunately, has also exposed the hypocrisy of political parties and even some Bahujan intellectuals who have chosen silence over justice. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who frequently tweets about stray bulls and cows, has shockingly not uttered a word about this heinous crime. The Bahujan Samaj Party too has remained officially silent, though a few of its sympathizers have expressed concern online. The Congress appears to have responded, but its statements seem half-hearted. Are these parties afraid of alienating the caste groups accused of violence? Their silence is shameful and complicit.

The attack on the Chief Justice of India and the lynching of Hariom are not isolated crimes—they are both caste crimes committed by those shouting victory to “Sanatan Dharma.” And yet, the same groups are shamelessly celebrating these incidents online.

I do not expect much from political parties, which are driven by calculation rather than conscience. But what stops our so-called intellectuals and activists from speaking out against such horrendous caste violence? The Supreme Court must intervene decisively. Only a thorough, independent inquiry—and the implementation of strong corrective measures—can prevent such crimes from recurring.

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*Human rights defender