Apoorvanand: Why it is necessary to reflect on our history of mass violence
NB: A timely article. Words like 'tragedy', when used in this context, are an attempt to disguise mass crimes and genocidal complicity. Here is an article I wrote a few months ago, on the memory of 1984. We need a thorough public debate, not about the 'Idea of India', but the Indian idea of the
acceptability of mass murder. Given the culture of intimidation that has developed over decades - with political patronage - we must prepare ourselves for the potential of more violence on and after May 23. Can we trust the IAS and police to do their jobs? DS
acceptability of mass murder. Given the culture of intimidation that has developed over decades - with political patronage - we must prepare ourselves for the potential of more violence on and after May 23. Can we trust the IAS and police to do their jobs? DS
Non-reflection on the violence stops us from thinking about the implication of letting all the police and executive officers.. who were mute spectators of the violence or in many cases collaborators, go scot-free.. The lack of a sense of urgency in various organs of the state, including the judiciary, to punish the perpetrators of violence, shows that a desire for justice remains an exception...
Rahul Gandhi’s firm and unambiguous rebuke to Sam Pitroda for his flippant observation regarding the violence of 1984 is welcome. But to say it was a “tragedy” which caused pain to “people” is to shy away from calling the violence by its name — that it was a violence targeted against the Sikhs. It was definitely a tragedy but only for the Sikh community. Besides, the hatred this violence unleashed was harnessed for the polls by the Congress campaign managers.
Rahul Gandhi’s firm and unambiguous rebuke to Sam Pitroda for his flippant observation regarding the violence of 1984 is welcome. But to say it was a “tragedy” which caused pain to “people” is to shy away from calling the violence by its name — that it was a violence targeted against the Sikhs. It was definitely a tragedy but only for the Sikh community. Besides, the hatred this violence unleashed was harnessed for the polls by the Congress campaign managers.
It is ironic but true
that such acts of violence generate contempt and hatred for the victim and not
sympathy in the perpetrators. There is hardly any repentance and atonement.
They feel more empowered by this violence. Any claim for justice by the victims
is thus resisted as it may weaken their new-found position of power, since
justice would make the victims equal to the perpetrators. Another point we
often miss is that in the wake of the violence, when processes of justice and
reparation begin, the community of perpetrators starts consolidating. The
community which treats the perpetrators as its own, begins to complain that
their own are being wrongly and unnecessarily hounded by “victims”, who refuse
to come out of their victimhood.
The argument is the original fault lies with the victim who provoked simple, non-violent people and thus, dehumanised them. It was a momentary thing and should be forgotten; people need to move on. It is this attitude which subconsciously leads the system, made of people who identify more with the perpetrators, to create obstacles in the pursuit of justice. That the victims are left alone in the search for justice and mostly resented, explains why the idea of a “people” cannot turn into reality. Without a sincere community of pain, you cannot have a community of justice. In the absence of these, the talk of a nation becomes farcical.
The argument is the original fault lies with the victim who provoked simple, non-violent people and thus, dehumanised them. It was a momentary thing and should be forgotten; people need to move on. It is this attitude which subconsciously leads the system, made of people who identify more with the perpetrators, to create obstacles in the pursuit of justice. That the victims are left alone in the search for justice and mostly resented, explains why the idea of a “people” cannot turn into reality. Without a sincere community of pain, you cannot have a community of justice. In the absence of these, the talk of a nation becomes farcical.
Pitroda must take the
flak for the crudeness of his remarks, but it should also be a moment for all of
us to reflect on the nature of the violence and our complicity in it. Most of
the persons, their numbers must be in the thousands, who participated in the
massacre of thousands of Sikhs have not only escaped justice but continue to
live with, and within, us respectfully. My mind often goes back to Ashok
Rajpath of Patna and the shops of Sikhs being looted with glee by students and
government employees. None of them had to face punitive action for the violence
they unleashed on the Sikhs... read more:
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/sam-pitroda-sikh-riots-remark-rahul-gandhi-congress-the-banality-of-hate-5727819/?pfrom=HP