NEW DELHI: The brutal murder of a minor girl in New Delhi by her spurned admirer was an episode that scarred our collective sensibilities in more ways than one. Describing the barbaric nature of the crime is unnecessary, considering that the act was carried out in full view of CCTV cameras mounted on street corners, the video of which spread through wildfire on Twitter.
What shocked the living daylights out of most viewers who were unfortunate enough to stop scrolling at the news feed depicting the incident, was the nonchalance with which passers-by went on with their lives, even as the perpetrator of the crime continued with his relentless assault on a defenceless child. The fact that not one individual could muster an iota of courage to either neutralise the assailant through force, or gather a few of the onlookers to control the attacker collectively, or even call for law enforcement, paints a depressing picture of where we are headed as a society.
It was upsetting to see how this disturbing footage, chronicling the unspeakable terrors visited upon a minor, became a viral video on social media. On the uber popular microblogging site, it would have been next to impossible to not have viewed the video in its entirety. Algorithms worked overtime to satisfy the bloodlust of netizens, who kept watching and retweeting the ghastly footage, which unfortunately was not flagged down for ‘inciting violence’. What made the job harder for content moderators was the fact that even reputed news outlets turned the video into a sideshow, knowing fully well how they could piggyback on a tragedy, thanks to click-bait laden headlines and infographics, not to mention, endlessly looping the video on their channels.
The entire episode is problematic on several fronts. Apart from the insensitivity of both media portals and the general public, which did not think twice before sharing the footage, one also must consider how the incident has been given a thoroughly communal spin – or rather an angle of love jihad. In the aftermath of the minor’s murder, the right wing troll brigade did not spare any expense in publicising the assault as an example of how Muslim men were ensnaring Hindu women in their web of deceit, and doling out cruel penalties to those who did not encourage their advances.
Of course, the one question that probably no one is asking right now amidst all the pandemonium regarding love jihad, and the spread of violent content, is the question of consent. The fact that such a horrendous attack could be perpetrated on a woman, purely on account of her rejecting the advances of a youth shows exactly how emboldened the assailants have become these days, in the absence of any dialogue on such subjects.
What has also not acted as a deterrent to such followers of misguided ‘romance’ is India’s law and order system, and its long-winded mechanics, which takes its own sweet time to bring such perpetrators to justice. We all remember how long it took for the accused in the Nirbhaya case to be dealt with, in a manner most befitting. Needless to say, we need to place some non-negotiables on the table. Violence against women must be dealt with in a swift manner and questions of their safety cannot be second guessed.
