Of Vandals & Punishment
This is in reference to a few incidents which happened in Mumbai during the last few days.
First incident involves the attack on the property of Star News, and other one is actually a series of similar incidents - a group of hooligans riding on their motorbikes on the Mumbai streets at night and smashing the car windscreens, & windows and also painting graffiti on the walls(recently they did that on Shahrukh Khan's bungalow) - ala - Flight Club movie.
First incident is to terrorize, and second one is just for kick.
They are not the isolated ones. Burning Deccan Queen in revenge of desecrating Baba Saheb's idol, destroying Singhania Hospital just because a local Shiv Sena leader died there after the accident etc etc.
Unfortunately, in our country these incidents doesn't seem to be crime enough. Police is either plain corrupt or politically influenced, while judiciary is slow & inefficient. Witnesses can be shamelessly bought, and proofs recklessly destroyed. Meaning hereby - justice is either delayed or simply denied.
These hooligans know that sooner or later they will be running scot free.
So what is the solution? Personally, I think two things. 1 - Will power to prosecute. 2- Swift action. Incidentally, one of our fellow Asian country has shown this.
I remember an incident which happened in Singapore in mid 90s. There was an United States national in his late teens who painted and smashed some of the cars in Singapore just for small fun. He got caught and swiftly sentenced according to the law of land - 200 cane hits on his back side!
Then started the protests. Human right activists said it was inhuman. Western media cried hoarse against the decision - it was harsh vis-a-vis the crime. Even the then US President Bill Clinton requested Singaporean government for the leniency.
Well, 200 cane hits is what he got in the end. They were firm and quick in action. A leniency or pardon would have set up the tradition.
That's the way. First set up the law, and then follow it to the W. But India, we take lawlessness in our stride.
First incident involves the attack on the property of Star News, and other one is actually a series of similar incidents - a group of hooligans riding on their motorbikes on the Mumbai streets at night and smashing the car windscreens, & windows and also painting graffiti on the walls(recently they did that on Shahrukh Khan's bungalow) - ala - Flight Club movie.
First incident is to terrorize, and second one is just for kick.
They are not the isolated ones. Burning Deccan Queen in revenge of desecrating Baba Saheb's idol, destroying Singhania Hospital just because a local Shiv Sena leader died there after the accident etc etc.
Unfortunately, in our country these incidents doesn't seem to be crime enough. Police is either plain corrupt or politically influenced, while judiciary is slow & inefficient. Witnesses can be shamelessly bought, and proofs recklessly destroyed. Meaning hereby - justice is either delayed or simply denied.
These hooligans know that sooner or later they will be running scot free.
So what is the solution? Personally, I think two things. 1 - Will power to prosecute. 2- Swift action. Incidentally, one of our fellow Asian country has shown this.
I remember an incident which happened in Singapore in mid 90s. There was an United States national in his late teens who painted and smashed some of the cars in Singapore just for small fun. He got caught and swiftly sentenced according to the law of land - 200 cane hits on his back side!
Then started the protests. Human right activists said it was inhuman. Western media cried hoarse against the decision - it was harsh vis-a-vis the crime. Even the then US President Bill Clinton requested Singaporean government for the leniency.
Well, 200 cane hits is what he got in the end. They were firm and quick in action. A leniency or pardon would have set up the tradition.
That's the way. First set up the law, and then follow it to the W. But India, we take lawlessness in our stride.
Labels: Politics
posted by Unknown at 10:22 AM
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