Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Anti-lynching law” (July 19). The Supreme Court has done the nation a service by drawing the attention to the co-relation between a rise in instances of lynching and intolerance, and growing polarization, asserting that democracy cannot be allowed to be replaced with mobocracy. It is significant that most victims of mob violence are members of the weak and vulnerable communities.
lynching is not a mere social malaise but a heinous crime, showing man’s inhumanity to a man at its worst. It is a primitive and barbaric method of punishing a person, mostly for a perceived wrong, the occurrence of which is a national disgrace. It is an irony that self-styled desh bhakts resort to lynching, something that cannot be validated as a part of the Indian culture. It is relevant to ask whether anyone would dare take the law in his/her hands and raise his/her hand against any compatriot without the fear of law. Convicts in lynching cases don’t deserve to be garlanded.