THIS is with reference to the report “Mob storms police station, lynches ‘blasphemy’ accused” (Feb 12). The insanity on display while lynching the blasphemy suspect in Nankana Sahib tells us how fanatic our society has become. Snatching the suspect from police custody in broad daylight and hanging his body after burning him alive is not something novel anymore. Such incidents are now recurrent episodes across the country.
Many such incidents, often false and fabricated for personal interests or vendetta, occur in society without any end in sight. Unfortunately, this issue has been made so grave and intense that it is now beyond the people who may wish to have a sincere discussion on it. Truth be told and for sanity to prevail eventually, this madness of believing to hold carte blanche to issue on-the-spot verdicts of blasphemy must stop now.
Laws of the land in sane societies are meant for the protection of citizens. This is truly unimaginable to watch a tiny mob grab power beyond the state power to carry out with the murder spree. This is even more irksome when seen against the backdrop of the revolutionary technologies and modern means of crime management.
This deeply ingrained psychotic behaviour has much to do with our unchanging discourses.
It is but natural to do what everyone is already doing. Only open-ended and unrestricted discussions and debates can show us the way forward to bring sensibility and rationality to ossified mindsets.
Munsif Ali
Mirpurkhas
Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2023
