Recent acquittal of all accused in the PUK Khan lynching case raises concerns about violence and lynchings in society.
Discussion around the term "mob lynching" versus individual acts of violence.
Importance of defining these acts as hate crimes rather than just mob violence.
Speaker Introduction
Name: Moson Alamud
Position: Assistant Professor of Law, Queen Mary University of London.
Experience: Worked on hate crime issues and minority rights since 2017, focusing on lynching violence against minorities and Muslims in India.
Historical Context
The term "riots" traditionally used in India to describe mass violence, often misleading as it implies clashes rather than targeted violence against minorities.
Since 2014, there has been an increase in violence against individuals, particularly Muslims, under various pretexts like cattle trading and cow slaughter.
Hate Crime Definition
Hate crimes defined internationally as acts motivated by hostility towards a victim's identity (racial, ethnic, or religious).
In India, laws similar to hate crime include:
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Laws against violence towards women as a form of hate crime.
Documentation and Data Collection
Importance of tracking hate crimes to hold the government accountable and support victims.
Civil society plays a crucial role in documenting incidents, often using newspaper articles and fieldwork for evidence.
Recording of hate crime data is inadequate in India; the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) does not maintain such records.
The need for rigorous data collection to understand the experiences and safety concerns of vulnerable communities.
Current Trends in Violence
Shift from large-scale communal riots to more individualized, targeted hate crimes.
Increased fear and socio-economic disruption in communities affected by lynching incidents.
Examples of pretexts for violence include:
Cow protection vigilante actions.
Allegations of interfaith relationships.
Legal Framework and Challenges
Current laws address mob lynching but fail to fully capture the nature of hate crimes.
Issues with the legal definition of mob lynching that may overlook individual acts of violence.
Need for better police training and systems to support victims.
Recommendations for Addressing Hate Crimes
Recognize hate crime as a problem of identity-based hostility.
Integrate hate crime provisions into the policing and justice system.
Establish a rigorous data collection system at the NCRB.
Provide rehabilitation and support systems for victims.
Explore comparative studies with other countries that have effective hate crime laws.
Conclusion
Emphasizes the need for a human-centered approach to understanding hate crimes.
Encourages future research by students and social scientists to explore the psychosocial impacts of hate crimes and broader historical contexts.