Jhajjar must be judged

As the Express reported, the men who were killed were only skinning dead animals for their hides, an activity their community has been engaged in from time immemorial.

But a rumour that a cow had been slaughtered was enough to unleash the fury of a 2,000-strong mob on them. As usually happens in such circumstances, the entire majesty of the state — or whatever pretence of it that exists in the hinterland — quickly dissipates.

The poor men had desperately sought protection in the local police station but this offered pitiful sanctuary indeed. The city magistrate in fact told this newspaper that he and his colleagues were themselves fearful of being killed.

If the lynch law is not to become the common law of the land, then Haryana Chief Minister Omprakash Chautala had better ensure that speedy justice is dispensed in this case, notwithstanding the threats and attempts to browbeat the local administration on this score. It is notoriously difficult to punish everybody who comprises a criminal mob, but those who can be held accountable like local leaders who had organised and incited the mob must feel the swift wrath of the state. The tragedy highlights a larger point. Today, despite decades of political activism among Dalits, there is no leader in the community who does not stand compromised, busy as they are in furthering their own personal agendas.

Meanwhile, atrocities against the community carry on apace, whether it is mass killings in Bihar or denial of temple entry in Rajasthan, or the burning of villagers in Karnataka. The community badly needs the energy and commitment of another B.R. Ambedkar.