The killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh has led to a war of words between political parties. It is unfortunate that this murder most foul has degenerated to Left versus Right versus Centre (if the Congress Party can be termed that) slugfest. It is hard to believe that a senior Congress leader, Digvijay Singh should stoop to using expletives to express his venom not so much against the killers of Lankesh but against the Prime Minister. Matters were brought to a head when the Press Club of India, Delhi held a meeting on Friday to protest the assault on free speech and the meeting was populated by politicians and university activists with leanings towards a particular ideology. A reporter of a channel perceived to be close to the ruling dispensation was given a dressing down by the student activist and told to leave the venue. Has the Press Club now become the hub of a political battle? Clearly the media seems to have lost its moorings. That a meeting convened by the Press Club should provide space for a political fracas is unacceptable.
Media trials have now become par for the course. This is made worse by right wing trolls that condoned the death of the activist journalist from Karnataka on social media. Naturally the suspicion has fallen on the BJP-RSS even before the police have been able to nab a single suspect and even before anything has been established beyond a reasonable doubt. This is troubling for the country as the death of other rationalists like Kalburgi and Pansare lie unsolved and the cases are pushed to the backburner. Karnataka police have even said that whereas the killings follow a pattern where the victims are killed at close range in what is termed as a pre-meditated murder, they have not been able to get any conclusive evidence. Hence the case might just be closed for want of such incontrovertible evidence. This casts a pall of gloom on India’s criminal justice system. Murderers are able to get away with impunity leaving us to wonder if the system has failed us completely. With conviction rates so low, people tend to resort to instant justice and to take the law into their hands. This is a dangerous portend for the country. Things are made murkier by the political opportunism displayed by politicians of all hues who want to cash in even from tragedies. Clearly India is sinking into an abyss made worse by social media.
