Jharkhand Polls: Mob Lynching Victims Live in Fear, Political Patronage to Accused?

'The rampant issue of mob lynchings is absent from electoral campaigns of political parties in poll-bound Jharkhand – a state that has of late become infamous for the violence of rampaging mob. The state has witnessed 22 such killings between March 18, 2016 and September 22, 2019, for alleged smuggling or slaughtering of cows and over child-lifting rumours. It is also of concern that barring a few incidents of mob lynching, most incidents have occurred in remote rural or small town areas. The irony of the victims’ families is that they are neither able to express the sorrow of losing the sole breadwinners in their family or their loved ones, nor suppress it as they find no political support. They allege that the culprits enjoy political patronage. Instead of assuring people that the culprits will be brought to book and justice will prevail, it is being promised that the perpetrators will be released if they are voted to power...'