- Hifzur Rahman, aged 40, tragically lynched in Assam over cattle theft suspicions; mental health condition overlooked; national news silence reflects normalised incidents.
- Mumbai’s Indra Terminus: mob assaults Muslim boy; ‘Jai Shri Ram’ chant; no prompt legal action despite video virality; urgency to safeguard Muslim minorities emphasised.
At age 40, Hifzur Rahman’s life took a tragic turn on Sunday night in Assam, falling victim to a mob lynching fuelled by suspicions of cattle theft. However, his brother attests that he grappled with a mental health affliction. Despite a scattering of newspaper reports and localized online platforms, the scarcity of national news channels engaging in discourse or shedding light upon this incident is palpable. Conspicuously absent are condemnations and political figures addressing the matter. Regrettably, such occurrences have seemingly integrated into the fabric of Indian society, where even opposition outcry remains elusive; news media, mirroring this complacency, opt to sidestep coverage and deliberation of these unsettling events.
Rahman, shrouded within a body bag
At the Indra Terminus railway station, Mumbai, a distressing tableau unfolded as an agitated assemblage raised the chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and subjected a young Muslim lad to physical violence, ostensibly due to his association with a a minor Hindu girl. Both individuals were travelling on the train at the time. Notably, both the young girl and boy subjected to this brutality are minors. The incident, transpiring a month prior, stands bereft of any legal action against the unruly mob that perpetrated the merciless assault upon the minor male.
Absent are both the investigative pursuits and apprehensions that justice might otherwise warrant. The intervention of law enforcement only materialized following the virality of the video documenting the episode. Within this footage, the minor girl beseeches fervently for her friend’s release, although paradoxically, it is the young boy who finds himself ensnared within the confines of a ‘kidnapping’ case.
Gripped by his hair, a Muslim boy is forcefully hauled across the railway station and subjected to torment.
Against the backdrop of Indian Independence Day, observed on August 15th, a mosque in Panipat bore the weight of an assertive onslaught orchestrated by proponents of Hindu supremacism. This disconcerting incident amplifies the imperative for Muslim minorities to be safeguarded and not abandoned.
Hindutva mob circulate mosque
