Rein in the fringe

A BESPECTACLED, dhoti-clad bald man with a walking stick, resembling Mahatma Gandhi, being depicted as a demon at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata is not any momentary lapse of reason. It’s the fruition of the long rope given to the fringe, lending confidence to outfits such as the All India Hindu Mahasabha to indulge in a brazen display of hatred and bigotry. Public outrage ensured that the asur got a new look; a wig was added, the spectacles removed. A case has been registered against the expectedly unrepentant organisers, invoking penal sections. All political parties, even the West Bengal BJP unit, have condemned the incident in one voice.

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One can only wish that such overwhelming displeasure would trigger a more effective strategy to deal with groups that propagate extreme views. Unfortunately, when the genie has been let out by the politicians themselves, the chances of that happening appear remote. Keeping silent on acts that encourage hatred is as bad as voicing support. The complicity is not veiled. For the fading Mahasabha, the pandal episode could well be an attention-grabbing bid to remain in public consciousness. However, there is no dearth of such hotheads eager to leave their imprint and be noticed, even if for all the wrong reasons. The Centre’s unwillingness to tackle fringe elements has facilitated their exponential rise. Their clout has grown. Their capacity and ability to create public disorder and take the law into their own hands assume newer, disconcerting forms daily.

Taking a cue from the political masters, the law and order machinery, with some exceptions, has chosen the convenient way out, to remain mute spectators. It’s disgraceful and deeply worrying. A motley crowd — ill-read, jobless, systematically filled with hatred — is being motivated to run riot. Not reining them in is fraught with serious consequences. The blame would lie not with the fringe players, but those who choose to let them thrive.