By: Satyavan ‘Saurabh’
“Youth has played a major role in political violence throughout history,” Goldstone wrote, “and a youth bulge has historically been associated with political crisis, an unusually high number of youth 15 to 24 relative to the total adult population.” In the past few years, there has been an increase in incidents of loss of life and property due to youth violence – whether it is an issue related to the current Agneepath scheme, rumoured child abduction in Jharkhand, by cow vigilantes in UP and Rajasthan, violent in Kashmir Be it by the crowd or by reservation. The Jat mob violence in Haryana can be seen as a reflection of the displacement of responsibility by the state, which blames the people for taking the law into their own hands, and who justifies their actions on the state’s inaction.
Economic conflict is one of the major reasons behind such youth violence; ethno religious extremism, organized crime, and sexual assault are on the rise in India’s political landscape. It needs a little attention that what is the reason for the conflict? World Bank figures show that less than one in four Indians in the 15-24 age group are part of the labour force and about 25 percent of job-seeking youth are not finding any work. The situation has been getting worse over the decades, especially in a country where more than half the population is under the age of 25. India needs to generate one lakh jobs every month while its economy has never been in a position to meet this demand. As anthropologist Craig Jeffrey puts it, ‘waiting for something to happen in life’ has remained the sole task of many young Indians. Motivated rumours spread through social media that act as an anonymous force coefficient.
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Mob violence and vigilantism occur because criminals hope to escape from them. The state’s deterrence is not considered credible, especially when policemen are presented as mere stands at the scene of violence. The general erosion of the law and order situation – an inadequate response to social disorder, and the inability to aggressively prosecute those involved in vigilante killings, further encourage mob violence. People who are silent witnesses of such incidents are equally responsible when they refrain from expressing their disapproval of such incidents for fear of being caught in the crossfire. When incidents of lynching happen in the states there is a lack of justice, those responsible are not held accountable. Democracy is a perversion, which gives people a monopoly on violence.
Mob violence is a threat to the existence of a dignified and meaningful existence enshrined in the “right to life” (Article 21), one of the fundamental rights in India. Hence, there is a need for comprehensive police reforms and an efficient criminal justice delivery system that deters people from resorting to mob violence in the name of justice. Even when nation-states succeed in quelling youth-led violence, experience shows that they find new languages in which to express themselves. Tunisia was hailed as a model of democratic reform after the Arab Spring, but it proved to be the largest single provider of jihadists to illegal immigrants in Europe, along with the Islamic State. In countries such as Syria and Libya, the Arab Spring led to a raging civil war – similar to the revolutions themselves – with a youth group easily swayed by violence.
Due to the lack of government jobs coupled with huge unemployment in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, there is more frustration and resentment among the youth. But this is also the situation in the whole country. Crores of people are applying for Group D jobs. If a case is registered with the police against those who damage government property, they are being disqualified for government jobs. But, strangely, people involved in politics become MLAs, MPs, and ministers by the ladder of agitation and violence. VIPs of the ruling party Frustration and violence are increasing among unemployed youth due to culture and non-implementation of laws on them. For such incidents not to happen in the future, politicians have to set a good example of being disciplined within the ambit of the law.
However, there is no dearth of examples where the state has shied away from violent youth mobilization. Former police officer Parkash Singh’s official investigation into the 2016 Haryana violence revealed that the police force itself is divided based on caste. Largely under-resourced, India’s police system is already struggling to enforce the law across large parts of the country. The system’s ability to meet new challenges is under question. Social in Kashmir and the North-East, youth mobilization has played an important role in fuelling ethnoreligious violence. Along with youth-related gang culture, there has also been an increase in violent crime. Connecting with India’s youth crisis should be the single biggest task of India’s national security system. (The author is a Research Scholar, poet, independent journalist, and columnist, All India Radio and TV panellist. He can be reached at satywansaurabh333@gmail.com)
