Anti-Lynching Protest: 5000 People come Together in Jharkhand

In perhaps the largest protest against lynching, over 5,000 people gathered in Dumri in Jharkhand on May 31. The immediate trigger was the lynching on April 10, 2019 of a 50-year-old Adivasi man, Prakash Lakra, a resident of Jurmu village in Dumri block of Gumla who was beaten to death by a group of people from the neighboring village of Jairagi on suspicion of killing a bull. Three others – Peter Kerketta, Belarius Minge and Jenerius Minz – were seriously injured in what can only be described as an instance of lynching. Furthermore, there are questions being raised as to how the local police responded in the aftermath of the case. Deeply disturbed by the inhumanity of the incident over 5,000 people held a demonstration in Dumri on May 31. These included people from Gumla, the state capital of Ranchi and even Latehar where two people suspected of being cow smugglers were lynched and hanged in March 2016. The protest was organised by Kendriya Jan Sangharsh Samiti and many of the state’s human rights activists were also present at the demonstration. Addressing the gathering, Saroj Hembram of the Jan Sangharsh Samiti said that this incident was examined by her and several other human rights organizations. It was clear in the investigation that the owner of a dead bull, a resident of Jurmu, had spoken to the victims and other villagers to cut off the flesh and remove the skin. When they were doing this, they were attacked by a group of about 35-40 people in Jairagi village. The merciless blows, kicks and punches continued for three hours! After this the mob left the victims in front of Dumri Police Station around midnight. Rather than sending the victims to the hospital immediately, the police allegedly made them wait in the open for about four hours. By the time he was taken to the local health center, Prakash had died. Saroj Hembram reminded the people that in the last four years in Jharkhand, 11 persons were beaten to death, 9 of whom were Muslims and the remaining two were tribals. Jirom Kuzur of the Kendriya Jan Sangharsh Samiti also raised questions about the role of police in the light of the death of Prakash Lakra.
(Extracted from sabrangindia.in)