Is it Right to Blame Rajasthan Government for Zafar Khan’s Death?
Is it Right to Blame Rajasthan Government for Zafar Khan’s Death?

What happened with Zafar Khan in Jagwas Kachchi Basti, Pratapgarh was an unexpected, unfortunate tragedy, but the eye-opening incident gives us 4 ‘important lessons’ at life. Here’s why we condemn the role of self-styled ‘elite’ journalists in the Pratapgarh incident.

4 Things that the Pratapgarh Incident Teaches Us

  1. It is convenient to blame the government for everything.

Whenever something happens, it’s the government that is to be blamed. Demonetization, protests, riots, lynching, unrest, low soil productivity, changing weather, failure of our kids, the list is endless.  As citizens, we aren’t accountable for our actions, especially the so-called ‘protectors of truth’ who pass biased judgments without investigating the underlying truth.

  1. ‘Lynching’ and ‘Murder’ are new synonyms to ‘Death’.

Just recently, Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje became the focus of banter on Twitter for expressing her concern over Zafar Khan’s unfortunate demise. What she didn’t know is that the words ‘demise’ and ‘death’ have been substituted by ‘murder’ and ‘lynching’—at least that’s what the media claims. Perhaps they’re more proficient in Oxford English.

  1. Everyone is the Judge!

No evidence, no trials, no witnesses, but who cares! We’re the judge! Whenever a controversy occurs in the country, rather than probing the matter, we find it easier to comment on social networks. One view follows the other; ‘go with the flow’ seems to be the new trend.

  1. We’re Above the Indian Constitution.

According to the Indian Penal Code, 1860, a person will be accused for murder of another person/group of people only when the death:

  • Is caused with the intention of causing death,
  • Is caused with the intention of inflicting a grave bodily injury that results in death.

Besides, it’s unfair to call a person murderer, unless proven by the court. But then, the media seems to have more power and brains than the lawmakers.

As citizens of a democratic nation, we’ve every right to express our views in public. Nevertheless, with great freedom, comes great responsibility. The politicians, journalists and leaders are morally responsible of investigating facts and propagating the truth. Despite this, the ‘elite’ media and ‘prejudiced’ leaders use incidents like Pratapgarh as a sensational story to gain cheap publicity and build up their vote banks—an unfortunate fact which highlights their contemptible mentality.