a-tale-of-two-suicides-and-a-selective-outrage

Outrage is universally selective. So is it in India. Particularly when there is a caste angle in it and when the victim belongs to the Dalit community that has been exploited and victimised for centuries together. Outpouring of sympathy is natural and universal in such cases and also beyond partisan preferences and prejudices.

 

When IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, belonging to the much exploited and victimised Scheduled Caste community committed suicide leaving behind an eight page “suicide note”, there was nationwide outrage. It had to be. Because, he had alleged in his suicide note that he was being victimised by his senior officers as he belonged to the Dalit community, which drew him towards ending his life.

 

Just a day before he committed suicide, one of his personal security guards had been arrested in a case related to demanding bribe from a liquor contractor.

 

After about a week, one of the investigating officials, Sandeep Lather, an Assistant Sub Inspector of Police working in Rohtak Cyber Cell, also committed suicide, in desperation and frustration. Before committing suicide, he recorded a six-minute video giving details of the case related to IGP Y Puran Kumar.

 

While IGP Kumar had levelled allegations against some of the officers in the Haryana Police that he was being victimised, which drew him towards ending his life, Lather accused him (the IGP) of being involved in corruption. He claimed since Kumar realised that he had no defence against the corruption allegations, in order to save his reputation and that of his family, he committed suicide.

 

The matter will obviously be investigated. Given the publicity and attention that the two suicides have got, the investigations will be under thorough scrutiny. It will be in the fitness of things if the investigations are handed over to some neutral agency like the CBI, since it is two Haryana cops who have died leaving two contrary versions about their suicide.

 

However, there is another aspect to the story. IGP Kumar’s suicide was described as a result of “systematic victimisation” of a Dalit person, even though he was an IPS officer working at a senior position of the Inspector General of Police. Since it is the BJP government in power in Haryana, it suited the Congress’ theme and narrative to damn the party (the BJP) as “anti-Dalit”.

 

Interestingly, IGP Kumar has not named any BJP leader, minister or the Chief Minister in his suicide note. He has only blamed some IPS and IAS officers, including former Rohtak SP, Narinder Bijarniya. It is surprising how an SP-rank officer can “harass” an IGP-level IPS officer? It is intriguing and inexplicable.

 

The Congress seized the opportunity. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi wrote letters of support and solidarity to IGP Kumar’s wife, Amneet Kumar, who is herself an IAS officer. Rahul Gandhi personally paid a visit to the family to express condolences.

 

Not surprisingly, he tried to take the blame right up to the Prime Minister’s doorsteps, saying it was a message to the Dalit community that no matter how hard they work, how much they succeed and how much capable they are, they will be crushed, their voice muzzled and they can be thrown out anytime.

 

It is a fact that discrimination and victimisation of people does take place in the name of caste. It happens with every one, people belonging to all castes. It depends on who is holding the position of power at a particular place and in a particular situation. Like the deceased ASI claimed before committing suicide that when Kumar took over as the IGP Rohtak, he gave preferential treatment to SC employees while discriminating against other castes.

 

As things are unfolding now and in view of the allegations levelled by ASI Lather, there seems to be much more behind the suicide of IGP Kumar than just the “caste angle” which he alleged in his suicide note.

 

It is always presumed that a dying person would not be lying just before his death. Hence, the suicide note is presumed to be true. That is the reason the Congress leaders like Rahul Gandhi and former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, a Dalit himself, have demanded arrest of the officers named by Kumar in his suicide note. Channi went to the extent of saying, “handcuff them and put them in jail”.

 

If the suicide note of IGP Kumar is taken to be true, how can the suicide statement and note of the ASI Sandeep Kumar be disputed? On the basis of IGP Kumar’s suicide note, along with the pressure from Congress leaders, those officers named by him in his suicide note have been booked and removed from their official positions.

 

Relatives and supporters of ASI Lather have also put a condition before the cremation of his body that all those named by him (ASI Lather) should also be booked for the charges he levelled against them, including IGP Kumar and some of his family members. In the suicide note and video statement, he has accused IGP Kumar of corruption and also sexual harassment of female staff.

 

Also read: Haryana cop dies, leaves note accusing late IPS officer

 

This has created a dilemma for the investigators. There has been a lot of sympathy for IGP Kumar obviously for the reason that he gave away his life. But so did ASI Lather. Principles of natural justice demand that both the cases should be dealt with same standards and equal fairness.

 

Also, those who cried hoarse over the suicide of IGP Kumar that he was the victim of the system that discriminated against and persecuted the Dalits cannot afford silence over the suicide of ASI Lather. Questions are being asked, why such selective outrage? Why not any candlelight processions to demand justice for ASI Lather? Why not any letters of sympathy and solidarity from the Congress leaders? Why not a personal visit by Rahul Gandhi?

 

Given the times and circumstances prevailing in the country right now, it is quite unlikely that there will be any outrage over ASI Lather’s suicide. This is despite the fact that unlike IGP Kumar, Sandeep belonged to an ordinary family, which is involved in farming. He does not have any close relatives as legislators and IAS officers. Moreover, in Lather’s case, the opposition does not have any reason to accuse the government of “systematic victimisation and persecution” of his community.

 

This is sad but this is the truth of today. Lather did not seem to have any direct or personal stakes in the case. Since he was involved in the investigations and was apparently in know of so many things, he appeared to have felt frustrated, first with the allegations levelled in IGP Kumar’s suicide note and then the way opposition parties reacted to it. After all, IGP Kumar was facing an investigation only. He had not been pronounced guilty.

 

The opposition leaders described Kumar as a messiah of Dalits and the downtrodden and an officer of highest integrity. He might have been. They pronounced him innocent. He might have been. They pronounced those officials investigating corruption charges against him as guilty and they might have been. He indeed may turn out to be innocent, but that can be established through investigations only. Given the position he was holding, it was quite unlikely that he would not be getting justice, that too when the investigation was being done by the same police where he was serving at a very senior and influential position.

 

IGP Kumar may have the right reasons to cry persecution in the name of caste. He probably might have felt that he was being investigated because of that. His department was only probing allegations against him, which might well have been false. But these couldn’t be dismissed summarily without investigations. Getting the matter investigated cannot and must not be held against the official(s) who recommended/ ordered the investigation.

 

Opposition parties will do better if they exercise caution and restraint while reacting to such incidents and circumstances. They must not try to find “Brahmanincal and Manuwadi mindset” in everything. Such an approach has the potential of causing alienation and polarisation. If the opposition holds the ruling BJP guilty of communal polarisation, it (the opposition) itself is guilty of caste polarisation. That is precisely what has happened in Haryana after the two tragic suicides.

 

Had the matter been allowed to be investigated properly and impartially, without giving a caste colour to it, the situation certainly would not have reached this stage. The case still needs to be probed on merit without letting any influence to prejudice the probe and its outcome. No guilty person should be spared, whosoever he or she may be. At the same time, Rahul Gandhi may well be advised to avoid turning a routine administrative matter into a “divisive caste battle”, just because, he thinks, it suits his narrative. At times, such “expressions of solidarity and sympathy” can prove counterproductive, not only for him and his party, but also for the society as a whole. Selective outrage, from wherever it comes, is divisive and harms the society, the last thing even Rahul would want.