"Guns, Gangs, and Lawlessness- The Shadow of Violence".....by Gurjot Singh Kaler

Mohali: Baba Siddique’s murder has sent shock-waves across the length and breadth of India and is certainly an irreparable loss for his family and brethren. Similar to singer Sidhu Moosewala’s murder, the latest targeted killing has once again exposed glaring gaps in the intelligence networks of police and made a mockery of the criminal justice system.

The rise of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his illegal activities look increasingly difficult to tackle with every passing day as he continues to call the murderous shots from behind the fortified prison walls of Indian jails and execute cold-bloodied murders in and outside India with impunity.

Indeed, no sort of argument can defend those who are entrusted with the responsibility for protecting the interests of the state and it is actually the sheer failure of the police and intelligence agencies who have utterly failed to rein in the violence-driven ideology of the jailed gangster.

The fact that Bishnoi is using phones inside the prisons and giving interviews to news channels is a grim reminder of everything that’s gone wrong with the police and jail administration.

The faith of the public stands shattered and broken into countless pieces at this pathetic display of lawlessness wherein the gangsters are running criminal syndicates and extortion rackets from inside the jails.

Despite having unlimited resources at its disposal, the law enforcement agencies are looking helpless in trying to explore and solve the complex enigma of Lawrence Bishnoi.Born as Balkaran Barar in Ferozepur district, Lawrence Bishnoi has created a sort of terror across India and now, even the Canadian authorities have named him as a ‘person of interest’ with respect to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil.

Lawrence Bishnoi has been accused of conducting unlimited extortions, running illegal businesses, giving death threatening interviews from inside the jails and eliminating people at his own whims and fancies without any fear of the laws of the land.

It is difficult, if not impossible, for a man in flesh and blood to become so strikingly powerful and intimidating without the much-gossiped about political blessing upon him or some type of underhand help of the administration in the execution of his nefarious and illicit activities without him becoming accountable to the criminal justice system.

So, the moot question is that whether Lawrence Bishnoi has become so capable enough in his own individual capacity that the entire law enforcement machinery of India looks weak and helpless in front of him or is he just the face of the evil and some other big powers with vested interests are operating behind him?

Bishnoi seems to have mastered the art of confusing the audience after executing every cold-bloodied murder and then, regularly spins a distorted clarification to justify his every act of omission and commission. After Sidhu Moosewala’s murder, he attributed the killing to the personal enmity and rivalry with him.

After Nijjar’s murder in Canada, Bishnoi claimed that Hardeep Singh Nijjar was a Khalistani sympathizer and being deeply patriotic, he would not tolerate anyone working against India’s united interests.

After Baba Siddique’s murder, he referred to him as the close friend of actor Salman Khan whom Bishnoi has been threatening for the past several years and issued a stern warning that anybody who helps Salman Khan would be dealt in the same way.

This is all a clever psychological manipulation wherein Bishnoi resorts to covering up his misdeeds by twisting the arguments and coloring the perception as per his own interests.

The reality is that he has managed to create a well-oiled extortionist network in political, business and entertainment circles and his potential victims are complying to his illegal demands of extortion due to the fear of being persecuted. Who has given the authority to Lawrence Bishnoi to be the savior, messiah and representative of Bishnoi community and issue death threats to Salman Khan? It is completely unacceptable that a gangster has put on hold the entire criminal justice system to ransom and is manipulating everything is his own fanciful way in terms of running a sort of parallel government of his own.

It is also very strange to note that on social media, people with fake accounts are wishing death threats to Salman Khan and glorifying the criminal acts of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

What kind of a society have we evolved into in the previous few years that have gone-by? Have we lost the human sensitivity of right versus wrong, good versus bad? Do we celebrate the festival of Dashera only for symbolism now-a-days and have we become totally unsympathetic even in someone’s brutal murder? Reading about the insensitive comments on social media about celebrating the murder of Baba Siddique raises a question mark on our morality.

It is understandable that most of the such apathetic and inhumane comments on social media originate from fake accounts but why cannot these be traced effectively by the law enforcement agencies and concrete action taken against such mischievous elements who are responsible for sowing the seeds of discord and disharmony in society by indulging in hateful and violent rhetoric.

Right to free speech does not give anyone the blanket freedom to vilify and destroy the cultural, moral and ethical fabric of a society through venomous posts on social media which affords the users a cloak of secrecy through their fake accounts.

The glorification of gangsters on social media causes an irreparable damage to the psychology of the victims and their families.Such kind of wrongful media spotlight on criminals plays havoc with the impressionable minds of youngsters on social media who feel attracted to the gangster’s pseudo-masculinity. Wrong role models can erode the society’s foundations of peace and progress in an irrevocable manner.

When no verifiable and ostensible legal action is taken by the authorities against Lawrence Bishnoi even as continues to openly proclaim about his illegal activities and admits to pulling off the strings behind various prominent murders, it only gives an air of undesirable credibility to the rumour mills and gossip theories that the government is not serious about bringing him to the book and Bishnoi is above the law.

This is a very dangerous perception to build in the minds of the audience and the consequent erosion of public trust in the government’s ability to rein in the gangsters is a serious cause of concern which needs to be deeply introspected and course corrective measures be immediately undertaken without any further delay.

What are the authorities, governments, judiciary and law enforcement agencies waiting for? Are they patiently sitting in silence to watch the next cold-bloodied murder by Bishnoi and his henchmen? Is there going to be no end to the violence and mayhem unleashed by the rise of gangsterism?

Have we degenerated into such depths of abyss of hell from which it seems difficult to rise and fight back against the demons of death? Will Lawrence Bishnoi continue to hold the men and women in society in his psychological chains of captivity with his fearful threats of death and destruction?

It is a national shame that one criminal who is lodged in jail continues to act like a cult figure and has craftily managed to establish his image as a law-unto-himself by instilling death-chilling fear in the hearts of his victims. Will Bishnoi contest the elections in near future to wash off his sins?

The resolve of the Indian law enforcement agencies and political willpower is now being openly challenged by Bishnoi and his blood-thirsty gang-members. Will we see the dawn of proverbial justice or continue to act as mute, blind and deaf spectators to the gory bloodbath? Only time will answer.

However, patience is running out and any further wait is simply getting unbearable to handle. Till then, heartfelt prayers for the departed soul of Baba Siddique and Rest in Peace (RIP) to our criminal justice system.

October 17, 2024