MOB LYNCHING (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Governance)

Context: The Supreme Court asked the Centre and at least six States to respond to a plea about lynchings and mob violence refusing to stop.

• The court asked the Home Ministry and heads of police forces of Maharashtra, Orissa, Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh to respond to the petition.
• The 2018 judgment of the apex court in Tehseen Poonawala case had foretold that lynchings and mob violence were “creeping threats” and need to be nipped in the bud.

Steps taken to curb the menace of mob lynching

• The Ministry of Home Affairs issued an advisory in 2019 to all the states and union territories to implement the Supreme Court's guidelines and take effective action against mob lynching.
• Some states, such as Rajasthan, Manipur, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh, have enacted or proposed anti-lynching laws that define mob lynching as a specific offence and prescribe harsh penalties for it. 
• Various civil society organizations, activists, media outlets, celebrities, and citizens have launched campaigns and initiatives to raise awareness and mobilize public opinion against mob lynching.
• Some examples are #NotInMyName, #StopLynchings, #NoPlaceForHate, #IndiaAgainstLynchTerror, etc. 
• These campaigns aim to create a culture of tolerance and respect for diversity and to challenge the misinformation and propaganda that fuel mob violence.
• Some educational institutions, such as the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), have introduced courses and workshops on mob lynching and human rights for their students and faculty. 
• These courses aim to sensitize the participants about the causes, consequences, and legal aspects of mob lynching, and to equip them with the skills and knowledge to combat it.