Judge, jury, executioner - is social media running amok?

Social media's thirst for justice is reminiscent of Liam Neeson's character from the Taken franchise. “I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want… If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you."

The denizens on social media are just as vengeful as Neeson, ripping apart everything in its way when it perceives that any sort of injustice has been done. It plays the role of accuser, judge, jury and executioner without even giving the accused a chance to defend himself/ herself. 

The Delhi Molestation Case

On Sunday night, a Delhi University student put up a Facebook post which alleged that a guy was molesting her. The post read: "A man made obscene comments at me today (Sunday) at around 8 p.m. near Aggarwal, Tilak Nagar. He was on a silver Royal Enfield, vehicle number DL 4S CE 3623. When I told him I am clicking his picture and I'm going to file a complaint against him, he responded by posing for a picture and said, "Jo kar sakti hai kar le. Complaint karke dikha, fir dekhiyo kya karta hun main (Do whatever you like. Complain and see what I do then).”

Now I am not denying the existence of molesters in Delhi or any other Indian city but these things can often play out very differently. While the man has been arrested, his family alleges that it's a political conspiracy. The ‘accused’ put up a Facebook comment asking for justice.

A friend of mine (from Delhi) recently recalled an incident where a girl hit his car and then filed a police complaint against him. The on-duty officer told him: “Humay pata hai mard ki galti nahi hai aur humay bhagvaan bhi maaf nahi karega.  Par firbhi humay mard ko hi jail mae daalna padta hai. Kanoon hi aisa bana diya hai ye logon ne.” (We know it’s not the man’s fault and god won’t forgive us. But we have to put the man in the jail, the laws have been created this way). The only reason he didn't feel the full wrath of the law was because his dad was an ex-cop. Shouldn't we wait for the facts to emerge? To see if the guy in question actually verbally molested the woman? 

While we're waiting for the facts to emerge in this particular case, things haven't gone so well for the other viral cases where social media played judge, jury and executioner.

The Rohtak Sisters

The Rohtak sisters were two girls who had hogged the limelight for thrashing alleged molesters. While they were lauded for the first video, the emergence of a second video around a month later had many people questioning the alacrity with which a camera would turn up when they were beating the molesters.

Since then, there have been conflicting versions of the incident. An old lady, who claimed to be an an eyewitness said that guys hadn’t molested them. The police were also unable to trace the pregnant woman who was alleged to have taken the video with her mobile phone. Given the consequences the alleged molesters faced included losing their careers (two of the boys had been selected for the army physical test, but were are asked not to appear for the written exam with Defence Minister Parrikar saying that such men had no place in the Indian Army).

The Dimapur Lynching

Perhaps ugly face of social media  was most dangerously epitomised in the Dimapur lynching case where a mob dragged a man out of jail and brutally murdered him. CM of Nagaland TR Zeilang had blamed social media for the flare up. He had said that groups and individuals had used social media websites to flare up communal feelings and public unrest. The posts first started on social media and then were picked up by mainstream newspapers.

The brother of the accused said that he was falsely implicated on behest of Naga groups who wanted to get rid of non-tribals on the state. He had said: “The girl`s medical report didn't`t confirm rape but still my brother was jailed and then handed over to the mob who lynched him just because he was a Bengali-speaking person.”

Many believed that he was an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant (how that'd make mob justice acceptable is still unclear), even though later it emerged that he was from a family of army-men who’d served the national valiantly. An older brother had died while in service while two brothers served in the Assam Regiment.

With great social media power, comes great irresponsibility

As citizens and also internet users, all of us have a responsibility to maintain a sane head, to let facts appear and not let sentiment cloud our judgement. We should think before we share things, because our actions have consequences. Take for example the case of the cop who was drunk on a Delhi metro and was then suspended. True he shouldn't have been drunk in uniform but does that really warrant his being suspended. What if he was just having a bad day? Aren't policemen humans? This Facebook post (excuse the language) pretty much sums up everything wrong with that case. 

Update: It appears that PK Salim the man in question wasnt' drunk was a stroke surviver who blacked out. Salim's plight proves why we shouldn't be too quick to judge based on primary appearances. 

There’s no denying that social media has given us unprecedented power. We can use it to take down tyrants, save innocent people, raise millions for a rare disease and also wreak havoc upon people’s lives. Be a responsible citizen, think before you share, because your actions have consequences.