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Kochi | Three disturbing incidents, two of mob attacks and the third of a major drug haul, very recently in Kerala mirror decay that has set into the system. And more attacks under the substance influence, which can be devastating, cannot be ruled out.

A very recent mob lynching case of a Bihar native, Rajesh Manjhi, who succumbed to the attack at Kizhissery near Kondotty in Malappuram district, five people attacking a young couple in Kozhikode on Sunday night and thirdly the rich haul of drugs do not augur well for the State. Though there may not be a direct link established of drugs to the mob attacks, substance abuse can trigger even more such incidents, according to experts.

The Manjhi case comes close on the heels of the recent verdict in another case where tribal youth Madhu in Attappady was beaten to death by a mob way back in February 2018. There are similarities in the case. Madhu was captured from a cave in the buffer zone area of the forest and accused by the mob of stealing rice from a grocery shop. A Scheduled Caste and Tribe Special Court in Kerala found guilty 14 of the 16 accused who beat Madhu to death.

In Manjhi’s case, the attack was on the charge that he had come there to steal. He pleaded innocence several times with the mob who brutally ‘questioned’ him on a theft and beat him up with sticks and pipes, all after tying his hands. The ordeal went on for two hours. Finally, the unconscious Manjhi was dragged some distance after which some in the mob informed a local social activist who immediately alerted police. He was taken to a hospital where he was declared brought-dead. The assailants initially claimed he had fallen from the terrace and was rushed to hospital.

In the attack on the couple at Iringadanpally in Kozhikode, it was another instance where the husband questioned the gang that eve-teased his wife. The gang suddenly pounced on the youth and assaulted him physically and verbally abused him.

In a recent case in Thrissur district, a person was beaten up by members of a family and their friends on the charge that he was said to have stolen arecanuts. Here too the mob was merciless in their action.

It was just two days ago that a youth was nabbed by the narcotics bureau in connection with a Rs 2,000-crore international drug smuggling racket. Instances of drug peddling and related criminal activities have been soaring in the State.

In mob lynching and gang attack cases, drugs or substances can be a trigger, admits psychiatrist Dr CJ John. He told Metro Vaartha that such cases of mob lynching and attacks can happen generally even without the influence of drugs. But when under the influence of an addictive substance, it can give a boost to the aggressor. Movies too have had a role where the superhero takes law into his own hands and executes his verdict to win public applause.

Dr John says that in everyone there is this master-slave mentality coupled with a trait of aggressiveness. During a mob attack, say against an alleged thief, this trait comes to the fore. This is led by a few. There is another group who are passive and suggestive spectators whose aggressiveness gets ignited. There is a third group of onlookers who do not interfere and enjoy the scene. The leading group that catalyses this and is generally less powerful tries to make this an opportunity to release its aggressive impulse.

A profile of the victim in practically every case shows that he or she is downtrodden. It could be a weak person, a tribal, a migrant labourer or an economically poor person and this explains why the aggressor executes his will, Dr John points out.

Here, he suggests, the third group in the mob, who are mere onlookers, should try to prevent such an attack and alert the police. No one can take law into their hands, he says. If such instances are allowed to happen, things could go out of control and lawlessness will dominate.

Advocate and political commentator A Jayashankar narrated an instance where he successfully and dangerously undertook the role of putting to end such an attack. He was to take a bus to Malappuram from Kottakkal when he saw a small crowd. A woman was mercilessly beating another, a migrant, on the charge that she had stolen her necklace which was in her (migrant’s) possession. A crowd watching the scene was encouraging the woman to be more violent.

Jayashankar stepped in and held the woman’s hand and told her that she could not beat her. The crowd turned restive. But the baffled woman stood still. He told her and the crowd to call the police and once that was done, he left the place immediately. “Looking back at the incident some two years ago when what I did was right, I realise the danger I was in by being amidst such a crowd. I know for certain that such interventions are needed to put an end to such crimes,” he said.