Custodial Death of Vikas Dubey: Why Indians Are Wrong In Not Supporting Human Rights; A Comparison with #BLM Movement in the USA

Picture: Policemen being felicitated for breaking the law and doing extra-judicial murder

Around 2 months back, an African-American person called George Floyd was killed while resisting Police arrest. He was killed by suffocation as the Policeman arresting him exerted too much pressure on his neck. His death was categorized as "custodial death". Later on, more facts surrounding the death came out. It was revealed soon that the victim, George Floyd, was a common criminal who had been arrested 9 times before. He was earlier arrested by the Police on charges like theft, drugs abuse, etc. At the time of his arrest (and death) too, he was trying to buy drugs using counterfeit currency notes. There was no doubt that such a man was not the "right role model" for any social protest or initiative. Still, Americans fought for his rights and sought "justice" for him. They started this whole "#BlackLivesMatter" campaign which was a huge success resulting in the following:

1. Massive protests were held in several cities and states in the USA
2. The protests even spread to several other countries
3. The policeman who had killed George Floyd (a criminal) is facing murder charges
4. Three other policemen who were at the site when the man died, are also facing murder charges
5. The entire police department in Minneapolis (city where this happened) was disbanded
6. Several companies and governments changed their policies to give better justice in such cases

Now fast forward to Uttar Pradesh, India. There is a small local politician and strongman who lives in his village near Kanpur. One night, a large police force goes to his house around mid-night. The police force is armed with automatic weapons like AK47 rifles. But the strongman gets advance information about this, and someone informs him that the police force is going to kill him in a fake encounter. He gets angry, calls all his men with weapons, who attack the police force killing 8 policemen. All his men run away. The man runs away too. Within a week after running away, the man decides to give up and surrender. He peacefully and unconditionally surrenders to the police who arrest him. They are carrying him to produce him in the court of law. But mid-way, they kill him in cold blood in a fake encounter. He was in police custody at the time of his death, and hence his death is categorized as "custodial death". Just like George Floyd in the USA, there is no doubt that such a man Vikas Dubey was not the "right role model" for any social protest or initiative too. And Indians decide to let his death pass; and many even support his "murder by encounter". 

Compare the two cases as cited above and look at their implications. 

In the first case, even though the victim of police atrocity was a criminal, the Americans, citizens of a developed country, decided to stand up for his "human rights". Even though he was a criminal, he had certain "rights" as granted by the law and constitution of the country. Americans decided to defend their law and constitution. This ensured that next time, if another person was in similar situation, he would not meet with similar injustice. It does not matter if the person arrested is criminal or not (though folks in police custody are supposed to be criminals); the law of the land must be upheld. It does not matter if the people violating the law are the policemen. Americans stood up for what was right. 

In the second case, Indians decided not to do anything. Many of them decided to support and praise the policemen who had violated the law by killing the man in their custody in cold blood. They declared that just because the man was a criminal, he did not have "human rights". Adityanath Yogi, the Chief Minister of the state where this incident happened, argued TV, that since the man had violated the human rights of some other men during committing his crimes (even though no court had declared him guilty yet), it meant that he had lost his own human rights. There is no such law in India which says this. Constitution of India does not say this. But the Chief Minister is celebrated as if he is a messiah of democracy. Encouraged by blind support from people, the Chief Minister also announces that authorities will probe all the charges against the man within 1 month. It means, they first killed the man and then they will probe charges against him. Yes, this is happening for real! 

All this ensures that the police virtually got a "social sanction" for doing illegal killings. They just have to label a person as "criminal" and it automatically grants them the right to kill him first and then probe charges against him later. It is needless to say that next time, even an honest person can be alleged with charges, declared "criminal" without any court of law passing such verdict, and then the police can kill him in cold blood! 

This is so atrocious that I wonder if this is really happening in our country India. 

The difference in attitude of Americans Vs Indians tell about difference in social awareness in the citizens of these two countries. It is also due to difference in education level of people in these two countries. Sadly, I am also a citizen of this country where majority of people are willing to give social approval to cold blooded murders in police custody. I am ashamed on behalf of my fellow countrymen. I am ashamed on behalf of our society. This is not India or our dreams. This is not India that we deserve. 

We need to be better than this.