Jai Shree Ram became provocative war-cry: Intellectuals write to PM Modi over mob-lynching

Among the 49 intellectuals are filmmakers Adoor Gopalakrishan, Shyam Benegal, Anurag Kashyap, Aparna Sen, Goutam Ghose, Kaushik Sen, actor Soumitra Chatterjee, historian Ram Chandra Guha.

The letter reads, "...'Jai Shree Ram' has become a provocative "war-cry" today that leads to law and order problems, and many lynching take place in its name. It is shocking that so much violence should be perpetrated in the name of religion!"

Citing the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reports, which states no less than 840 incidents of atrocities took place only in 2016, the intellectuals said, "The lynching of Muslims, Dalits and minorities must be stopped immediately."

The letter also highlighted the report claiming 254 religious identity-based hate crimes were reported between January 1, 2009 and October 29, 2018.

"About 90% of these attacks were reported after May 2014, when your government assumed power nationally," the letter reads.

Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi few days ago had condemned the incidents of mob-lynching in the parliament, the intellectuals felt that was not "enough".

"You have criticised such lynching in Parliament Mr. Prime Minister, but that is not enough! What action has actually been taken against the perpetrators? We strongly feel that such offences should be declared non-bailable, and the exemplary punishment should be meted out swiftly and surely. If life imprisonment without parole can be the sentence in cases of murder, why not for lynchings, which are even more heinous?" the letter reads.

No democracy without dissent

The intellectuals have also expressed concern over the naming of people as "anti-nationals".

In the letter, they said, "There is no democracy without dissent. People should not be branded 'anti-national' or 'urban Naxal' and incarcerated because of dissent against the government......Criticising the ruling party does not imply criticising the nation. No ruling party is synonymous with the country where it is in power........An open environment where dissent is not crushed, only makes for a stronger nation."

Amartya Sen's view on Jai Shree Ram

Speaking at Jadavpur University in Kolkata recently, Amartya Sen, drawing ire from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said, "I have not heard Jai Shri Ram before (in this way). It is now used to beat up people. I think it has no association with Bengali culture."

Expressing his sense of worry for people of particular community feeling scared, Sen said, "If people of a certain religion are scared to move freely or are fear-bound, it is a serious matter."