​Inglorious retreat, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court of India has withdrawn from enforcing its 2018 guidelines aimed at preventing and punishing mob violence related to cow protection.
• Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant stated the guidelines were "unmanageable," favoring individual case assessments.
• Petitioners sought contempt proceedings against states failing to implement measures against cow vigilantism.
• In 2018, a Supreme Court bench led by CJI Dipak Mishra expressed concern over violence by cow protection gangs, emphasizing the state's duty to protect citizens.

Detailed Insights:

• The 2018 guidelines were created because citizens had to seek Supreme Court intervention for routine police functions.
• Since 2018, cow vigilantism has increased, with police and state governments often ignoring or encouraging mob violence.
• Several states have granted legal authority and quasi-policing powers to cow vigilantes, violating the Court's guidelines.
• The Court previously declined to challenge the empowerment of mobs, directing petitioners to file individual petitions in High Courts.
• Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled States have resisted implementing directives and have enabled vigilantism.
• Vigilante violence persists, with police often ignoring or acting against victims, undermining the rule of law.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Cow Vigilantism: Violence and illegal activities carried out by groups claiming to protect cows.
• Rule of Law: The principle that all people and institutions are subject to and accountable to law that is fairly applied and enforced.
• Mobocracy: Rule by a mob or mass of people; a state of lawlessness or disorder.