Uber outrage: Can a lynch mob mentality eliminate complex problems like rape

So it's another December, and there's another rape in Delhi, raking up memories of the infamous Nirbhaya case. Rape unfortunately, is not uncommon in India and pen pushers in any newsroom will vouch that many a time they also go unreported or relegated to the eighth page of a newspaper or a small footnote in the 'speed news' section if it happens in some distant corner of the country.

Sure, since the incident happened in the capital city, to a young professional who used a posh app-based cab service much to her peril, the amount of outrage on social media is exponentially more. An app, which Twitter users fawned over, even till a couple of days ago, has been vilified and abused to a great extent, even though the facts of the case are still distinctly hazy. In all this outrage, the bigger question of the safety of women or the lack of it in the capital, is being conveniently missed. What happened to all the safeguards promised after the Nirbhaya incident? Of measures such as mobile police vans to be places in strategic places etc? The politicians too are conveniently silent and the entire heat is being directed to the alleged lapse of a global cab service provider.  

Social media these days, mostly thrives on at least one outrage a day on any topic, where often the side show outshines the main problem. This has a lot to do with our escapist mentality, where we are not really willing to face the main problem, question ourselves and the society at large. The scene is akin to an amphitheatre filled with a lynch mob, waiting to identify a villain who can be blamed for all the things gone wrong, just to vent out some frustration over things we are often helpless about. 

A couple of incidents in the last few days have amply manifested this syndrome. When the Rohtak girls video went viral, people started to bay for the blood of the alleged perpetrators without having a perfunctory idea of what actually happened. It was less about lauding the girls, more about delivering a mob justice. Then there was the controversy over Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar attending a book launch when the serial attacks took place in Kashmir. But isn't it naive to assume that he wasn't receiving regular updates on the matter? The entire outrage felt contrived to make Parrikar a scapegoat, when the focus should have been on the intelligence failure that lead to the attacks in the first place. But that would have needed a much more serious discussion, something most of us are unwilling to partake.

Similarly in the unfortunate Gurgaon rape case, the larger point is about how safe our cities are and how we as a civil society can help towards making it safer. Are politicians who beat their chests about providing safety to women before the elections living upto their promise? Why do girls have to think twice before venturing out in the night? Why do they need 'male protection' while coming back from a party, even if slightly tipsy. The notion of some app-based service eliminating complex problems like rape is a childish assumption in itself. These private cab services try to instil a sense of security among its users. But the people who are involved with the entire system are not isolated from the society but very much a part of it. So while the outrage is justified, as it breaks the convenient 'lie' we bought about how insulated these cab services are from the outside world, it is hardly worth it. Outraging about Uber is unlikely to change the scenario any time soon, just like trolling Chetan Bhagat about his 'sexist' tweets will not solve the problem of gender-inequality in the country. The omerta of silence we like to maintain about the burning problems of the country is with the assumption that it will not affect us. Once that breaks, all hell breaks loose and we look for the nearest villain we can single out. 

While there was much outrage about the incident being the fault of the app-based cab service, there were still a few who did attempt to talk about broader issues that needed to be fixed, like public transportation. 

Uber or no Uber, #Delhi transportation is in a mess. Apart from the metro, it is unsafe, uncoordinated, and simply chaotic

— Kunāl Majumder (@kunalmajumder) December 7, 2014

The Uber incident should be a good reminder that we can't outsource public safety to private companies. Make public transport safe. — Rohan Venkat (@RohanV) December 7, 2014

Obviously, Uber needs to be investigated and be pulled up if it is found that many of its promises are not met on the ground. But the same 'experts' who are pointing out copious flaws about Uber or other app-based cab services, were conspicuously silent about the flaws till now or in many cases, were actively advocating them. Wisdom on hindsight in this case, sadly makes little sense. 

Right now 90% of TV panelists discussing the Uber case have no idea what Uber is. — Rahul Roushan (@rahulroushan) December 7, 2014

There have been reports about the National Commission for Woman advocating a ban for Uber. The absurdity of the suggestion has led to some amusing reactions on Twitter.

Is the NCW demand to shut down the cab service a prank? Nobody (sensible) could have solved in one fell swoop so. — meetasengupta (@Meetasengupta) December 7, 2014

Don't use Uber because women get raped there. I am sure you stopped sending your kids to schools as well — Gappistan Radio (@GappistanRadio) December 7, 2014

The need of the hour is not for knee-jerk reactions but to have a measured investigation about whether there is a systematic gap in the entire app-based cab system. If banning Uber can solve all the problems, then do it, by all means. But then, be ready to find another villain next time a similar type of incident happens.