Akbar lynching, arrests disrupt Alwar’s political equilibrium

Alwar, a cesspool of turbulence and conflicts related to cow smuggling, had over time managed to strike an equilibrium. The scenario involved three players - cow smugglers, cow vigilantes and police. Public opinion and political mood of the district largely depends on instances that involve these three.

That the district is a favoured route for cow smugglers is no secret and conflicts between cow smugglers, police and cow vigilantes had become regular occurance. The players took minor skirmishes in their stride. This managed to keep a status quo in the political balance too. But the Akbar lynching case and subsequent arrests have disrupted the political equilibrium.

Gau rakshaks are vital source of information to the police. The arrests of informers Dharmendra and Paramjeet have pushed police into a situation where they face public hostility and loss of information on smugglers’ movements.

Thus, police have to mend fences with them and subsequently the public. For this, it has begun an initiative to tell people to pass on information about cow smugglers and not take the law in their hands. The BJP government too faces a crisis in this communally sensitive district. While it has the duty of running a government, it also needs to protect its core vote base. It adopted a median path of accepting that Akbar’s was a custodial death, then modified it by claiming that the police did not beat Akbar. This theory of error of judgement gives benefit of doubt to both police and arrested. The incident has enhanced communal polarisation in Alwar and both BJP and Congress are trying to make it work to their advantage.

Alwar is a part of Mewat; an area with high crime rate where organised gangs operate. At present it seeks an equilibrium. Not one where there is an end to crime; but one that is away from spotlight.