Rumours that an Indian Muslim man and his family had eaten beef, as prohibited among India’s majority Hindu faith, resulted in his lynching to death by a mob in a despicable turn of events recently.

Reports say the death of 50-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq in the village of Bisada, near Delhi in northern India, has highlighted the deep-rooted racism in the world’s largest democracy of around 1.2 billion people.

But learning the details of his killing, it reads more like the script from a Hollywood horror movie. “Before killing Mohammad Akhlaq, they made him run to the farthest corner of his home,” writes Ravish Kumar, senior executive editor of NDTV India, for the BBC. “They broke down his door with such force that instead of giving way at its hinges, it cracked right down the middle. They smashed a sewing machine and used it to beat him to pulp.”

It is most worrying that those who have been accused of this crime of utmost savagery appear to be young people under the influence of recently formed local Hindu groups blamed for religious tensions in the community. There have been other reports of cases where young Hindu men have been riled up to verbally and physically attack Muslims.

This development could spell doom for India’s economic advancement and societal cohesion if left unchecked. Metro Éireann calls on the Indian government to ensure that all those involved in this heinous act are brought to book without delay. We also urge the government to enlighten its population to counter these malign influences and promote peaceful co-existence among its diverse populace.

news@metroeireann.com