A section of city residents cutting across political affiliations on Friday formed a human chain at Ratan Talkies Chowk on Main Road to protest the recent mob lynching in Khunti in particular and such incidents in the state in general.

It was a silent protest. The participants did not raise any slogans. Neither did the protest affect traffic movement nor was anyone inconvenienced by the demonstration, even though cops from Lower Bazaar police station had been deputed to maintain law and order.

The protesters, numbering around 30, carried placards with messages against mob lynching, and demanding justice for Kalantus Barla who was thrashed to death and two others with him injured on suspicion of cattle slaughter at Jaltan Suari, around 42km from the state capital, on September 22.

“Take action against anti-social elements spreading hatred”, “Mob lynching or mobilised lynching?” “Ensure justice for physically challenged deceased Kalantus Barla” , “Tribals and Muslims are brothers”, “Stop defaming Jharkhand”, “Take action against those spreading hatred in the name of religion, food habits and appearances” were some of the messages on the placards, mostly written in Hindi.

“The government does not want the common man to speak against any untoward incident in the state. Thus, we preferred a silent protest instead of effigy burning or raising slogans against the government,” said Nadeem Khan, one of the protesters, when asked why they opted for a silent protest.

Prem Chand Murmu, president of the Adivasi Buddhijeevi Manch, was also present at the demonstration.

“Incidents of mob lynching are a failure of the state government as it has failed to teach the people the very spirit of the Indian Constitution which says that India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic where people from all castes, creeds and religions have the right to live with dignity and without fear,” Murmu said.

Social activist Sushanto Mukherjee said the state had become synonymous with mob lynching.

“People have started identifying Jharkhand as lynchistan (land of lynching) while the state earlier had the image of a place with mineral wealth where people live and prosper together with peace and harmony,” he said.

Another social activist, Rashmi Yadav, echoed Mukherjee.

“There are some antisocial elements in the society who are regularly provoking people for mob lynching,” she said.

“They should be identified and punished.”