Page 35 - June2018

harmony

hether it was Sikh Saviour of MuSliM Five people whose faces
the Kolkata are visible in the clip have
metro epi- been booked and a search is
sode where Man turnS online Star on to nab them. A reward of
W a couple was 2,500 has been announced
beaten up for showing up As over the past couple of years, multiple incidents for Gagandeep Singh for his
physical intimacy by “stand- act of bravery, he said.
ing close to each other” or of ‘moral policing’ have been reported across India, The video of the Sikh police
when a woman was assaulted inviting flak for the Police force, the bravado by a officer saving a Muslim man
in northeast region for ac- from a possible lynch-mob in
companying her male friend young Sikh cop to save a Muslim guy made him an Uttarakhand is being shared
or handling of sensitive cases instant hero on social media, writes Sarrah widely on social media. The
of women harassment, the video shows the Muslim man
cops have always been caught in unethical behaviour and near a temple in Ramnagar surrounded by an angry,
on the wrong foot. In such a hurting religious sentiments. district of Uttarakhand. shouting crowd, as the police
scenario, a young Sikh cop To prove their point, they Police said that Sub- officer keeps him close. When
coming to the rescue of a went to the Kosi river where Inspector Gagandeep Singh the crowd tries to beat the
Muslim guy in the company of they spotted a Hindu girl with received an alert of a com- man, Gagandeep Singh is
a Hindu girl friend has earned the two Muslim youth and munal build up near Girija seen using his body to shield
kudos from all and sundry. started beating the boys. Devi temple, some 14-15 km him. The mob is seen getting
The Sikh cop turned sav- However, the Sikh cop from main Ramnagar city bolder and trying to hit the
iour when Vishwa Hindu Par- soon came to their rescue. He as a Muslim youth who had man. The clip has drawn nu-
ishad (VHP) workers allegedly not only stopped the violence come to meet his girlfriend merous reactions on Twitter,
beat up two Muslim youths but also prevented the work- in the temple was caught with many posts calling the
after they spotted them with a ers from attacking the youth. by the local mob which was officer a hero.
Hindu girl. The incident took A video of the incident was objecting to his relationship Former Chairman, Press
place in the premises of the posted on social media and with the girl who was Hindu. Council of India, Justice
Garjiya temple at Ramnagar since then, it has created quite The police, later on, called the Markandey Katju wrote: “It
town, Uttarakhand. However, a buzz. In an act of bravery, a families of the girl and the was heartening to see on
matters escalated when some Sikh sub-inspector averted a man and handed them over to Youtube the videos of a brave
VHP workers shut the main possible communal flare-up their respective parents.ADG young Sikh police officer,
gate of the temple to prevent by saving a Muslim youth (law and order) Ashok Kumar Gagandeep Singh, saving the
people from entering. When from the fury of lynching mob said the incident occurred life of a Muslim youth who
they were questioned by sub- when a Muslim youth went to may have been lynched by a
inspector Gagan Deep, they meet his girlfriend, a Hindu, frenzied Hindutva mob had it
informed that the couples vis- • religion no bar Sikh cop saves at Garjia Devi temple about not been for the courageous
iting the area were indulging Muslim youth from hooligans 15 km from Ramnagar. On intervention of Gagandeep.
being informed about Sikh cop posted in Ramnagar,
a trouble in the area, Uttarakhand restored faith
Sub-Inspector Gaga- in humanity after he saved
ndeep Singh rushed a Muslim man from a mob
to the spot where he attack”.
found a mob preparing Sikh cop’s “courage” was
to attack the couple. hailed by the IPS Association
He drew Muslim youth as well “We salute the cour-
close to him to act as a age, compassion and pres-
shield to him, and in the ence of mind of our young
process taking several colleague from Uttarakhand
blows from the mob Police in saving a man from
on himself, the ADG a lynch mob. SI Gagandeep
said, adding the mob Singh exemplifies the values
was dispersed and the that should guide every police
couple was taken to officer,” IPS Association said in
a police station from a tweet.
where they were sent
back to their families. letters@tehelka.com

Tehelka / 15 june 2018 35 www.Tehelka.com

35 Sarrah.indd 3 04/06/18 12:43 PM