M’lru: Activists submit memorandum to city's top cop against growing number of moral policing cases
Mangaluru: Citizens Forum for Mangalore Development and the Karwane e Mohabbat Team on Monday submitted a memorandum to the city’s Commissioner of Police against the growing incidents of politically and communally motivated vigilantism and moral policing in the city and the district. Vidya Dinker and Shabeer Ahamed submitted memorandum on behalf of two NGO’s.
“In the name of preventing ‘Love Jihad’ and cattle trafficking, innocent citizens are being targeted by enforcer-goons belonging to politically motivated strong-arm outfits. What we see is a worrying daily replay of provocative statements, public shaming, incessant harassment, brutal violence, and infringement of legitimate rights of citizens. Such incidents are reported in the media, shared on social media, lead to tense situations and bring back the climate of fear that had our region in its grip in the not so distant past” the memorandum stated.
It also added that both the state government and the police department have acknowledged the fact that the district is communally sensitive and that it had been reeling under the negative impact of communalism for decades.
“There is a long history of brutal vigilantism and (im)moral policing in this region, particularly targeted at the minority communities and those who don’t conform to the purported code of conduct imagined by anti-social outfits. As a result of continuous efforts on the part of right-thinking citizens and a few district administrators and police officials, we had been able to enjoy a short phase of relative peace in the region. A resurgence of the bad old trend is unacceptable and must be curbed” the memorandum added.
“We must point out that we have brought to the notice of your predecessors time and again that the Hon’ble Supreme Court guidelines must be put in place to bring vigilantism and lynching under control. Refer to our letter of July 6th, 2019 on the matter, several follow up visits in person, your response dated September 12th, 2019, and our detailed reply of November 4th, 2019 (attached) seeking clarity on specific measures taken by your department to implement the Tehseen Poonawala Guidelines set out and concerted preventive action to ensure no instances of lynching, mob violence or cow vigilantism take place here. To this last, we have not had a written response till date, nor any indication of implementation of the Hon’ble Court’s guidelines” it further added.
“However, irrespective of the directions issued by the Hon’ble Supreme Court and through the Circular dated 03/09/2018 issued by the Director-General and Inspector General of Police, Karnataka, individuals and leaders of political parties and other outfits have not been deterred from openly advocating violence against minorities from public platforms on the pretext of cow protection. For example, on 29/06/2019, in response to an incident of cow vigilantism, a prominent political leader in the district called for cow vigilantes groups to deal with cow thieves with swords. He said (translated into English), “The stand of the police department in these cases has become questionable. They are saving the cow thieves and are harassing people who tried to stop the cow thieves. We are ready to lay down our lives for the sake of cows and for the sake of Hindutva... If the police cannot take appropriate action against them then we are ready to handle the issue. We know how to deal with these cow thieves. We know how to reply [to] them with their own swords which they use for stealing the cows”. No action has been taken against him for his statements. Speeches such as these that have been made aplenty in the past in the Dakshina Kannada region, encourage violent acts of vigilantism, not only against minorities but also against policemen. We are once again hearing more such provocative hate speech in the district” it noted.
“We now earnestly urge all the institutions of governance like the District Administration and the Police Department to take serious note of this current resurgence and come up with an immediate and effective response to curb the anti-social forces, establish rule of law and restore the civil rights of the people. Any delay and negligence on the part of the administration will only result in matters getting out of hand yet again. We hope you realize the gravity of the situation and immediately take positive steps to implement the Court's detailed directions in a sincere manner. We also seek that immediate steps be taken for identification of the groups orchestrating this lawlessness and those involved in perpetrating these incidents of (im)moral and/or communal policing, vigilantism, violence and communal hate crimes, including hate speech” the memorandum concluded.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
