by Shahidullah Faraizee
Putting a garland of shoes on a former Chief Election Commissioner in public is not merely an insult to an individual; rather, it’s a brutal practice of existing vengeance in society and an attempt to obliterate human dignity.
Does savagery against someone truly quench our inner thirst for justice, or is it merely a manifestation of our moral bankruptcy? Such incidents highlight the deep crisis in our democratic practice and a vindictive social consciousness. This is by no means a symbol of justice; instead, it’s a culture of cruelty that has turned into a festival of revenge. By insulting an individual, society seems to be stripping itself bare. This raises the question: what kind of morality, values, and sense of justice are we bequeathing? Which path are we treading – the path of justice and sensitivity, or the quicksand of revenge and humiliation? If we find self-satisfaction by merely humiliating our opponents without seeking answers to these questions, then one day our conscience will also suffer the consequences of humiliation.
The most tragic truth is that most evils in the world are created by those who never decided what they ought to be: righteous or unrighteous. This moral indifference has given birth to a deep decay in our society, and today’s culture of insult is merely its manifestation.
This is not just an isolated reaction; it’s a symbolic rebellion against our sense of justice, etiquette, and democratic consciousness. Democratic protest is never synonymous with humiliation – rather, where logic and principle end, the madness of insult begins. Where there is no logic, no principle, humiliation stands as a reckless weapon.
Psychologically, this behavior is the ill effect of our social suppression. When the path to justice is blocked in a state for a long time, when the law fails to provide justice, and when terrifying wrongdoers occupy positions of honor, an uncontrolled rage accumulates within the populace, which eventually explodes in the language of personal revenge. But this turbulent rage is directionless. As a result, neither is justice established, nor is any constructive precedent set for the future. Instead, we become a society where not honor, but insult, becomes the new standard of protest.
Vengeance in society has reached a level where humiliating someone brings joy to others! This diabolical pleasure – the desecration of each other’s dignity – has become a terrible social narrative. The desire to harbor resentment or dishonor someone is not only applied while alive; this blood feud doesn’t end even in death. Rather, one’s death becomes a message of joy to another! Our moral deafness is so profound that it’s become impossible to distinguish between a funeral procession and humiliation! In today’s society, the garland of shoes is not just around the neck of a criminal, but also around the neck of society’s own soullessness. It’s a symbolic self-humiliation, where in seeking revenge, society itself announces its moral degradation.
We don’t want justice; we want humiliation. We don’t want logic; we want excitement. But a civilized society can never determine its process of justice through revenge. The ‘garland of shoes’ is the funeral of institutional justice.
Public humiliation or this type of symbolic insult gains the support of many, just as waves of public outrage drown personal justice or humanity. Hannah Arendt says – “The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil.” This kind of humiliation is a form of ‘Banality of irresponsibility.’ ‘Banality of irresponsibility’ refers to a societal mindset where people act without considering the consequences of their actions. They don’t consider themselves bound by any moral obligation. This is as dangerous as evil itself because it knowingly or unknowingly condones injustice. When this happens, people think, ‘I’m just following orders,’ and also, ‘Everyone is doing it, so I did it too.’ People, without understanding or thinking, identify with humiliation. This attitude causes the responsibility for crime or injustice to disappear. Yet, the victims remain, institutions collapse, and society loses its conscience. In a society where public movements are centered on humiliation rather than justice, not only the ruler but also society and morality die. Because society then is not rational but reactive. The garland of shoes then seems not just a symbol, but the garland of society’s moral funeral procession.
Just as the garland of shoes is a symbol of humiliation around the neck of a corrupt person, it’s also a symbol of the failure of our societal values. Instead, we need a sensitive, coherent sense of justice, where we judge the crime, not the criminal. We will seek redress through the rule of law, not through the dishonor of individuals. We must remember that a nation’s moral progress is judged by how it judges others, not by whom it insults, but by how it establishes justice – that is the measure of that nation’s maturity.
A nation’s civilization and moral progress are determined by how it treats criminals, how it judges, and by what process it achieves justice. Justice means not just punishment, but also the method and process of justice.
Hatred or humiliation towards a criminal is an easy social reaction, but civilization demands the preservation of justice through law. To judge a society, one must see how it delivers justice within the framework of law. If society judges based on humiliation, revenge, or public outrage, then it is not establishing law; rather, it is legitimizing injustice in the name of justice. Insulting a criminal or giving ‘exemplary’ punishment often becomes popular. But the real philosophical question is – where is the place of morality, justice, and human dignity in this process? A civilized nation does not dishonor a criminal; it delivers justice.
How justice is established is an indicator of inner judicial sense, national values, and political morality. Justice does not mean personal revenge, but a collective humanitarian contract where everyone (including the offender) gets a dignified place within the process of justice. A nation must be judged by its sense of justice, not by the exuberance of hatred. If those involved in such heinous crimes are not swiftly brought to justice and tried under the law, whatever little justice remains will also vanish.
To build a state based on equality, human dignity, and social justice, the light of conscience must be ignited.
About the Author:
Shahidullah Faraizee. Poet, Lyricist and Political Analyst.
On Mob Justice:
Since the July mass uprising, Bangladesh has seen an alarming surge in mob justice incidents. Even after nearly ten months, this trend hasn’t fully stopped, though it has lessened. Despite repeated declarations of zero tolerance from the current interim government, these efforts haven’t been effective. However, the government has given assurances that it’s working to bring mob justice numbers down to zero through a non-violence approach.
Recently, K.M. Nurul Huda, Bangladesh’s former Chief Election Commissioner, fell victim to mob justice. He was the Chief Election Commissioner during the 2018 national parliamentary election and faces allegations of vote rigging on the night before the election. Police have arrested him, and he’s currently in jail by court order, with his trial ongoing.
