Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Jan 12: Andaman Sheekha has been continuously reporting about strong rumours of mysterious masked men, which is inducing a sense of panic among villagers of remote areas. Although there is no such report of any mysterious masked men or child lifter, many islanders are not ready to believe this as there is no clarification from Administration yet.
Now it seems such rumours are taking the shape of mass hysteria as people are now up in arms to apprehend the masked men themselves. In such efforts in many places, men with rods and sticks in hand can be seen questioning people and attacking them, without any valid authority to do so.
In one such case two people were gheraoed and attacked by a group of people of Junglighat. One of the victims have been selling cloths door to door since last two years while the other one was labourer, hired by the first person. But mistaking them has mysterious masked men, who lift children, the mob attacked them and handed over them to PS Aberdeen on Saturday.
Similarly it is learnt that two days back people of Manjery had also picked up two astrologers and manhandled them.
Now the question is whether the Andaman and Nicobar Administration and A & N Police will step in to interfere in this matter or allow Mob’s rule in Andaman.
Surprisingly not a single press note has come out from the side of Administration asking people not to pay heed to rumours, despite several media reports of wide spread panic among public. If tomorrow mob kills some innocent people, mistaking them as child-lifter or mysterious masked men, who will be responsible for that?
