Mr Kanhaiya, your silence on the 8-year-old girl's death due to a bomb blast is deafening

Somebody should ask all the Kanhaiyas of India how they justify the killing of an 8-year-old girl in Bastar region after she stepped on a Maoist-planted IED as she walked with her mum. Thanks to the ubiquitous mobile phone, someone has plastered the picture of the mutilated body on the social platforms but there is nothing social about it. Skin crawls. [caption id=“attachment_2684220” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar. ibnlive[/caption] Since these liberty seekers are now styled by some quarters as the new founts of knowledge and wisdom in the country, perhaps they could share with us what they would say to the parents of this child whose body was ripped apart. The image is burnt in the mind and you think, hey maybe she wanted azaadi too…azaadi to live her life, azaadi to get an education, become an adult, be someone, not pulp on the road. So come on, Kanhaiya, don’t be bashful, you are the man of the moment, tell us, no strings attached, how you would explain the loss of this child to her family. Aren’t these Maoists and their ilk the same people whose victimisation has been the cornerstone of your elocution? These are your heroes, right? Did you not martyr them and their sacrifices at the same level as those of our soldiers… That was a stunning comparison. Now we wait for your assessment. Would you say it is collateral damage, like sh*t happens. After all, people get killed every day, no big deal. Just one little girl, maybe we should look at the bigger picture, yes? That could work. Maybe you could say it is unfortunate and condemn it like our politicians do, you know yell out their condemnation like they did when two cattle traders (one of them 15 for God’s sake!) were strung up and lynched by a mob in Jharkand last week and the predictable pattern of some arrests, some absconders and the end of this line, the train moves on, the story forgotten. So, speak to us, ye of the silver tongue and the eloquence that has some folks mesmerised, without fear what explanation would suffice. How about a candlelight vigil and another impassioned speech… would that make for a fitting farewell? What about a debate on IEDs and their effectiveness? Is it remotely possible that the publicity you have got has emboldened these rebel groups to up the ante? Think about it. Seeing as how it is not out of the realm of possibility. You have been searching for salvation from all the ills that haunt our society, well, here is your opportunity to come forward and shine the light on our cruel world. You cannot just keep pumping the air with your fist and seeking freedom. That essay is into diminishing returns and pretty speeches don’t fill stomachs or bring to life dead girls. Enlighten us over this girl’s death. Justify it, display your wrath, shed a tear, dammit, do something, say something. These are specific incidents and you have a chance to give us specific responses. Fifty days since you were elevated and we have no clue where you stand on issues. Tell us it saddens you but the cause is bigger. That’s a good one, you can run with that. And what do you want the armed forces to do with these Maoists who recently slammed a baby to death while the mother watched helplessly? Should they invite them to their camp for a chat and chai? Tell us what action to take. Take your love for azaadi and elaborate upon it for we are in the dark and seek your guidance. Break up the word into a road map, mate, you owe us that. After all, we cannot trust our soldiers. So says you. Please speak up…I didn’t hear you.