Sargodha massacre

Even in a country accustomed to violence of many different kinds, the incident at a village some 15 kms from Sargodha has led to shock across the country. According to the accounts we have, 20 persons, including four women, who had been called to the shrine by its custodian were first given intoxicants and then slaughtered using daggers and clubs. It is impossible to say what the motive of this horrendous crime was. The 50-year old custodian has said he killed the people because he feared they would kill him. The custodian, who had previously worked at the Election Commission of Pakistan, had a history of beating and abusing devotees and yet he never faced police action. Clearly, he was able to commit these murders because he got away with violence for so long. While initially this would appear to be a case of mental ill health, as some experts have already suggested, there is also the possibility that a tussle for the custodianship of the shrine was involved. It is also surprising that the screams and shouts of the victims, who were reportedly killed one at a time, were not heard. Or have we as a society accepted that self-proclaimed holy men should not be scrutinised and can get away with whatever they want?

This case, on which the Punjab chief minister has sought a detailed inquiry, highlights the power that shrines and those who manage them hold over people. Efforts are still on to identify all of the victims and it is not insignificant that no local person from the village wishes to be the complainant in the case. The state has for far too long turned a blind eye to quacks posing as faith healers. It is rare for the police to ever take any action against faith healers who ‘remove’ the presence of evil spirits from individuals by severely torturing them, sometimes to the point of death. It should also be noted that somehow the people who usually end up being ‘possessed’ are women. In the case of the Sargodha shrine killings, the police say there may have been a sexual aspect to the murders are some of the victims had their clothing removed. It is now up the police to get to the bottom of the matter and ensure that the custodian – who has already confessed – is charged and put on trial. But the rest of us need to decide whether we will avert our gaze from the hold that self-proclaimed holy men have over people and the fear they can sometimes create. These matters will all need to be explored in the coming weeks as the families deal with the tragedy that took place and authorities consider how it could have been avoided.