Last Friday, a ghastly incident sent shockwaves across the country and beyond when a Sri Lankan executive, Priyantha Kumara Diyawadanage, at a factory in Sialkot was tortured to death and burnt over allegations of blasphemy. The gruesome murder has drawn condemnations from the government and military leadership, as well as political and religious leaders.

This week we bring out this Special Report in a continued effort to highlight that mere condemnation, through statements, speeches and press conferences, in and of itself, stands insufficient in the face of an ugly reality that persistently threatens the sanity and the very existence of our society.

There are those who see some hope in the collective outrage – from political to social and religious leaders – against this heinous incident in search of a better and saner future. Be that as it may, there are those as well who remain sceptical of the practical value of the emotion at a time when little is being done to amplify the practical impact of a vocal outrage.

Narratives shape the minds of a people, and it is no secret that in the past, as in the present, certain extremist narratives have been afforded greater acceptance and tolerance in the political and social spaces leading to an environment of utter fear where the slightest of disagreements and pettiest of disputes have led to murderous consequences. The violent thirst of a few cannot be allowed to take over the collective existence of a people.

There is a need for the government, law enforcing agencies and the people as a whole to begin working towards a society where violence and extremism are shunned and a tolerant co-existence is promoted through pluralistic values and strong institutions. For a just society, every life must be valued equally – anything short of this leads to anarchy.

We have not come a long way. We remain stuck in our own rut, refusing mostly to learn from the past, and sadly, even the present. The sooner we realise this the better hope we may have for our future.