Moral Vigilantism Behind Murder of Social Media Influencer in India's Punjab
On June 10, 30-year-old social media influencer Kanchan Kumari, better known as Kamal Kaur Bhabhi, was murdered in the northern Indian state of Punjab for posting 'obscene and vulgar content.' As distressing as the murder itself is the deafening silence of the political class as well as civil society in response to the killing. It underscores how widespread the problems of misogyny and moral vigilantism are in society.
Days after the murder, the mastermind and alleged murderer, Amritpal Singh Mehron, posted a 15-minute video on social media, justifying the killing. He issued a stern warning to other influencers who are 'corrupting young minds' to mend their ways. Mehron is a 'Nihang' Sikh, a sect whose members are regarded as religious warriors of the Sikh religion.
Kanchan is not a Sikh but took on the Sikh honorific 'Kaur' as part of her social media brand name. She was a resident of Lakshman Nagar, a colony of migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in Ludhiana, and had created an online image of herself as a promiscuous Punjabi woman. The 'Bhabhi' suffix in her social media handle, meaning sister-in-law, alludes to the popular notion of a sexually attractive sister–in- law. Kanchan, in fact, was not married.
Scrolling through her content on Instagram, where she had nearly half a million followers, it is apparent that her videos with their sexual overtones were aimed at garnering eyeballs. Her provocative content catered to a largely male audience and went viral at times, getting over a million views. She had 239,000 subscribers on YouTube and 770,000 followers on Facebook.
Kanchan Kumari's decomposed body was found on the backseat of her car in Bhatinda two days after her murder, when local residents alerted cops about a foul stench. She had been strangled and the car was abandoned in the parking lot of a university.
According to the police, Kanchan had been receiving threats warning her to clean her content and to drop the title 'Kaur,' which was perceived as an insult to the followers of Sikhism.
Soon after the murder, Mehron escaped to the UAE. Two of his accomplices have been arrested. A look-out notice has been issued for Mehron.
A self-styled vigilante out to purge Punjabi society of those he perceives as defiling the Sikh religion, Mehron also ran a vigilante organization called 'Kaum de Rakhe' (Saviors of the Community). In addition to Kanchan, Mehron is said to have threatened several other influencers as well.
The current social media boom has led to a flood of influencers in India's small towns. They aim to gain a considerable social media following to monetize it as a career, often leading to collaborations with small business promotions. With vigilantes terrorizing them, several influencers have submitted public apologies and sought police protection.
What is shocking is the amount of support that vigilantes like Mehron have been receiving. Support for Mehron was trending online soon after the murder, with several lauding his 'brave act' of defending the faith from those who pollute the youth.
Kanchan's murder has even received support from the Sikh clergy. Giani Malkit Singh, the head granthi (priest) of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhism, justified the murder. 'Nothing wrong has happened,' he told reporters, adding that 'such people [like Kanchan], who are from other religions, change their name, create a false identity to defame the Sikh community, indulge in such acts… this kind of treatment should be meted out to them.'
Pramod Kumar, a professor at the Institute for Development and Communication (IDC) in Chandigarh, told The Diplomat that Kanchan's murder is 'an instance of religious fundamentalism combined with patriarchy and defiance of the rule of law in the state.' In a patriarchal society, he pointed out, it is a patriarchal code of religion that decides what is vulgar and obscene.
'These custodians of morality will project the woman victim as the perpetrator who instigated the crime itself,' he said.
Political parties across the board in Punjab have maintained a conspicuous silence. With politics and religion inextricably intertwined in Punjab, the political class has shied away from taking a stand and condemning the moral vigilantism.
Pam Rajput, professor at the Centre for Women's Studies and Development at Panjab University, told this correspondent that there are laws in the country to determine what is obscene, and no individual can become the authority to judge what is obscene and deserves punishment.
'Patriarchy and misogyny are at play. Women need to step up and speak out. Rational voices must come to the fore,' said Rajput.
A few lone voices have condemned the murder. Popular Punjabi and Bollywood singer Mika urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to take immediate action against those responsible for the murder, adding that such acts bring shame to the Sikh community. He lashed out at those who attack women in the name of culture and pointed out that they are portraying the murder as an act of bravery.
Others like former granthi Baba Buta Singh have been fearlessly speaking out against the Talibanization of society. A vocal critic of religious extremism, Singh has been posting videos condemning the murder and radical extremists like Mehron. He has urged young influencers to contact him if they have been threatened and need help. Speaking to The Print, Singh ascribed the growth of radical elements in Punjab, which fan hate and violence, to the Khalistani separatist movement and its sympathizers.
Kanchan's murder has sparked debates around free speech on social media, with many young influencers arguing that they are catering to the audience's demands. It has also led to discussions on what constitutes obscenity in an age of viral reels and social media.
In all likelihood, Kanchan's much-tattooed, voluptuous figure outraged not just moral vigilantes but the self-righteous mentality of the middle class. Her murder by self-appointed custodians of morality was intended to be more than a punishment; it was to serve as a lethal lesson for others like her.
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