No need for violence, if sensible dialogue works!

The tragic death of Parvez signals an immediate need to crackdown on youth based gangs around the capital

The brutal stabbing of Zahidul Islam Parvez, a young student from Primeasia University -- a private educational institution in the city, which left the victim dead, has left us shocked.

What is more disquieting is that the attack was carried out following an incident involving two girls who were allegedly mocked by the victim. The matter was resolved by the proctor of the university.

Media reports say Parvez and one of his friends had allegedly made passes at two girls who then called their boyfriends to come and settle the matter.

Reportedly, with the intervention of the university proctor, Parvez had asked for forgiveness and the matter was resolved.

Some time later, a group armed with knives, swooped in on Parvez, stabbing him indiscriminately.

The CCTV footage, already aired by several TV channels, show the visceral stabbings.

Parvez was declared dead at the hospital while several individuals involved in the mindless attack are now in police custody.

UNDERSTANDING A DISTURBED YOUTH CULTURE

The whole incident underlines the rise of a vicious culture among the young.

It’s natural that if a woman feels humiliated or affronted, she may want to seek the help from her male family members, which may include the husband or a boyfriend.

The fact that the male friends of the girls came to the scene may also be interpreted positively.

Whether Parvez had made offensive gestures or not is not certain but even if we accept, for the sake of the argument, that he had done something unacceptable then the settlement by the proctor of the private university plus the apology to the girls would have been sufficient.

Why was it necessary to get a gang of armed youths to attack and kill?

The perpetrators will face the law as there’s a clarion call for exemplary punishment, although punitive measures alone won’t allow us to get deeper into the sordid sub layers of youth culture, where violence, creating fear and muscle power are seen as the ultimate solution to all problems.

If there had been a verbal apology to the girls then there was no reason for the attack.

Sanowar Hossain, a sociologist, says: “The problem lies in the very fragile sense of ego among the young. They tend to feel that without a show of force, their image would erode away and, in case of women being involved, their macho appeal must be upheld at all costs.”

A few weeks ago, during the last period of Ramadan, another incident triggered a social outcry although no life was lost.

A young female journalist and her younger brother were subject to abuse and physical assault as they protested indecent behaviour from a group of men.

What began as a minor argument could have ended with a little sense but the men in question became violent and ridiculed the victims as she identified herself as a journalist.

The saddest part is that the main accused, currently behind bars, also flaunted his media identity, saying he worked for a TV channel.

One media person misbehaving with another of the same profession in public is unfortunate.

They only demean the profession and themselves.

Let’s bring into question the recent clashes of students of two prominent colleges of the city -- Dhaka College and City College.

This has become a regular phenomenon, though the incident triggering these ego-driven skirmishes is often trivial.

Perhaps it was an altercation over who gets precedence at a tea stall or a scuffle while entering public transport or an indiscreet comment ridiculing an academic entity.

In all of these cases, the perceived damage to one’s prestige is the driving force for a frenzied reaction.

In life, there are many events, which can make us feel offended.

While submitting to rage is one way, there are other, more subtle and less damaging ways to handle them.

Regrettably, at the heat of the moment, reason becomes blurred.

TWO GIRLS IN SPOTLIGHT

In the killing of Parvez, the alleged teasing of the two girls has been mentioned as the root of the fatal stabbing.

The girls, students from an academic institution in the city -- University of Scholars, have not been traced as of yet, though statements from them will be needed to ascertain as to what actually happened and why, even after an apology, the attack took place.

It may be possible that the second fatal attack was carried out without them knowing.

However, goading boyfriends coming back later to retaliate cannot be ruled out either.

To digress a bit, this tragic death signals an immediate need to crackdown on youth based gangs around the capital.

While establishing dominance in certain areas (turf dominance) is the key motivation of youth groups, they are also the conduit for narcotics.

Certain areas have seen a surge of such groups with residents urging action from the defence forces.

“A clean up drive led by the members of the army, navy and air force and supported by the police can bring results,” says Mazhar, a TV journalist.

A man defending the honour of his lady has been the staple of fiction for centuries with popular culture extolling knights in shining armour.

The knight deserves applause, no doubt, although the lesson ought to be: don’t unsheathe the sword, if sensible dialogue can defuse a situation.

[Towheed Feroze is a former journalist!]