Odisha police to promote ‘positive bystander response’ against mob justice

Bhubaneswar: Not all heroes wear capes. Thirty‑five‑year‑old driver Balaram Bag from Rayagada district has won accolades for his extraordinary courage in rescuing two NGO workers, including a young woman, from a violent mob that branded them child-lifters.To encourage more “heroes in plain clothes”, the state police have decided to launch an initiative to promote “positive bystander response” in communities.“Society needs people like Bag. We will soon roll out a massive awareness drive to make communities realise their responsibilities. Positive bystander intervention is the need of the hour to prevent mob violence,” said S Shyni, ADG (crime against women and children wing).Police said Bag’s intervention is a model of civic responsibility that society must emulate. “Bag’s bravery will be showcased in awareness campaigns to inspire communities to act responsibly in moments of crisis. His courage is proof that one person’s conscience can stop an entire mob,” another senior officer said.Bag, who lives with his parents and two brothers in Parasali panchayat, was returning home with a friend around 8.30 pm on June 16 when he saw a crowd of over 50 people surrounding a young man and woman in Kalyansinghpur area of Rayagada district.

Five police personnel were present but struggling to control the mob.The crowd heckled the duo, suspecting them of being abductors, and stripped the woman in public view, crossing all bounds of humanity. Bag rushed forward. “I promptly intervened and stopped the mob. I removed my shirt and gave it to the woman. With great difficulty I guided her to the police van. The angry people kicked and assaulted me during the rescue,” Bag recalled.The 23‑year‑old woman from Delhi and her 21‑year‑old male colleague from Gujarat, fellows with an NGO working in Kalahandi and Kandhamal, had reportedly lost their way while travelling by scooter. Trouble began when local residents saw them distributing chocolates among children and suspected them of being abductors.