Acts of violence and cruelty are on rise; we must reject inhuman behaviours, uphold moral values and create empathy to restore our collective humanity
Humans are considered the most advanced species on Earth, possessing exceptional cognitive abilities, consciousness, and abstract thinking. They are expected to embody values such as empathy, selflessness, honesty, brotherhood, sacrifice, and affection—qualities meant to promote peace and prosperity. However, despite these expectations, many engage in inhuman and barbaric acts, leaving us ashamed and disheartened.
Inhuman acts cause extreme suffering and harm to individuals or groups, often violating fundamental human rights and dignity. These acts can be physical, psychological, or both and include genocide, torture, sexual harassment, murder, discrimination, persecution, war crimes, human trafficking, and slavery.
Inhuman acts have devastating consequences for individuals, families, and entire communities. They inflict both physical and psychological trauma, destroy lives, and destabilize societies. Unfortunately, cruelty by so-called humans is rising at an alarming rate.
Recent incidents illustrate this horrifying trend:
On January 24, 2025, an autorickshaw driver in Mumbai was arrested for allegedly raping a 20-year-old woman. He assaulted the victim on a beach near Vasai before taking her to Mumbai in his vehicle, leaving her unconscious before fleeing the scene.
In Hyderabad, an ex-serviceman brutally murdered his wife by hitting her against a wall. He then dismembered her body using kitchen knives, cooked parts in a pressure cooker and disposed of them across various locations. This horrific act has left society in shock and distress.
Last year, a trainee lady doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata was brutally raped and murdered while on duty. The perpetrator was a police volunteer, raising serious concerns about women’s safety in workplaces. The incident sparked massive protests across Kolkata.
In Jammu and Kashmir, a man from Pahalgam, Anantnag, killed his pregnant wife last October and later burned her in a cowshed. Initially, he filed a missing person report, but during interrogation, he confessed that he and his mother had committed the crime to destroy evidence.
In Ghaziabad, on December 21, 2023, a nine-year-old Dalit girl was raped and murdered by a 52-year-old landlord. Delhi police revealed that she had gone missing on December 12, 2023, before being abducted, assaulted, and murdered by a man living in her neighbourhood.
The grief of Nirbhaya’s brutal gang rape and murder (2012) and the Kathua gang rape and murder (2018), where an eight-year-old girl was the victim, still haunts our hearts. These cases remain painful reminders of the cruelty humans are capable of.
Every day, we witness horrifying stories of victims who have been brutally harassed, abused, or killed. Domestic violence against women continues to persist, with daughters-in-law being harassed in their in-laws’ homes. Reports of human trafficking, war crimes, child abuse, and property disputes leading to murder emerge regularly. In a society where brothers kill each other over land and the powerful suppress the weak, it becomes crucial for us to introspect and mend our actions.
It is time we embrace humanity and work towards eradicating these inhuman acts. We must condemn and discourage cruelty in all forms, develop a strong aversion toward individuals involved in crimes against humanity, promote empathy, kindness, and moral values in our communities, support victims, and ensure justice is served.
If we fail to uphold these values, we risk losing our identity as humans and becoming inhuman ourselves. It is time for a collective effort to restore faith in humanity and build a society where compassion prevails over cruelty.
The writer is a government teacher at the Higher Secondary School (HSS) Nehalpora Pattan
Kousar Ahmad Rather
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