Tahsin Farid

It becomes ever more undeniable that our culture harbours and even encourages violence in the form of vigilante justice. This may seem farfetched but one need only recall how often we see skirmishes break out on the roadsides. It's quite common to see individuals squabbling on the roadside over petty issues like who should give way to whom at a traffic junction or if the rickshaw puller is asking for too much money. Invariably, there will be a threat of violence and some might come down to throwing fists while a crowd gathers to watch the spectacle.