Jammu, May 15 -- The recent brazen attack on police and mining officials by illegal sand miners in Jammu is not an isolated incident-it is a glaring symptom of entrenched lawlessness and a deep-rooted failure of governance. When officials enforcing the law are met with stones, intimidation, and violent resistance, it exposes a dangerous culture of impunity that threatens not just the environment, but the very foundation of civil society.
Recently, right in the heart of Jammu city, a mob of nearly 60 to 70 individuals-allegedly from the Gujjar community-launched a violent assault on a joint team of law enforcement and mining officials who were attempting to stop illegal sand mining in the Tawi River. The violence was not only aggressive but...