Deeper reasons behind B lore violence: Experts

Deeper reasons behind B lore violence: Experts
Vijay Times

Bangalore: The sudden explosion of violence in normally peaceful Bangalore, during the last journey of matinee idol Rajkumar , might have been thought to be mass grief finding a violent outlet, but experts have other explanations for the phenomenon.

Psychiatrists, psychologists and sociologists feel it is an expression of frustration by the have-nots. According to them, rapidly changing lifestyles in Bangalore have led to a sharp divide between the rich and the poor .

Prof R V enkatasubbaiah, Professor of Sociology in Bangalore U niversity , says the mob fury was a result of mass relative depression. This gave a chance to people suffering from unemplo yment to express their frustration in violence which was disguised as an emotional outburst o ver an icon’s death.

During such emotionally charged occasions, once a person pelts stones or indulges in violence, others follo w suit.

Noted psychiatrist C R Chandrashekar says people frustrated over disparities were waiting to vent their aggression and found Rajkumar’s death an ideal opportunity . "When they got a chance, they resorted to destro ying property ,".

But, he hastens to add, the fury can also be a result of grief reaction b y fans.

F ans may have been agitated o ver the confusion in placing the body for public viewing. Grief, when it is not expressed in a proper way , leads to anger and this anger was the fuel for mob fury , he says. During such instances, people express anti-social traits. W orse, anti-social elements exploit the situation.

F ormer Bangalore U niversity vice-chancellor Prof M S Thimmappa, who is also a noted psychologist, says people indulging in violence are those who are frustrated in life due to unemployment, deprivation of lo ve and affection or lack skills that make one’s life meaningful. The expressions may range from committing suicide to destro ying life and property .

P eople who totally identify themselves with an actor want to own him, touch him and express their feelings and when they are deprived of such opportunity , it leads to violence.