‘Pathological Normalcy’ and Mob Violence

The application of the “pathological normalcy” perspective is used to examine the ongoing violence by cow vigilante groups and recent lynching incidents. These are not just isolated “aberrations” arising among scattered small groups, but could be viewed as morbid manifestations of much deeper disturbances in society as a whole. There is a need to recognise the underlying dynamic of these incidents—the cultivated shift towards a pathological culture of insecurity, hatred of the marginalised, and violence—without which effective prevention may be impossible.