Video of lady singer being attacked going viral raises question of Assam's obsession with violence

Guwahati, January 21, 2019:

The motto ‘violence sells’ found its expression in a clip of a lady singer being brutally attacked by a man that has since gone wildly viral in the state of Assam. The short clip has been playing non-stop in major news channels and has spread like wildfire on social media site Facebook.

The video begins with a folk singer, Kukila Sarkar, performing on stage when her song is abruptly interrupted by a man wearing a black jacket who proceeds to attack her with his elbow. Consequently, the singer falls down on the stage and people present at the location jump to her rescue and eventually manage to overpower the assailant.

The video was recorded at Palhaji in Assam’s Barpeta district on January 14 and it is only now gaining mileage thanks to the platform of social media. The assailant, Tamnizur Rahman, was apprehended and has undergone public trial and has since apologized, but his intention behind the attack still remains a mystery.

Although the video is shocking and is a gross violation of law and order, our obsession with violence must be questioned. Why is it, after all, that shocking incidents of violence are the most popularly shared items on social media and video sharing websites? Is that the true nature of human beings?