Fringes infringe, and damage reputations

Far too often, folks pass off what can be called 'bad behaviour' in a group as 'fringe activity'. It's essentially calling out a bad egg, a black sheep, with the inherent appeal to not treat all eggs in the pack, or all sheep in the pen, as bad or black. Fair enough. But when does the fringe infringe and colour the rest of the pack? Even if this shouldn't happen, the fact is, it does. When, say, a fanatical set decides to put out a supari on a writer in the name of a fatwa, not every Muslim demands the death of Salman Rushdie. But... Similarly, when the UP women's commission proposes guidelines for improving women's safety (sic) in public and commercial spaces by suggesting gender apartheid, the usual trope of regressive gender dynamics (read: 'patriocracy') adorns the billboard of the 'cow belt' again - to the chagrin of all those in UP who don't see a lurking perversion in every woman-man interaction from going to the tailor's to gymming under an instructor. Male gynaecologists in UP must be insulted.

The fringe, by definition, is small. But, boy, does it make up for its minority status by its loudness. Which is why 'fringe' shouldn't be treated as just peripheral voices to be ignored. Their punching above their weights form reputations, even if this doesn't always translate into action. So, snip the tail before it can wag the dog.