Tag: law and order

Murderer is not foot soldier

Media, Terrorism
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On 21/2/2011 Bombay High Court confirmed death sentence of Ajmal Kasab for his crimes during 26/11. Many people expressed happiness. Someone said he is a foot soldier and pawn and we have to concentrate or mastermind.

A murderer is neither a foot soldier nor a pawn. He is a criminal. A pawn does not have life. A man has life and he makes choices and should face the consequences.

There may be many criminals behind a crime who are not caught but that does not mean someone who is caught should be let off. Keeping a terrorist alive has the danger of leading to a hijacking or abduction and release of the terrorist.

When a TV channel gives publicity to the view that is soft on terror or terrorist that raises the question whether any lobbyist was behind that. TV channels may claim they want to be objective and give different viewpoints a chance but things are not what they seem. About 18 months back Lockerbie bomber was released from UK. About that time it was said that he had three months to live. The man is alive after 18 months and is expected to live 10 years. BP wanted to business in Libya and Lockerbie bomber was released to facilitate that. UK government was willing to help BP. One doctor gave the necessary certificate. Some journalists argued for the release of the bomber. Justice Secretary of Scotland ordered the release.

Acts of sedition

India
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Two persons made seditious speeches in Delhi on 21/10/2010 and the central government does not want to prosecute them. The excuse is they don’t want to give them publicity.

P. Chidambaram is good with excuses. Many years back when Shankaracharya of Puri made a statement that should have landed him in jail his excuse was that the Shankaracharya came perilously close to breaking the law.

The countries where rule of law prevails do what is necessary and do not hide behind excuses. Whether someone who has made seditious speech gets publicity or not is immaterial. Law has to take its course. There is equality before law. Whether the person who makes the speech is a politician, legislator or lonely figure is immaterial. People who announce reward for murdering someone don’t get arrested and that makes the target insecure. Such inaction on the part of government made M. F. Hussain give up Indian citizenship.

One speaker is from Kashmir and wants independence for Kashmir. Many young people in Kashmir want independence. If the central government is open to the idea of independence for Kashmir and is ready to let go Kashmir it should say so openly. If it is open to the idea of plebiscite in Jammu & Kashmir it must say so.

Allowing Kashmiris to demand independence will have effects on other parts of India. In every state and union territory demand for independence can crop up.

When some people are not prosecuted for sedition other people follow their example and make such speeches. Tolerating such speeches led to the fall of Kerensky’s government in Russia. That followed many years of communist rule. What happened under Stalin is well known.

Naxals want to overthrow the government. If they succeed they will replicate Cultural Revolution resulting in many killings and destruction.

Article 356 for Maharashtra

India
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Maharashtra is a fit case for imposing President’s Rule under article 356 of the constitution.

It is not for students to tell what should be the syllabus. A student tells the university to withdraw a book from the curriculum and vice chancellor obliges within 24 hours using emergency powers which were not used before. The chief minister justifies the withdrawal saying the book contains abusive language. His party’s spokesperson says “It may be his personal opinion but it was not the Chief Minister who ordered the withdrawal of the book. It was not the government’s decision. Mumbai University is autonomous. If anybody is aggrieved by the decision of Mumbai University, they can always take it up with the Senate or the Syndicate or the appropriate forum.”

A TV channel is threatened by a political party that if it does not drop two persons from its reality show it will not be allowed to shoot. Protection is provided by the government for shooting to continue. The political party asks cable operators to block the channel. The channel apologises.

Permission to hold a rally at a ground is granted on the condition that noise level should not exceed 50 decibels. That condition is violated. The leader makes fun of High Court order and says the machines measuring noise will break. Three minor functionaries of the party are being prosecuted but no charge against the leader.

Something is rotten in the state of Maharashtra and if is not set right soon more troubles are ahead.