Stop
Harrassing The Innocents
An Appeal from All
India Secular Forum
10 August, 2006
Countercurrents.org
The
Mumbai blasts shook the nation and killed over 200 innocent people.
This act is highly condemnable and the perpetrators of this ghastly
crime need to be punished with all severity.
In the wake of horrific bomb
blasts the police is blindly operating on the formula that all Muslims
are suspects and has been arresting and harassing innumerable innocent
Muslims. Right the day next police arrested nearly three hundred youth
and released most of them after the public protest. Muslims at different
social levels, including executives and others, are being investigated
as such and more so about their travel abroad and other routine involvements,
related to work and leisure. While police has totally failed to prevent
this incident, while it has not made any headway in the investigation,
it is arresting, interrogating and intimidating people without much
evidence, barring the fact that they bear a Muslim identity.
Terrorism is an insane and
tragic phenomenon of our times having its roots in multiple factors,
starting from the US/Israel policies in the West Asia, to the unresolved
issue of Kashmir, the plight of Kashmiri people, to the communal violence
coming up in stronger and stronger form all around and being presented
as the 'glory of religion'. As far as the apprehending the suspects
is concerned a reckless communal attitude is displayed due to which
all and sundry Muslim youth
are nabbed and made to rot in jails, and many others are being questioned
and intimidated. The social common sense is being vitiated through the
word of mouth propaganda and by a section of communalized media to demonize
a section of population. The community divides along religious lines
are widening and posing a threat to national integration. Those claiming
to be the patriots in turn are creating a situation where the intercommunity
relations are worsening, threatening the harmony and amity which are
the prerequisites of any nation.
All this has created an extreme
sense of fear and intimidation in large parts of the Muslim minority.
Irrespective the social standing of the person, the Muslims in general
are being pushed to the brink. Many a delegations have met the state
Government and pleaded for exercise of reason in apprehending the 'suspects'
of blasts. Even the delegations have met the Prime Minister, who himself
conceded that this attitude of police will worsen the situation rather
than solving it. Surely those understanding human psychology, social
psychology can easily see that from innocents rotting in jail, some
will surely fall pray to the bait of terror merchants. We can perceive
that
an average person when seen as suspect will have a deep disgust and
few of them can tread the unwanted and undesired path. Instead of solving
the problem this will aggravate the same, putting to risk the life of
average citizen of the state/country. This reckless attitude of police
is fraught with dangers. Sadly even the Prime Minister seems to be watching
helplessly.
On the other hand the Maharashtra Government, whose Anti Terrorist squad
came to conclude that Bajarag Dal activists are involved in bomb making
as in Nanded, has been sleeping over the issue. In the same state a
Citizens fact finding committee headed by a retired high court judge
has pointed out serious flaws in the police version of encounter of
'terrorists' near the RSS head quarters n Nagpur. The Maharashtra Government
has chosen to put the Nanded and Nagpur episodes under the carpet. Presently
in many states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and other,
police administrations are over enthusiastic in intimidating the innocent
Muslims. This betrays the poor quality of professional conduct. Some
of these arrests are meant to hide the failure of their own 'intelligence'.
All in all, we are witnessing a situation where the innocents are being
harassed and the civic life of large sections is coming under the stifling
scanner of the state officials.
1. We urge the President
to intervene and advise the central/state governments to wake up and
act with reason and justice in investigating/handling these cases.
2. We Urge the Chairperson
of the UPA to ensure that such a gross violation of the human rights
is stopped right away and minorities are assured that they will not
be treated in such a shabby manner as they are being at present.
3. We urge upon the Prime
Minister to be guided by his wisdom and to take up the present problem,
to instruct the Govt to see that legal, social and human norms are respected
while dealing with the investigation of episodes of terror. As the leader
of the country it is his paramount duty to see that all citizens are
able to live without fear and intimidation.
4. We urge upon the upon
the home minister to advise the state Governments, and Maharashtra Government
in particular, that the present senseless methods resorted to in dealing
with the minorities will be counterproductive and that they should employ
professional and intelligent methods in dealing with the situation.
While guilty should not be spared in any case the innocents should be
given all the feeling of security.
5. We urge upon the Government
of Maharashtra in particular and other states like Madhya Pradesh and
Gujarat in general, to wake up to their responsibility of treating all
the citizens on par irrespective of their religion, that's what our
constitution advises us. While taking the strictest action against those
who are involved in the illegal activities, the acts of terror: Mumbai
blasts, Nanded bomb makers and their affiliates etc., while trying to
honestly investigate
the suspects of Mumbai blasts, they should forthwith stop the high handed
methods being resorted to against the minority community.
6. We appeal to fellow citizens
to reject the propaganda being carried on by vested organizations, to
come forward with warmth and amity towards the fellow citizens, irrespective
of their religion, and to strengthen the integration of the nation.
The feeling of 'Hate other' perpetuated by some, may sound appealing
in the short run, but they will be divisive to the country in the long
run.
7. We are sure that with
a balanced approach to the issue we can overcome this issue of terrorism
as we could overcome the terrorism resorted to by Khalistanis not too
long ago.
Signed
Asghar Ali Engineer,L.S.Hardenia,
Ram Puniyani
(Patron) (Convener) (Secretary)