Hindu Vivek Kendra
A RESOURCE CENTER FOR THE PROMOTION OF HINDUTVA
   
 
 
«« Back
archive: Unequal rights

Unequal rights

Abhay Mokashi
Mid-Day
July 7, 1999


    Title: Unequal rights
    Author: Abhay Mokashi
    Publication: Mid-Day
    Date: July 7, 1999
    
    Even as innocent people are being killed by militants in Jammu &
    Kashmir, there is a strange but predictable silence from various human
    rights organisations in the country. Inadvertently or otherwise, most
    of these organisations have over the years been either selective in
    their criticism of violation of human rights or have given an
    impression of being biased in their protests or silence, on such
    issues.
    
    Several instances can be pointed out, which makes one wonder, whether
    these organisations and their leaders are really keen on protecting
    human and civil rights or are interested merely in cheap publicity.
    
    Practically, all such organisations and individuals, propagandists of
    civil liberties and human rights, have shouted themselves hoarse over
    the violation of human rights by the uniformed services in Punjab,
    Jammu & Kashmir and North Eastern states of India. There have no doubt
    been instances where the armed forces have indulged in atrocities on
    the innocent and throwing civil rights to the dogs. Whether it was in
    West Bengal, during anti-Naxalite operations, or in Punjab, and Jammu
    & Kashmir, in the name of flushing out terrorists and militants, many
    have been killed, tortured or detained illegally. Most of them were
    not even remotely connected with militancy.
    
    Such encroachments on civil liberties of citizens cannot and should
    not be tolerated. But at the same time, one cannot overlook the attack
    on human rights of ordinary people, by the militants and the
    terrorists. Rarely have the organisations and their leaders made as
    much noise about these violations, as in the case of violations by the
    state machinery. Even in their condemnation of the violation of civil
    liberties by militants and their organisations, there seems to be a
    bias towards one community against another. When innocent people are
    being killed in Doda and other parts of Kashmir, these organisations
    are silent. This has been accepted, helplessly, by a national leader
    of a civil rights organisation. Such attitudes raise doubts about the
    intentions of these organisations and their leaders. Moreover, the
    faults of one cannot be used to cover up or to be apologetic about
    those of the other.
    
    I was shocked at the adamant attitude of the respectable Justice V M
    Tarkunde, who refused to condemn the torture of seven Indian Army
    personnel by Pakistan, before they were killed last month. Justice
    Tarkunde's defence, at his 90th birthday felicitations, was that
    thousands of Kashmiri youth were still missing due to the action of
    the Indian Army in Jammu & Kashmir over the years. The Indian Army may
    have been responsible for the disappearance of Kashmiri youth and if
    this is so, it has to be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
    But this is no excuse to condone the act by the Pakistan Army
    personnel. If lack of nationalism and patriotism prevents one from
    condemning such acts, at least on the grounds of human rights
    violations, there has to be condemnation.
    
    Even if Usha Mehta, the renowned Gandhian, had failed to condemn the
    atrocities against Kashmiri people by the Indian security forces,
    Tarkunde should not have used that as an excuse to be silent on the
    issue of the torture of the Indian soldiers.
    
    In fact, a man of the stature of Justice Tarkunde should have taken
    the issue to international for a violation of civil rights, even of
    criminals, by the state machinery cannot be condoned in a democracy,
    but those who have made it their business to take up issues of human
    rights violations, should not ignore other instances of breach of
    human rights.  
    
    
    Title: Unequal rights
    Author: Abhay Mokashi
    Publication: Mid-Day
    Date: July 7, 1999
    
    Even as innocent people are being killed by militants in Jammu &
    Kashmir, there is a strange but predictable silence from various human
    rights organisations in the country. Inadvertently or otherwise, most
    of these organisations have over the years been either selective in
    their criticism of violation of human rights or have given an
    impression of being biased in their protests or silence, on such
    issues.
    
    Several instances can be pointed out, which makes one wonder, whether
    these organisations and their leaders are really keen on protecting
    human and civil rights or are interested merely in cheap publicity.
    
    Practically, all such organisations and individuals, propagandists of
    civil liberties and human rights, have shouted themselves hoarse over
    the violation of human rights by the uniformed services in Punjab,
    Jammu & Kashmir and North Eastern states of India. There have no doubt
    been instances where the armed forces have indulged in atrocities on
    the innocent and throwing civil rights to the dogs. Whether it was in
    West Bengal, during anti-Naxalite operations, or in Punjab, and Jammu
    & Kashmir, in the name of flushing out terrorists and militants, many
    have been killed, tortured or detained illegally. Most of them were
    not even remotely connected with militancy.
    
    Such encroachments on civil liberties of citizens cannot and should
    not be tolerated. But at the same time, one cannot overlook the attack
    on human rights of ordinary people, by the militants and the
    terrorists. Rarely have the organisations and their leaders made as
    much noise about these violations, as in the case of violations by the
    state machinery. Even in their condemnation of the violation of civil
    liberties by militants and their organisations, there seems to be a
    bias towards one community against another. When innocent people are
    being killed in Doda and other parts of Kashmir, these organisations
    are silent. This has been accepted, helplessly, by a national leader
    of a civil rights organisation. Such attitudes raise doubts about the
    intentions of these organisations and their leaders. Moreover, the
    faults of one cannot be used to cover up or to be apologetic about
    those of the other.
    
    I was shocked at the adamant attitude of the respectable Justice V M
    Tarkunde, who refused to condemn the torture of seven Indian Army
    personnel by Pakistan, before they were killed last month. Justice
    Tarkunde's defence, at his 90th birthday felicitations, was that
    thousands of Kashmiri youth were still missing due to the action of
    the Indian Army in Jammu & Kashmir over the years. The Indian Army may
    have been responsible for the disappearance of Kashmiri youth and if
    this is so, it has to be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
    But this is no excuse to condone the act by the Pakistan Army
    personnel. If lack of nationalism and patriotism prevents one from
    condemning such acts, at least on the grounds of human rights
    violations, there has to be condemnation.
    
    Even if Usha Mehta, the renowned Gandhian, had failed to condemn the
    atrocities against Kashmiri people by the Indian security forces,
    Tarkunde should not have used that as an excuse to be silent on the
    issue of the torture of the Indian soldiers.
    
    In fact, a man of the stature of Justice Tarkunde should have taken
    the issue to international for a violation of civil rights, even of
    criminals, by the state machinery cannot be condoned in a democracy,
    but those who have made it their business to take up issues of human
    rights violations, should not ignore other instances of breach of
    human rights.
    



Back                          Top

«« Back
 
 
 
  Search Articles
 
  Special Annoucements