Author: Prakash Singh
Publication: Hindustan Times
Date: August 31, 2001
The Home Minister's announcement
that the Centre was considering relief to personnel of the armed forces
within the ambit of the Constitution for their fight against terrorism,
caused a flutter among the pseudo-human rights activists of the country.
There is a shrill cry that the policewallahs
are being given the license to do whatever they like.
The government has clearly said
that steps taken would be within the framework of the law and the Constitution.
Any protest or objection, under the circumstances, becomes untenable. The
Chairman, National Human Rights Commission rightly observed, "If it is
in the interest of national security and within constitutional laws, then
what objection can the NHRC have?"
Security personnel operate under
the shadow of death in J&K and in the north-east. It is amazing how
much they are prepared to do for the country for the little that the country
does for them. Unfortunately, however, for some time in the past, these
men have not been fighting to their full potential. There are all kinds
of grievances. The sacrifices made by them, they feel, are nullified by
the leadership for petty and doubtful political gains. The recent extensions
of ceasefire in J&K are a case in point.
Human rights, as stated by Sir Stephen
Sedley, have also become "a commodity like any other, capable of being
traded for political or economic advantage". There is too much of politics
in interpreting what constitutes violation of human rights. It is necessary
that we distinguish between legitimate human rights concerns and the exploitation
of this platform for ulterior purposes. As KPS Gill said, "the affiliations,
functions and funding of so-called human rights agencies and activists
should be statutorily monitored".
The postscript to the containment
of terrorism in Punjab was very unfortunate. Police officers who were in
the vanguard of battle against terrorism were hauled up for alleged violations
of human rights. It is true that some police officers acted dishonestly
and, in certain instances, with uncalled for use of force. What is needed
is to winnow the chaff from the grain, draw a line between bona fide actions
and mala fide use of power. The latter must be punished; the former must
be exonerated. Tarring all of them with the same brush is having a very
adverse effect on the morale of the forces.
Deploring the double standards of
human rights organisations, Arun Shourie had rightly asked : "Why should
anyone risk his life the next time the country is in peril when this is
what he is to get in return?"
Security personnel do not want any
licence to kill or permission to loot or destroy. Drawn mostly from the
middle classes, they are God-fearing men. All they want is that the conditions
under which they are working should be understood - inhospitable terrain,
bullets flying and grenades being lobbed, a not-too-friendly local population,
a ruthless enemy which does not observe any rules of civilised behaviour.
Anyone working under great stress and staking his life for the country
deserves our full support. The projected move by the Home Ministry, in
this context, is a step in the right direction.
(The writer is a former Director
General of the BSF)
