Need for formidable and unfettered media

By Parmanand Pandey
Among the many roles that the media has to play is the building of a just and egalitarian society with emphasis to inclusive growth. It has not only to serve as the mirror of society-be it good, bad, ugly or beautiful as is often stated by some people. It has to see that the perpetrators of atrocities on weak and humble do not go scot-free, that the corruption is banished, if not completely at least in good measure, that iniquitous administration of justice and governance and distribution of wealth is got rid of, that the gender bias is removed etc.

It may be recalled that the Press played a remarkable role during the freedom struggle. After independence every thing changed radically. Technology rightly got the place of pride. The shape and presentation of the news and views got metamorphosed. Television and Internet appear to be ultimate revolution but it will continue to amaze as this is an on-going process. One gets awestruck with virtually mind-blowing changes. Such changes brought about courtesy science and technologies are always welcome.

Here, however, the question remains, how for the media has been able to achieve its cardinal goal of improving the lot of the people? Why there is so much cynicism among the people about the media. There can be hardly any doubt that media is a sine qua non in a democratic set up. It is unthinkable to have a democratic system without free media. Robust democracy ensures free media and vice versa.

It will be pertinent mention here that there has not been seen any devastating famine in India after independence, thanks to free and watchful media. It has always kept the government on toes as and when such situations arose. Recently there have been some deaths of farmers particularly in Maharashtra. But visualise a scene if media had not been free and vigilant. The death toll of scores of farmers would have gone unnoticed and the government must have remained sleeping. However, the sustained reporting of suicides of farmers in print and electronic media kept the government alert and careful forcing her to swing into action to save the lives of precariously placed farmers.

Media has done laudable works during natural calamities; be it floods or droughts or earthquakes. The promptness of media reporting of such matters brought Godspeed in the relief and rescue operations.

Many sting operations that were carried out particularly by the electronic media have rendered yeoman service in cleansing the society. Nobody could have thought of any action to be taken against corrupt Members of Parliament if they had not been caught on TV cameras taking money for asking questions in Parliament.

Believe it not, corrupt politicians and bureaucrats shudder to take bribes not because their hearts have been changed but because of the fear of the media. Let me hasten add, this does not mean that the bribery has been rooted out; in fact, it has increased at many places but it is no longer as openly and blatantly as it used to be in the pre-TV days. Needless to say, Media has significantly awakened the people against the social evils like; dowry, child marriage, bride burning, fossilised caste-ism or religious bigotry. What the police and administration have failed to do, that has commendably been done by vigilant media to curb and control the communal riots and fake encounters. Only two decades ago when media was not so strong the police used to often resort to barbaric methods but that has been reduced to a large extent and the credit must be given to Media only for its salubrious impact. Having said it all, it will be virtually losing sight of the fact that the media has also played very negative and destructive roles. It has done incalculable damage to some innocent people, in particular and also to the society in general with its nonchalant, irresponsible, callous and apathetic behaviour. Uma Khuran’s case is a glaring example. The image of the poor school teacher was tarnished beyond repair due to irresponsible media.

Kargil war was perhaps the first war that was fought in media glaze. It had the desired effect on the psyche of the people. Armed forces were praised, honoured and awarded across the board primarily because of the media. The feeling of patriotism and nationalism overpowered the people. But on the other hand it during the Kandhar crisis its role was very negative. The media had, for all practical purposes, capitulated the government of India forcing her to take the shameful decision of surrendering the hardened terrorists for securing the release of 198 passengers and crews of the hijacked plane IC 814. The accusations made by some people against media persons of indulging into blackmailing are also not without weight and substance. The media must look into it without inviting any interference from the Government.

The last two decades have seen the immense growth of media during the last two decades. And in the days to come, it will, undoubtedly, become more formidable. It is in the interest of the society that the media remains absolutely free from the shackles of the unscrupulous and selfish business houses as well as blackmailing journalists. It is not exaggeration to say that the formidable and unfettered media will enormously help in building the healthy society and a strong nation than all other constitutionally recognised organs of the State put together.

Gutter language of Rita Joshi has shamed all

By Parmanand Pandey

One would be dumbstruck to hear the language of Ms Rita Bhaguna Joshi, the Chief of Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee that she used against the U.P. Chief Minister Mayawati while addressing the meeting of Mahila Congress Workers in Moradabad. She said that ‘It is shameful that the U.P. Chief Minister is doling out Rs two lakh to the victims of rape.’ There is nothing wrong to this extent but what she said after this was enough to shame and benumb any civil society. In her simulated rage she went on ‘I say these women to throw that amount at the face of Mayawati. I will pay Rs.one crore to Mayawati as compensation if she is raped.’ Some were wonderstruck whether this gutter language was coming from the mouth of the UPCC Chief but then some were there who clapped in applause. Rape is, no doubt, a ghastly crime. It kills a woman every day that she lives. No amount of compensation will wipe out her mental agony and pain. But then that is not the issue being discussed here. The point in consideration is the type of political leaders we have, who have no qualms, shame or guilt in stooping down to the bottom of vulgarity.

Ms Joshi is the daughter of the late Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, who was an illustrious leader of the country. Late Bahuguna had fought for the freedom of the country. While he was studying in Allahabad University, he was a regular visitor to Ananad Bhavan, which was a hub of freedom-activities. He was jailed for quite long time and as a result of it, he could not complete his formal university education but he shaped up a formidable, dignified and visionary leader of the country. He rose up to the level of the Deputy Prime Minister of India.

Shri Bahuguna started his career as a trade unionist and was the leader of the Rickshaw Union of Allahabad. His concern for poor and deprived sections of the society was clear and obvious. He was one of the most beloved Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh and always espoused progressive and secular politics. He wanted that poor people, particularly those belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes must get major say in the governance and the administration of the country. He was removed from Chief Ministership of Uttar pradesh in the heyday of the Emergency. That again shows that he was feeling suffocation during the Emergency and had become persona non grata for the coterie that was dictating everything during the Emergency. This was the reason that immediately after the Emergency was lifted he teamed-up with Babu Jagjivan Ram, the other disgruntled Congressman, who was, undoubtedly, the tallest Dalit leader in those days and formed a new party-Congress for Democracy. This party played very important role in unseating the Congress Party from power.

It is necessary to say all these things because one expects that Ms Rita Bahuguna Joshi must have been tempered with the political training of her not-so-ordinary father. Apart from it, Ms Joshi is a Post-Graduate in History and she has also earned her Ph.D. in the same subject. By any reckoning she is qualified enough to set the trend of decent politics. The politics, in today’s environment, has become the calling of the lumpens, who are devoid of any ideology, whose only aim is to make money, bully others, bend and break the rules and laws ,to enjoy the fruits of power by grabbing or usurping it by adopting all crook means. Coming from a political family and being a highly educated person, as Ms Joshi is, her fault or indiscretion becomes doubly serious, reprehensible and deplorable, which deserves to be roundly condemned by one and all.

What Mayawati is doing in Uttar Pradesh is egregiously wrong and nobody in his/her senses would countenance her megalomaniac activities. She is behaving worst than a tin-pot dictator but then that is a different matter. And that does not justify even a wee bit what Ms Joshi has slandered about her.

Ms Joshi appears to be blissfully ignorant of the fact that Mayawati is providing compensation to the rape victims as per the provisions of a Central Act. One can safely say that if Mayawati had to give it her own, she would not have given a single penny.

Being a woman, Ms Joshi was also expected that she would not use such obscene language for a women politician, who is occupying the high post of the Chief Minster of an important State, which has produced number of tall politicians from its cauldron. Mayawati, it can be said without doubt, is not fired with any political, economic or social ideology, which can take the State out of political marsh or quagmire. She is virtually an illiterate woman (though she is a Law Graduate) known for her uncouth and brusque style of functioning. She lives on an emotive issue of ‘Dalit ki beti’. Although the people are slowly realising her gimmicks and that was why; she got a sound drubbing in the recently concluded Lok Shabha elections. She has realised that earth beneath feet is drifting very fast. Developmental activities in Uttar Pradesh have virtually come to a naught. She indulges only into rabid caste politics and outsmarts even Mulayam and Lalu. She thinks that bullying is a good tactics. The number of takers of her politics is fast dwindling because people have seen through it.

Needless to say that nobody can beat Mayawati as far as foul language is concerned. Such type of language coming from the Opposition Parties suits Mayawati as has gained expertise in using it in her favour. Sabji Mandi language is not the reply to Mayawati’s anti-people policies. She has to be opposed politically and ideologically. Alas! Rita Joshi has miserably failed. Any sympathy to her will be misplaced and would not auger well for the state, country and politics as well. No tears should be shed for Ms Joshi. Her jail term could have served a salubrious and fitting lesson to all politicians but that that could not happen as she is out on bail.

Any Award to Lalu will Amount an Insult to People

By Parmanand Pandey

Lalu Prasad Yadav, when he was the Chief Minister of Bihar used to brag, ‘Jab tak hai somese me aaloo, tab tak rahega Bihar me Lalu (So long the Samosas are made of potatoes, Bihar will be ruled by Lalu). He had many times said that he would rule Bihar for at least twenty five years. When he shifted from Bihar to Delhi after getting his wife saddled as the Chief Minister of the State he boasted number of times inside and outside Parliament that one day he would certainly become the Prime Minster of India.
One may recollect that when Lalu was returned to power in Bihar for the third consecutive time he had pooh-poohed the idea of development in the State. He even ridiculed the theory of modernisation, computerisation and developmental activities of Chandrababu Naidu of Andhra Pradesh who had got drubbings at the assembly elections by saying that if the development had been the criterion of popularity in the people, then Naidu should not have got battered. This was his way of expressing contempt for the development.
Anybody, who talked of making Bihar a vibrant and developed state, was made the butt of jukes by Lalu. He had said many times that only illiterates and poor people vote for him; therefore, there was no need for education and alleviation of poverty from the state. Thus he actively and deliberately perpetuated the poverty and deprivation in Bihar. So much so; he used to gleefully enjoy the humiliation of Biharis, who stepped out their State to earn their livelihood in other states.
A person, who considered himself the product of the movement got himself immersed, head over shoulder, in corruption of every conceivable type, be it fodder scam or asphalt scam or misappropriation of flood relief fund. He sucked Bihar white for his insatiable greed of accumulating wealth. He ran the state of Bihar as his fiefdom without any sense of shame or guilt. Claiming himself to be a socialist he indulged in terrible casteism and rank opportunism in most brazen and arrogant style. He was tried in the court of law in some cases and was even sent to jail more than once but the thick skinned Lalu, as he is, boasted as if the jail going in corruption cases was a badge of honour. While going to jail; the way he handed over the baton of Chief Ministership to his unlettered house wife, Rabri Devi, amounted to heaping insult on the people of the State in particular and the democratic polity of the country in general. In any other democratic country, he would have been languishing in jail and faced the wrath of the public but he, with the support of spineless leaders like Inder Kumar Gujral, whose ascendancy to the post of the Prime Minister ship of India was slur on the country, got his wife sworn in as the Chief Minister of the second largest state of the country. It was the darkest period of the country that a self seeker like Gujral could rise to the level of the Prime Minister of the country without any qualification, struggle or ideology. He, verily, brought disrepute to the exalted post of the Prime Minister ship. It is said, that it was Gujral who suggested Lalu to install his wife as the Chief Minster of Bihar. What a shame!
Now Lalu Prasad Yadav’s bluff and bravado has been exposed in the last Parliamentary elections. The People of Bihar have rejected him lock stock and barrel. Any attempt by him or his corrupt supporters to get him awarded with a ministerial berth at the centre would again be an insult to the people of Bihar. This is the time his corrupt deeds, irregularities in Bihar as well as in the Railway Ministry should be thoroughly enquired into and made public. And he must be tried in fair and objective manner by the court of law. If he is found guilty he should get stern punishment. This will help restore the people’s faith in democracy and neck-deep corrupt politicians like him would, undoubtedly, be deterred from plundering the public money and treat the power as their fiefs. A good lesson indeed!

Tantrums of judges betray their lordliness

Much has been written, discussed and debated about the conduct of judges and advocates. However, we many times find the cases of indiscretion by judges and advocates as well; in and outside the courtrooms. Sometimes it is deliberate but more often than not, it because of misunderstanding and ignorance.

There is an Advocate act, which defines and demarcates the duties, rights and limitations of the advocates. Bar Council of India and the Bar Councils of the states derive their strengths and powers from the Advocate Act, 1961. Thus the Bar Council of India and Bar Councils of states are the statutory creations or bodies. On the other hand, judges are governed by the service rules and the code of conduct as formulated by the High Courts from time to time. Even the judges of the Supreme Court of India have framed the code of conduct for themselves regarding the declaration of assets etc. The maintenance of dignity and the decorum, however, largely depends on the particular judge.

As far as the lower judiciary is concerned it has to go by the rules framed by the respective High Courts. The high Courts are vested with supervisory powers over the lower judiciary by virtue of Article 227 of the constitution of India. Under Article 123, the Supreme Court and under Article 215 of the Constitution of India, the High Courts are ‘the courts of the record and shall have all the powers of such a court including the powers to punish for contempt of court itself’. It is an altogether different whether these powers have given to maintain the majesty of law or satisfy the arrogance and ego of the judges. It has been made abundantly clear that this power is meant to be used against those, who disrespect and disregard the orders or the judgements passed by it. Powers of the contempt court, on the other hand, should very sparingly be used for the disrespect shown to any particularly judge. This is like a sword to be shown and most rarely to be used.

The lower judiciary of the states has to work under the supervision of the High Courts; therefore, it does not have the powers to punish for contempt of itself. If any judge of the lower court considers that somebody has shown disrespect to the court, s(h)e has to write to the concerned High Court making out the case of the Contempt of the Court.

But one generally comes across the judges overstepping the limits of their powers as it has happened on 28th of April in a district court of Dwarka, Delhi. It is alleged that two advocates were trying to browbeat a judge in the courtroom and in the heat of passion and excitement, the judge ordered the police to take the advocates under judicial custody. The reaction was of the strong resentment and in protest the lawyers of all five district courts of Delhi went on strike on 29th April against the misdemeanour of the judge.

There is no doubt, that lot of lawyers behave unscrupulously and that is why; they are taken to task or even punished by the respective Bar Councils but there is no dearth of such judges who are crude, inefficient and uncouth in their behaviour and conduct. Anybody, who is practising in the litigation side, will bear testimony to the fact, that many judges wear chips on their shoulders and throw their tantrums in the court rooms in most ludicrous manner. They behave in highly undignified and unbecoming manner worthy to be condemned roundly.

Bar Associations are supposed to identify such judges and ask them to mend their ways but if they do not heed to their polite suggestions, Bar Associations must take up the matter to the concerned High Court. The High Courts must immediately look into the matter as it concerns to the delicate issue of the relationship between the judges and lawyers. No court can function in the absence of either judge or lawyer and it ought to be understood that they are there to help provide justice to the people. Lawyers and judges both must have to have the commitments for the people and the society. No good judgment can be written without the help of the lawyers and no justice can be had without a sensitive and knowledgeable judge.

Unfortunately, most of the judges suffer from the repulsive arrogance and hardly read or reflect on the laws, the trends and obtaining current atmosphere in the field of law. What is true of such judges is equally true for the lawyers. Therefore, it will be a great service indeed to the cause of justice, if the Bar Associations, Courts, Bar Councils and Judicial Academies organise, from time to time, the workshops and seminars separately and jointly for the training and orientation of judges and lawyers both. Both are considered to be the officers of the court. The value and the dignity of the courts and the majesty of the law can be maintained only when both behave decently, courteously, with mutual respect of each other as well as with litigants. The strike by the lawyers is never welcome but hopefully, this strike will serve some useful purpose.

Shoe Flinging : An Act Most Reprehensible

Some journalists appear to be gripped with the virus, which commands them to become from news provider to newsmaker, that too, not through assiduous efforts but by their cheap and abominable deeds. Thanks to deep and pervasive reach of the media such journalists do get wide publicity, which serves to their perverted desires and goals.

It is a welcome evolution indeed that journalism has metamorphosed from ‘Mission to ‘Profession’. Objectivity becomes the easy causality in missionary journalism. Even today it can be witnessed in the politically or religiously indoctrinated newspapers or magazines. For example, nobody accepts objectivity from the ‘People’s Democracy’, ‘New Age’, ‘Christian Times’, ‘Radiance’, ‘Organiser’, ‘Panchjanya’, or ‘Desabhimani’. These newspapers and magazines purvey certain facts and comments, which reflect to their political or religious lines. Preponderance of missionary zeal is essential in such type of journalism.

Most of the newspapers or magazines in India, however, claim to pursue the independent line. That is why; people give more credence to independent newspapers and magazines. Independence is the key to objectivity and professionalism. In fact, independence, professionalism, objectivity and credibility are interwoven. The less objectively means the less independence and the less professionalism which would ultimately lead to erosion of credibility. There can hardly be two opinions that corrupt/ indoctrinated journalists cause immense damage to the profession. These toxic journalists misuse the forum of newspapers and magazines to sub serve to their own personal interests rather than doing well for the journalism or the society. They sneak into journalism to gain accessibility to the high and mighty or importance persons and capitalise that into terms of money other personal gains. They are no better than serpents of the grass.

We have abounding examples of journalists, who have amassed wealth hundreds or thousands of times more than their known source of their incomes. But hardly any journalist has been caught so far in the net of corruption, primarily because of their connections at the right place. Many journalists have made their profession the springboards to climb in politics to become MPs or MLAs. Journalists have always been known for their notorious habits of free wining and dining but their rapacity for wealth and power is relatively a new passion.

With the advent of electronic journalism the magnitude of economic or other corruption among has increased manifold. Readers and audience are taken for granted by these journalists. Many times fairness is crucified in the subtle manner but often it is done in the most uncouth and crude manner.

Recently, a new trend of flinging shoes has been started by the journalists in the press conferences. This is the most condemnable and unpardonable act on the part of the journalists. A journalist is permitted to attend the conference because he or she is the representative of the newspaper or magazine. And the latter has been given license for dissemination of news or views. This unwritten covenant authorises the journalist to have access even to prohibited places so as they can work for their organisations for the sake of the general public.

But if a journalist uses the forum of the media to vent his/her personal feeling or ire, it is nothing but downright corruption and dishonesty on the one hand, and an act of lunatic behaviour, on the other. Such mentally deranged persons ought not to be defended by any body, particularly by journalists’ community.

Of late, a journalist, Jarnail Singh, working for a Hindi daily Dainik Jagran threw his sneaker at PC Chidambaram, the home minister, in a Press Conference. His misconduct has been wrongly equated with that of an Iraqi Journalist, who chucked his shoes on the American President George W.Bush during his press meet.

What is more distressing is that many journalists, who never get tired of delivering homilies are now trying to defend the egregious misdeed of Jarnail Singh by saying that his cause was right but method was wrong. But the fact is that, neither his cause nor his action was right. Home Minister PC Chidambaram was also wrong in interfering in the process of law from taking its own course by not allowing the police to lodge the criminal case against him.

The Press Conference cannot be the place or the occasion to adopt such nasty methods for obtaining replies from the person, who addresses it. A journalist is well within his/ her right to ask even awkward questions for eliciting information for the benefits of public, because the media have the fiduciary relationship with its readers/ watchers but media person has certainly got no right to enter into unsavoury arguments with the person addressing the conference.

How could Jarnail Singh say that his cause was right? The press-conference was not organised to redress the grievance of any particular person or community. If he was so worked-up with his so-called right cause then he should been to some other place to demonstrate or protest.

Now some people say that Jarnail Singh is a man of cool and composed mind and he did it in the heat of passion. This argument is ridiculous and preposterous. A rapist cannot take the plea to mitigate his crime that he was blind with passion. Tomorrow if some debate or discussion is going on in Parliament or assemblies and if a journalist sitting in the Press gallery becomes angry with the line of argument of the concerned speaker and throws, his chappals on him, can he/she take the shelter of passion for his/her maniac behaviour. Certainly not. A person; who cannot have restrain over his/her feelings, however strong they may be, he/she has not right to be journalist. He/she must be sent to mental asylum for check-up and treatment. That is what should be done with Jarnail Singh. It is good for him and the society both.

Has Hemant Karkare’s martyrdom gone waste?

Horrendous terrorists, attack on Mumbai’s Hotel Taj & Trident, Nariman Point and Chhatrapati Shivaji Railway Terminal on 26/11 has left a deep scar on the psyche of the people. Innumerable questions are flying thick and fast from all four corners of the country and abroad as well. The role of the Pakistani army is despicable and stands exposed to the whole world. But what will you do for the enemies within the country and are holding high posts? While the whole nation is shocked to shell and wants to teach the befitting lesson to the perpetrators of the terrorism, there is a section in our country which wants to obfuscate the issue for the benefit of Pakistan, which is the hub centre of training for terrorists.

Now the doubts are being created as to how Maharashtra’s Anti Terrorists Squad Chief Hemant Karkare was killed along with three other brave officers. We have seen the whole host of theories coming from different quarters. If one keeps track of Pakistani media, one would be stunned to see that there is a lot of praise for the bravery of Hemant Karkare. Mind it, a section of rabidly communal media of Pakistan is unabashedly propounding a theory that 26/11 was a drama enacted and staged by Hindu Zionists in collaboration with the Indian Military. This amply demonstrates that by and large Pakistani society derives perverted pleasure in the sufferings of Indians in such types of barbarous and ghastly attacks.

Here I have a point, which I want others to consider and let me know with her or his opinion. Hemant Karkare was supposed to be a highly trained and intelligent officer. He was the chief of the ATS. He was the boss, not supposed to take orders from anybody but to give orders to other subordinate officers. A trained officer like him must be able to take quick decisions and he should have relatively better comprehension about planning, design and strategy of terrorists than of any other person. However, with all respect, I must say here that at the time of the crisis of this magnitude he could not come up to the expectations of his stature. Anybody, who had seen him in the television visuals coming in the vehicle to the place of occurrence will vouchsafe that his gait was sluggish and very uninspiring. He was looking very leisurely. After getting down from the vehicle he walked down a few paces in a un-agile manner. A constable came running to him with an old helmet and helped him wear it. He appeared to be very callous which was absolutely not befitting to the commander of the team, who was going to lead from the front. He was helped in putting on an ineffective bulletproof jacket. At that time he was not exuding any confidence. Investigation in peacetime is altogether ball game, which cannot, rpt. cannot be followed in at the time of action that too, when it was a war like situation. He had gone there without any planning, it appeared from the footage of the channels as if he was going for a walk at the marine drive.

Why did he go to the hospital? Why he took three other senior officers along in the vehicle is really baffling. It is difficult to find any convincing answer to it. But one can certainly come to a conclusion that he was not mentally geared up to take up such a challenging task. Otherwise, an officer of his stature would not have done his job in such an amateurish and sluggish manner, as he did. Now if the persons, like Antulay, who have been responsible for the rise of drug peddling and other nefarious activities in Mumbai during his ministership and Chief Ministership are demanding that the death of Hemant Karkare should be probed to find out the reality, one should read their intentions. They are not interested in knowing the truth but they just want to give a handle to the forces that are inimical to India.

To link the death of Karkare with that of Malegoan probe is not only far-fetched but it also shows how far the fertile mind of these people can travel to muddle the real issue. At a time when the whole world is convinced on the basis of foolproof evidence that the terrorism is flourishing in Pakistan with the active support of the ISI and most of the terrorist activities against India are aided and abetted even acted by the Pakistani army any attempt to create diversion tantamount to betrayal with the country. Therefore, the theory of linking the death of Karkare with that of the Malegaon probe should not be taken lightly; such elements should be watched and weeded out. As far as Antulay is concerned, he should have, if he has any sense of shame, resigned from the post of a Union cabinet minister or else, the Prime minister should have sacked him as he is providing anti-India fodder to Pakistan by virtue of the post he holds in the Government.

Legal aid to suspected terrorists be deprecated

The principle of natural justice is audi alteram partem i.e. nobody should be condemned unheard. The logical extension of this theory is that everybody should be provided with legal aid to defend himself or herself in the court of law so as to prove his/her innocence. He or she should have the freedom to engage a lawyer of his/her choice to plead the case in the court. In fact, this freedom is a necessary ingredient of the civilized society that respects the rule of law.

Equal justice and free legal aid to all citizens is enshrined in Article 39 A of the constitution of India. This Article mandates the State to ensure the opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities. As a matter of fact, there are legal aid committees across the country, which provide legal aid to all needy and poor people right from the lower courts up to the Apex Court. The Supreme Court of India has its own legal committee which is manned by scores of permanent staff. Hundreds of lawyers, including many senior lawyers have volunteered themselves for rendering legal aid to needy persons as and when they make request to the legal aid committee of the Supreme Court. And this fact is known to everybody who has any concern with the litigation of any type.

So, why the vice-chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, Mushirul Hasan, who is otherwise known to be a famous historian and academician has stirred the hornets’ nest by saying that his university would provide legal aid to accused students allegedly involved in bomb blasts in Delhi the other day. The statement of Mushirul Hasan has come a day after the accused persons were arrested and at a time when the atmosphere is surcharged throughout the country. His primary duty as a responsible person is to restore calm and peace. After all, nobody had said that the accused would be deprived of legal aid, so the statement of Mushirul Hasan amounts to putting oil in the fire and thereby further whip up the communal feelings. Overnight he has become the darling of the same Muslims who were baying for his blood when he had said a few years back that the ban on Salman Rushdie’s book ‘Satanic Verses’ would hardly serve any purpose. But in this case he has failed to take any ideological stand. His gratuitous or deliberate statement has already enraged a large number of secular persons as it was expected from him to have condemned the terrorist activities of every hue and shade. Although his secular credentials are above-board, yet the statement of legal aid to accused persons depicts that he nurses sympathy for terrorists and this is because that those who have been arrested belong to a particular religion. This, it is hoped, is not true but his thinking must appear in his conduct also.

The amount of polarization that has taken place on the religious lines is really very alarming and therefore regrettable indeed. Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh has further aggravated the matter by supporting the decisions of Jamia Millia Islamia. Arjun Singh has never been known for statesman like qualities. He is more known for his foxy qualities to ditch others and thereby climb the ladders of success. He is also known for his ruthless insensitivity and corrupt activities like Churhat lottery case etc, He will not hesitate to disturb and destabilize anybody or any institution if that help creates embarrassment for his rivals. So the backing of Arjun Singh to Mushirul Hasan’s decision is not surprising because his adversary is Manmohan Singh and none else. He knows it well that his endorsement of Mushirul Hasan would complicate the matters for the duo of Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi. The more the embarrassment for them the more the joy of Arjun Singh

What is more intriguing is that HRD Minister has not explained as to how the legal aid to terrorists or suspected terrorists would be in the national interest. Are they not being put on different footing from other citizens of the country, who get legal aid only though the constitutional provisions? There are no two opinions that the country cannot afford to be soft towards Muslim terrorists. They should be crushed with iron hands in the same manner as the Khalistani terrorists were decimated in Punjab by Sardar Beant Singh and KPS Gill. There should be no discrimination between the terrorists on the grounds of caste, creed or religion. And it is the only way to restore the confidence of public in the rule of law.

Thus the decision of Mushirul Hasan to provide legal aid to suspected terrorists at the cost of university’s funds should be deprecated and he must be stopped forthwith from indulging in such misdemeanors.