Indian spokesmen at world for a dish out the usual argument against the unending violations of human rights in the country that the phenomenon is local in nature and that there are inbuilt safeguards in the system to remedy the situation. They are heard proclaiming that the Indian government punishes the wrongdoer’s when complaints are received. Finally it is stated that soon India will have “Human Rights Commission” to take care of the residual complaints from the affected citizens. The facts at the grassroots level in India are altogether different. Whatever the outer forms the world has to understand the reality that India is a police state
India’s parliament has provided a foolproof system of statutory safeguards to the security forces against any proceedings on ‘account of murder loot and rape by the mall in the name of the country’s unity and integrity. There are numerous laws in existence which the security forces apply with impunity vis-a-vis. Their handling of Sikhs Kashmiris Assamese and Tamils and other race groups fighting for their liberation. To cap it all the Indian government by now has perfected the police state in several ways. There is a select cadre of police officers who specialize in torture murder and humiliation of the members of the targeted racial groups. These officers are a class apart. They are given special immunity from any kind of action even their own superior officers. This cadre directly reports to the Indian prime minister’s office.
This unique office called in India the P.M.O is a strange political entity The prime minister has a small band of confidants dealing with “security” “intelligence” “media” etc. He or she does not come in the picture at all but oversees the secret system functioning without ever sullying his or her name. Thus the P.M.O. nurtures the special cadre of the police force One could straightaway name some of the members of this unique K.P.S.Gill Sumedh Saini Swaran Singh Raj Kishen Bedi and many more. None can punish these gentlemen whatever the nature and intensity of their crimes. Thus even if an 1.A.S. lady officer of Punjab Rupan Deol complains of criminal assault on her by the Punjab police chief himself no action will be taken against P.S.Gill reasoning that he is carrying on the (Hindu) “nation’s” fight against Sikh militancy! Poor Deol could wait for redress of her grievance until the doomsday. Gill’s minions down the line are also free to imitate their boss as they are engaged in the “nation’s fight” Sumedh Saini is a classic example of this unprecedented immunity from any action whatsoever from any quarter except for the ubiquitous “P.M.O.” He had the temerity to “detain” the Deputy Commissioner of Bathinda district while he himself was its police chief for no reason than a minor altercation following a bout of drinking. Later as chief of Ludhiana district he first humiliated and later ordered the killing of a university professor while the latter was in police custady. As chief of Chandigarh police he would quietly invade the neighboring villages of another district Ropar and when its police head would complain against Saini’s excesses against the innocent people there would be no action against him even as the affected people would make the Ropar district police their target
Only this week Saini nearly ran amuck detaining and beating up a serving lieutenant colonel of the Indian army for no special reason. The officer is a Hindu named Ravi Vats An official spokesman of the Western Army Command told newsmen that the Indian army had protested to the Punjab governor against the assault. The army later made a formal complaint seeking registration of a criminal case against the guilty police officers who tortured and detained the military officer.
The governor of Punjab Surinder Nath now away in south India boasted through a message sent from there advising the army to wait until his return to Chandigarh as if he were Saini’s boss and would take action against him It is by now well known that Saini has his protectors in Delhi and Nath or the army dare not touch him Not only (on the day of the incident) was the army officer the victim of Saint’s fury but also two newsmen of Indian Express and a few doctors of the biggest hospital of north India the P.G.I. There was a strike at the P.G.I. against Saini”s assault on a doctor About 100 journalists of Chandigarh issued a joint statement against Saini for attacking the Express reporters. The “P.M.O.” has not taken action nor will it because Saini is fighting the “nation’s war” against Sikhs. Such are the Indian prime minister’s priorities! If today Hindus cry for justice against Saini’s excesses whom should the Sikhs turn to for relief? The Indian courts? Other Indian institutions? None can help until there is “P.M.O” One may even wonder whether the “P.M.O.” itself is now powerful enough to discipline men like Gill Saini and their ilk. The logic of a police state has to be understood not only by Sikhs and Kashmiris (and the world as a whole) but even by Indian Hindus like Col Vats and journalists like Sudesh Talwar and Rohit Panhar. The Indian fight for unity and integrity” is turning more and more expensive for the Indian Hindus themselves but are they in a mood to relent? No never That is why the world is being fed myths like inbuilt safe guard human rights commissions and the like.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 30, 1992
