NEW DELHI: The Union home minister, S.B. Chavan, painted an alarming picture of the law and order situation in the country Friday and said with the increasing use of money and muscle power, criminals were getting elected to legislative bodies. He also said militants were virtually ruling the roost in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.

 If there is unrest and cynicism in the minds of people all over the country, there are good grounds for it,” the home minister said in the Lok Sabha, while replying to the three-day debate on the worsening law and order situation, The government had irrefutable evidence about Pakistan’s involvement in militant operations in border states, Chavan said.

The government had already received disturbing reports about instructions to Punjab militants from across the border to create anarchy and violence in the state in order that elections are not held here, the home minister said, The law ministry was examining legal provisions which could be invoked to obviate countermanding of elections due to the death of unimportant candidates.

 STRINGENT MEASURES: But more stringent and determined measures were called for to deal with militants in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and even in Assam. The government was seized of the problem and was taking effective steps, some of which had already started showing results. With the deployment of the army, many ULFPA activists had surrendered. However, hard-core ULFA leaders were still at large and until they were rounded up, the demand for withdrawal of troops from Assam could not be considered, the home minister said.

The home minister announced that hostages held by ULFA in Assam have been released Friday morning.

Replying to points raised by members, the home minister said the law and order problem had both internal and external dimensions. While internally, the government was doing whatever was possible in the circumstances, the external situation was causing great anxiety, as enemies of the country had launched a systematic disinformation campaign abroad.

Elaborating, Chavan said Amnesty International and the Peoples Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) appeared to be under the influence of people hostile to the country. The government had replied to all allegations leveled against it to Amnesty International, but the replies did not figure in the report published by this agency. Even the PUCL tended to ignore government versions and spread canards.

Taking note of the adverse publicity, the government had urged the Press Council of India to send its team for an on-the-spot investigation to Jammu and Kashmir. George Varghese, who was deputed for the purpose had written a voluminous book about misinformation being propagated abroad regarding happenings in the troubled state.

Sometime ago, a British Labour Party member, Stevenson had visited India to probe the charges leveled against the government. “We allowed him to visit Jammu, but unfortunately, the Labour Party chose to rely more on the allegations made by Kashmiri migrants living in constituencies of Labour MPs in UK than on facts brought to their notice, If this is how Britain’s second largest party chooses to behave, what can the government do?” Chavan asked.

The home minister (mischievously -Ed WSN) said “sinister” Pakistani propaganda was now aimed at causing a “cleavage” between Buddhists and Muslims in Ladakh. The two communities had been living in Is harmony for ages, but were now” becoming hostile to each other, “I cannot possibly deny that Ladakh” has remained neglected, but this fact should not have been made an excuse to sour communal relations: in the region,” Chavan said, According to latest reports from Kashmir, the Hizbul Mujahideen” which wanted merger of the state with Pakistan, was in open con-— formation with the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, and the people were getting disenchanted with militants masquerading as liberators. But unfortunately, the administration was not able to exploit the situation to create conditions for peace. This was possibly due to distrust of local officials, “But I cannot believe that all the local officials are unreliable. kK There might be some black sheep. We have to depend on the locals to restore the confidence of the people in the state government. Now steps are being taken in this direction”, Chavan said.

The home minister rejected the demand of BJP MPs for abrogation of article 370. He said when the vilification campaign by Pakistan was at its peak , this type of suggestion could not be considered. At the moment, the government would only entertain suggestions which could help win the confidence of the people.

  UNREST In STATES: Referring to unrest in States which are away from borders, the home minister said vested interests were trying to undermine the socioeconomic programs of the country, and in the process sow seeds of resentment. It was no wonder that when frustration and despondency were running deep. Naxalites were emerging as the new saviors and protectors. (Indian paper report)

Article extracted from this publication >> December 20, 1991