By Dr. Gurchanan Singh
AS reported in the Press, Jagdish Tytler, an official of the ruling Congress (I) Party of India, is complaining that his life is “in danger.” He contends that the fact-finding reports prepared by the Indian human rights groups are the cause of this danger. In these reports, Tytler and other high officials of the ruling party were identified as the “‘instigators” of the massacre of the Sikhs in November 1984.
Tytler and company may be genuinely worried about their safety. However, if the system of justice had operated the way it should many of them would be “safer” in jail. By the same token, ordinary citizens would also feel safer.
While Tytler and company are now sniping at the leading members of the human rights groups, the latter emphatically states: “to this day nobody has been able to challenge the facts in the reports.”
Unfortunately, the ruling regime has failed to apprehend or file cases against the alleged criminals for their role in the 1984 massacre of the Sikhs. It is quite possible that the victims of this officially inspired terrorism might now be taking law into their own hands to settle the scores with the criminals.
The latest sniping by the “instigators” against the human rights advocates who have shown the courage of their conscience have ominous connotations. The leading members of the human rights group, like Professors Rajni Kothari, Ruth Vanita, Rakesh Bharadwaj, Madhu Kishwar, Justice Sikri and Justice Tarkunde, to mention a few, may be on the hit list of the instigators. Will the ruling regime take note of these early warning signals?
Article extracted from this publication >> August 23, 1985
