Protest demonstrations are a familiar scenario in a liberal political system, whenever some unjust measure or unresponsive attitude or dilatory tactic or some outrage of the authority becomes pronouncedly unbearable the affected sections of the society express their resentment and disapproval by staging protest demonstrations. It is not uncommon for the demonstrators to become unruly and violent. In a fit of mob frenzy, they often damage valuable property and even resort to killing the innocent. In such unfortunate Situations, the law enforcing agencies have to bear the brunt of public anger. It is a very delicate job as these agencies are expected to control the situation and at the same time function within the framework of the established code and law. Their task becomes all the more trying when there occur communal clashes because they few required to keep their own subjective sympathies at bay and operate in a totally objective and nonpartisan spirit.
Unfortunately, ever since independence the performance of the law enforcing agencies in India has been, to say the least, most shocking. More often than not, they are motivated by communal revengefulness and violate law in such a casual and cavalier fashion ‘as if they were above law. Given the current arrogance and intolerance of the majority community, it appears that minorities in India will have to put up with the baneful reality of communal oppression for a long time. The minorities will continue to suffer the harrowing plight so long the law enforcing agencies do not discard their communal vendetta and irrational prejudices; so long they do not develop respect for the letter of law. It is no coincidence that no member of the majority community has so far fallen to the bullets of the police or the security forces during the last 39 years even though rampaging Hindu mobs go berserk at the slightest affront to their pride and destroy property and life with savage monstrosity. Thousands of innocent Muslims, Sikhs and Dalit’s have died at the hands of these “Trishul’ wielding fanatics. On the contrary police and security forces gun down Muslim, Sikh, Dalit and even Christian peaceful demonstrators on the flimsiest pretext. Nobody ever seems to care why? No enquiries are held and the rulers conveniently look the other way, perhaps approvingly.
Gurdwara Bangla Sahib Incident of December 5, 1986, epitomizes security force’s typical behaviour. The Gurdwara is attacked by unruly Hindu mobs; the besieged Sikhs come out to defend themselves. The security forces posted to protect the Gurdwara ‘open fire at the defending Sikhs rather than on the attacking mobs. ‘Three young Sikhs are killed. A 14 year old Sikh boy feels enraged and drives a truck into the police post, mowing down three security men. The other security men overpower the boy and beat him to death.
Undoubtedly the boy broke the law but so did the security men. ‘The boy broke law in killing three security men and paid it with his life. The security men broke the law in murdering the boy and instead of paying with their lives; they would in all probability be decorated for “conspicuous act of gallantry”. Here in lies the whole trouble and the continuing tragedy. It is the rulers who want it so and it is. It is a story that is repeated every other day and has become ‘the permanent feature of the Indian scenario.
Yet another feature that is fast qualifying to permanence is the Hindu mob violence in retaliation to stray India Two persons kill Indira Gandhi and 10,000 Sikhs are massacred by Hindu mobs. A sacrilegious act is committed allegedly by a Muslim, and thousands of Muslims are massacred in Bhiwandi. Bus passengers are killed in Punjab, No one is apprehended, No one knows ‘who really are the culprits. Some blame the Sikh freedom fighters others suspect the hand of government agents. Yet Hindu mobs in Delhi start targeting the Sikhs and security forces provide all the support to the marauders.
No one paused to ponder why barely hours after Barnala moninee’s defeat such ghastly drama was enacted? Who could and who actually did benefit from that mad spilling of innocent blood? Not Badal or Tohra, not A.L.S.S.F. and other freedom fighters most of whom have been arrested. Evidently Barnala and Rajiv have benefitted. With Badal and Tohra behind bars Barnala has no Immediate danger to his chair and Rajiv has found the long cherished excuse of handing over the real administration of Punjab to army as demanded by the members of the majority community. Now Rajiv’s army hounds will intensify their vengeful hunt of the Sikh youth because only through the slaughter of the Sikhs, he hopes to perpetuate dynastic rule in Delhi. His mother fooled the majority community into hating Sikhs and he is perfecting the technique to keep exploiting the fools.
Sikhs everywhere must recognize this reality, No escapist theorising, no cowardly pleas of separating religion from politics, no senseless blaming of the Sikh youth, and no misinterpretation of Sikh scriptures can alter this fundamental truth, The sooner the Sikhs realize this, better it “ll be for them.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 12, 1986
