Most Indian political parties, including the ruling Congress(I), and the media reacted against the last week’s incident in Delhi involving beating up of two sports reporters of the Statesman by Punjab policemen, The incident took place in the course of a lunch hosted by the Punjab police to celebrate Punjab police chief K. P. S. Gill’s victory as President of the Indian Hockey Federation.
A minor provocation caused by Gill’s mild criticism of the outgoing LH. F. chief Gulfane Azam, evinced protest from the two newsmen. Gill says this incident was promptly resolved by him but there was another incident as soon as the party was over. The police chief shrugs off his responsibility for the second incident.” The victims say that Gill’s chief staff officer along with a posse of Punjab police followed the journalists, dragged them into a van without the number plate, beat them up and left them at the police station nearby.
It is obvious that the drunk journalists over-reacted against Gill’s remarks against the outgoing IHF, president. Obviously in India not only government servants but also journalists passionately take sides in the disputes of sports management committees. However, more noteworthy than that is the police highhandedness against the news ‘men, No one in India at this stage is willing to believe that Gill had nothing to do with the incident. It is obvious that the Punjab policemen struck at the journalists because they were guilty of being rude to the boss.
The incident clearly reveals the kind of psyche the Punjab police chief has come to possess as a result of unlimited powers he has enjoyed for years in Punjab. And it reflects a complete absence of his accountability.
But, except for Janata Dal leader George Fernandes, no ‘one has tried to fathom the Gill phenomenon that has surfaced in Delhi. Credit goes to George for blasting Gill and the amount of powers given to him by the Indian government. “One can cite innumerable actions by Gill in Punjab which qualify him for a life-term in Tihar prison (that is because I do not subscribe to capital punishment),” said Fernandes. The sum and substance of most Indian reactions to the incident is that while Gill is free to do whatever he wants in Punjab, he has no business to do any such objectionable things in Delhi. This is true of the media reactions, too. A Chandigarh-based woman journalist wrote in jest; “Even now it is not all your fault. Had it happened here we could covered it up well. But you chose Indraprastha for this, just Knowing Well that no one has completely overpowered Delhi. We in Punjab have taken many a thrashing sportingly knowing that you meant it for our good.”
But Delhi are such noise bags. What a song and dance they have made of it. So we here too have to do the unthinkable. Also, elimination is fine but ruptured noses scare us.”
No Indian newspaper protested when the Punjab police picked up a Sangrur-based journalist and eliminated him although he is still described as missing almost every day, the Punjab police arrests people, tortures them and eliminates them at will. There is no enquiry. No one stops the police from its madness. The Indian media pats Gillon his back as a “national hero.” But now when the same “super cop” has given a bit of his mind in Delhi, there is howl all over the land. Journalists are taking out rallies against Gill and political leaders are condemning him. The very leaders and the same media are not willing to think of the plight of the people of Punjab. No one is asking for the withdrawal of the sweeping powers given to the police in Punjab by the Indian state. On the other hand, the tendency is to lionise Gill and to encourage him to keep up his murderous campaign in Punjab. After all, in the Indian state’s mind, Sikhs are second class citizens of India who deserve what they have been given: A fascist Gill with draconian powers. But he should operate within his detained jurisdiction!
Article extracted from this publication >> July 8, 1994
