According to Mr. Ghulam Nabi, head of the Jammat-e-Islam, the entry of the police into the Jama Masjid was the second biggest mistake after the Operation Bluestar which has encouraged militancy. To have entered the Golden Temple was the biggest mistake. The authorities could have cut water and power supply and Jet Bhindranwale and his men stay inside, gradually forcing them to come out. The government could have created the security corridor it created later. The same they could have done in the case of the Jama Masjid if they were convinced about the presence of the terrorists there.”
Mirwaiz Moulvi Farooq, who addresses congregations every Friday at the mosque, shows a list of 52 persons who he says, were rounded up from the mosque even though they were just devotees. He alleges that 72 youths have been killed by the police during one year or so on the pretext of curbing terrorism. He defends his recent plea to Amnesty International to intervene for the sake of human Tights as he claims he had exhausted all avenues in the country, right up to approaching the President for intervention.
So far as harassment of innocent citizens by the police is concerned, almost every leader, from Mrs. Zainab Begum of the Congress I Syed Mir Qasim struggling to re gain his foothold, echoes similar sentiments. One reason for this, a Congress I leader said bluntly, is that the bureaucrats are exercising dominance over ministers in running the affairs of the State.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 20, 1989
