Vile attempts
It is high time we told the government that
is targeting these individuals to stop: Suresh Mehta, former chief
minister of Gujarat
December 31, 2010: Today there is a
need to protect human rights in Gujarat more so than in
any other state.
The violation of human rights, the
destruction of evidence, the fabrication of evidence, acts of
vindictiveness and so on have become common practice here. The police
have become willing tools in the hands of their political masters. The
general perception that the police deliberately violate human rights
laws to please their masters is gaining strength as those who speak
out against such violations are singled out to be silenced one by one
while the reasons to do so are carefully prepared. It is as if the
police have been ordered to spare no effort to break their spirit.
Thus any “prestige” that the Gujarat police may have hitherto enjoyed
has now been shattered.
The vile attempts to break the morale of
Teesta Setalvad, who is fighting for the rights of the riot victims,
only expose the hideous efforts of those in power acting in collusion
with the police. It is a condemnable move by the destroyers of human
lives i.e. officials of the Gujarat government and those in power to
jail those who have raised their voices against the inhuman killings.
With this appalling attempt to fabricate evidence in order to frame
false charges, the last remnant, if any, of the state’s prestige has
bitten the dust. Thus it is critically important that we extend our
support and compassion to all those who are battling to save
democratic values.
The political machinations of the state,
the scare tactics it employs in its attempts to intimidate Teesta
Setalvad, are now out in the open.
Dr Mukul Sinha, Advocate Tirmizi and others
are fighting for human rights, bringing to light official misdeeds;
Teesta Setalvad is engaged in a legal battle in order to expose the
state’s crimes. It is high time we told the government that is
targeting these individuals to stop; the land of Gujarat is not a
barren state that will tolerate such unlawful efforts. Targeting the
very people who are engaged in a just struggle to expose police
misconduct – atrocities committed and attempts to conceal the truth –
targeting the very people legally battling to expose the government’s
wrongdoings, is (as the Gujarati saying goes) ‘Chor kotwal ne dande’,
like the thief punishing the policeman! However, the mental strength
of the groups involved in this struggle will not be broken.
The government of
Gujarat must understand and beware that its recent actions may well be
the proverbial last straw that breaks its own back. The strength of
mind of such dedicated people will not be crushed by the spiteful
conduct of those in power. This is a government that is only fighting
the truth so as not to lose face. It is time we told them to stop. n
(Suresh Mehta is a
former chief minister of Gujarat.)
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