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OPINION
DILEMMAS
HUMRA
QURAISHI
The Delhi-based writer
and columnist’s books
include Kashmir: The
Untold Story. She co-
authored a series of
writings with the late
Khushwant Singh and
her short stories are
part of anthologies.
The views expressed
are her own
Encountering prowess
must not be misused
It’s about time to re-think the use of military and paramilitary to
crush the civilian outcry, which may be considered as a ‘war crime’
against general public
oday in our country it gets If one were to focus on the state of affairs
easier for the State machin- in the state of Uttar Pradesh, it is the State
ery to kill a living human police that has been indulging in killings
form than to kill the tiny out there in the open.
little mosquito! Yes, that is State terrorism! Didn’t as many as 1,142
T the reality of the day, when encounters take place between March
the State and its Agencies are killing the 2017 and January 2018, in the state of Ut-
human form under any possible pretext tar Pradesh! Quoting these figures from
or alibi. Last week the way the students the PUCL findings on encounters taking
were fired at and attacked on the campus place in Uttar Pradesh: Since March 2017
of the two universities — Jamia Millia Is- till January 2018, 49 people have been
lamia and the Aligarh Muslim University killed in over 1,100 encounters. More than
- by the Delhi Police and Uttar Pradesh 370 have been injured and over 3,300
police speaks volumes. The un-armed arrested across the state. Tell me, how
students were merely protesting against many of the killed could have been in-
the NRC and CAA, but the way in which nocents and not hardened criminals? But
they were targeted by the police force even a criminal needs to be given that
was more than barbaric. As though they chance to be heard and not get gunned
were given directions by their political down.
bosses to kill and fracture bones of our And if one were to focus on the
children, our students, our future. encounter killings on, in the so-labelled
Last week’s the so-called encoun- disturbed areas or the conflict zones,
ter killings of the four rape accused in then it near impossible to pinpoint
Hyderabad can be termed cold-bloodied the exact numbers, as there’s near nil
murders of the suspects. The four were transparency and accountability. Anyone
not even given their basic democratic can be gunned down on mere suspicion
right of being heard, listened to... Mind of being a militant or even on the alibi of
you, the manner in which they were chanting Azaadi!
killed by the police force raised several It’s about time to re-think using the
questions along the strain of were they military and paramilitary to crush the
the actual rapists or were they framed to civilian outcry. The ongoing ‘ war crimes’
protect one of the who’s who! Next time on the civilian population compounds
the cops could even pick up the alleged because of the impunity provided to the
or suspect rapists from slums and mohal- forces under AFSPA.
las, and even before they can be heard After all, AFSPA, a draconian law that
(that is, they are allowed to even squeak gives special powers to the army and
or whisper) they’d be done away with it! state and central police forces to shoot to
Killed in an encounter! With the actual kill, search houses and destroy any prop-
rapists sitting up there, on those power- erty that is “likely” to be used by insur-
ful slots! gents in areas declared as “disturbed” by
Mind you, the State even flaunts its en- the Home ministry. Security forces can
countering prowess! I’m left aghast at the “arrest without warrant” a person, who
killings taking place in developed India! has committed or even “about to commit
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