Editorial
Extrajudicial killings
Do the PM's remarks reflect reality?
The PM has chosen to answer question on a very sensitive matter -- extrajudicial killings -- on the floor of the House; and that is something much appreciated. However, there is very little new or different than what we have found the home minister coming out with regarding the matter, or indeed any hope for improvement of the situation. We find it difficult to agree with the PM when she says that legal steps had been taken on enquiry into every incident of extrajudicial killing by the law enforcing agencies.
There is merit in the comments of the heads of the country's two human rights watchdog that seemed to concur with each other on the point that there has been no palpable action when it came to addressing the subject. And in any case we are not privy to the actions taken against the errant personnel. The figure of 400 dead as a result of such killings is a tally that no government can be proud of, and certainly no country that claims to civilizational, societal and historical excellence can endure.
If what the PM has said is true than there is reason to suspect a severe systemic flaw in the establishments we are talking about. If appropriate and exemplary measures had been taken one would have not seen the repetition of such incidents. It is either that the actions taken against the defaulting personnel have not proved to be deterrent enough or, and we do not want to believe it, that there is some sort of acquiescence of the administration in what the law enforcing agencies are doing.
Addressing law and order situation in a manner that violates the norms of humane behaviour or abuses the legal process can only have the most severe impact on governance, and something that portends ill for the country. Action must match words.
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