A non-issue transformed into an issue

S Kunjabihari Singh *

K Ibohal Singh's piece "Unforgettable day, the 23rd July, 2009" (TSE-16 Nov) has once again invigorated the hurt minds of the civic society, consequent upon the photo expose of the Tehelka in the first week of August, '09.

We all recall how Sanjit appeared calm and composed, without the slightest sign of anxiety on his face, as normally should be associated with, in the case of one who had just indulged in indiscriminate firing in a busy market place, as the CDOs took him around, while Rabina six months pregnant was lying dead, with her two and half year old baby-son weeping hysterically, clung to the lifeless body of his mother.

Imagine the scene, when in the midst of this gory incident, Sanjit's dead body being taken out from a nearby shop and more horrifying and nauseating, the lifeless body, which a minute or so back was meekly cooperating with the CDOs being tossed into the police truck like a carcass. Four other grievously hurt scattered around, were lying with excruciating pain.

And mind you, no soul came to their assistance for a while, as scared people were scurrying for a cover for dear life nor was there anyone to lift the little boy to console at a time when he needed such a healing touch the most. It should be a nightmarish experience, horrific at the scale of ruthlessness.

The agony and sorrow precipitated by such a brutal act, especially Rabina who in whatever light one may project was totally innocent and should not have experienced such a sad end. Who pulled the fateful trigger to assassinate Sanjit and Rabina, is in any case under a judicial probe, and therefore should not be attributed legally to anyone right now. Nontheless, the Tehelk photo expose points an accusing finger to the CDOs having committed the gruesome act of cold blooded murder.

The public were emboldened enormously after the Tehelka exposure, which otherwise should have passed out as a routine and normal incident of encounter as had happened repeatedly in the past. The photo-shots appearing on news channels, local papers, prima-facea, should doubt the claim of encounter killing as claimed by the government. Viewed from this angle, the uprising spearheaded by the Apunba Lup should be considered only as a natural corollary.

The fact however remains that the whole incident left a deep scare on the minds of the people irrespective of caste and creed.

Such unfortunate incidents, however gory, do take place in other states too, Manipur not being an exception. Recall the ones in Gujarat, UP, Bihar-these cases of encounter killing be it fake or otherwise do happen. We may recall a similar incident of shoot-out in Dehra-Dun, Utaranchal in July this year. Manipur's case was on 23 July, the Dehra Dun one on 3 July.

President Smt Pratibha Patil was to reach the city of Dehra Dun on 4 July and the law enforcing people were on high alert. In the course of such intensification of security measures. One Ranbir Singh, said to be an MBA student, with two friends were on a motor bike, was stopped by a frisking party on 3 July,'09, and in the ensuing altercation, the Police claimed that Ranbir snatched a service revolver possessed by on GD Bhatt, a sub-inspector and escaped into the jungles of Dehra Dun.

In the melee, the Police had no alternative but to shoot Ranbir. He died instantaneously. The rest is of not much relevance as far as this article is concerned. In the Manipur case, separated by just 20 days, Sanjit's case can be equated to Ranbir's. There was an additionally in Manipur case.

The invaluable life of an innocent young lady, six months in the family line, was cut short in a most bizarre manner, and four other innocent passers by received bullet injury. Bullet shot nobody would cherish dream to receive, whether slight or minor or major. People just hate it. Possibility of more casualties could not be ruled out recalling that the site was a market area at peak time.

A stark similarity, however, marked the two episodes. In both cases, the Police vehemently claimed clear encounter, where, Police had to shoot at the victims under desperation. In the Dehra Dun case, the victim Ranbir Singh reportedly snatched a revolver from an SI of Police and in the other, Sanjit, again, reportedly indulge in indiscriminate firing to flee. In both cases, Police had only done the inevitable, according to both Police authorities. So far so similar.

In the ultimate analysis, however, the two cases were as much at variance, as they were made out to be similar. It was largely in the ways the aftermath of the two cases were handled by the two Governments-Uttaranchal and Manipur. In Uttaranchal, the Government, after massive public outcry, hastened to rope in CBI inquiry, placed the involved 14 cops under suspension almost immediately.

That was not the end. The SSP Mr Amit Sinha was not spared either, he was too placed under suspension instantaneously. The CBI did an exemplary job-indicted the Frisking Team, and concluded, "the cops cooked up revolver snatching story after killing Ranbir to mislead senior officers. A total of 20 shorts penetrated Ranbir,"

Ironically, the allegedly snatched revolver was hidden by SI Bhatt, near the encounter site in Ladpur jungles on the outsmart of Dehra Dun, only to be retrieved by the CBI, later. CBI formally arrested 4 cops, on 14 Oct, '09 beginning the process of as more are on way to arrest. The case has already reached its final stage of conviction nearly after 3 and half months during which period they roped in the expertise of prestigious institution CBI.

Contrast this case of Dehra Dun with the one in this Sana-Leibak. Already four months had elapsed since 23 July and yet hardly any tangible headway is discernible. In contrast, more trouble, unrest, chaos is the order of the day.

The first fortnight of Aug was a phase of continuous curfews intermittent with public rallies, dharnas, arrests of leaders of JACs, and Apunba Lup intensified with detention under NSA. Public life was totally out of gear with markets public transport, government offices, institutions closed for days and days.

The Public suffered untold miseries. Everything was at a standstill. The loss in the otherwise poor economy of the state should be in crores. The worst appeared sooner than later. Since Sept 27 all educational institutions at least in the three valley districts were closed courtesy three student groups - AMSU, MSF and KSA supporting the cause of the Apunba Lup.

The student body's professed objective, "crippling all government institutions to start with schools and colleges". They threatened any institution defying the dictate would be banned w.e.f 2010 session.

What a loss in the academic circle-around three months away from the schools and colleges. What could be more serious than the entire lot of students losing studies for three months? The Government thought it wise to attempt to open schools and colleges by force by posting security forces, only to be promptly retaliated by burning down of a few institutions by unknown groups.

The government was not ready to lie down meekly, quickly announced requisitioning of fire extinguishers for use in the institutions. And yet, the wave had not died down. Hopefully, the government might consider engaging Operators of the extinguishers in a few vulnerable areas to unwit the group.

The end is nowhere in sight, one issue begets another then another more complex than the previous and so on so forth. The net accumulation is what the public face under duress. Why and how has this deterioration taken place? Why this marked difference between the two situations?

The answer is simple. In the other case in Dehra Dun, prompt remedial measures were put in place. It perhaps was not here.