An understanding of NCTC to the people of state

Ch. Widinibou *

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh greeting the participants of the Meeting of Chief Ministers on National Counter Terrorism Centre in New Delhi on 5th May 2012

With the persistence of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the democracy is not enjoyed by the people of Manipur since more than eleven years as the rights of the public are trampled under the purview of the Act. Simultaneously Centre's has decided to install National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) across the country.

Most recently Prime Minister and Home Minister hard selling National Counter Terrorism Centre during a day-long conference with all the Chief Ministers, some Chief Ministers opposed the Centre's move to create the NCTC even intellectuals, Security experts are blaming Home Minister P. Chidambaram for his handling of NCTC legislation. But our representative from Manipur may not raise properly such burning issue like AFSPA and NCTC in parliament.

The chief Minister and MPs are all from the congress and such they are not willing to open their mouth against own party even for a right and legal demands of state except asking economic packages. Perhaps, most of our representative may be having language problem unable to speak Hindi which is enormously used in parliament so they are keep silent in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha that is the reason why the people have been partially silent.

It is right time to joined hands in launching an offensive against the Centre's attempts to push for National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) that will usurp the powers of the states and will destroy the federal structure as it is contradictory to federal system. It indicated there is a lack of trust and confidence deficit between the Centre and states on NCTC.

The State should opposed NCTC is that it is against the principle of federalism as it may empower to fire at any doubtful person and to arrest anyone without the consent of the state authority. This NCTC is vague and has no standards. Lethal force can be exercised if it is deemed necessary.

NCTC, gives to arrest anyone suspected of being involved in terror-related activities under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the functionaries will not be obliged to consult the local government. If you were happy and haven't raised voices against NCTC proposed in your states? Later or sooner arms forces may empower to shoot, kill, arrest in suspicious manner, search and detention without any warrant.

When state forces are available, why task amateurs to a centre forces? It is also unlikely that in a large country as ours, the Central forces when tasked to carry out in a state would have the necessary knowledge of the area, terrain, entry and exit points, escape routes, local language etc.

Hence in such a scenario to expect the operational components to undertake special tasks inside a state and take for granted that they will succeed without the active cooperation of the local police and government would be a fallacy. Irrespective of the force employed, tasks cannot be accomplished without certain basics and the Central forces have their own limitations in acquiring the necessary know how in an unfamiliar area to succeed.

Under emergency situations well trained specialist teams of the state police forces can be tasked with the assistance of the representatives of the intelligence agency concerned to conduct operations.

Everybody brawls to fight terrorists but appliance such NCTC can hamper national integration and mistrust between centre and states. NCTC is nothing but to abuse human rights because of it is very similar to the provisions in the controversial of Armed forces Special power Act, AFPSA. This NCTC is like a Pandora box especially for the North East states that it can itself power to destroy and kill normal life of innocent people and its council can excise freely without consultation with the state government and without approval of the parliament nod.

The NCTC will have the power to solicit any kind of information including documents, reports, transcripts and cyber details from any agency under the conditions of confidentiality. The body will have powers under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to carry out search operations across the country. Some states fear that the NCTC is an attempt to trample over the rights of the states.

What's the use of putting forward so many draconian laws, if Indian government has such passion to be despotic then why not just declare India as a military state? Government needs the best brains and wisely decision to ensure NCTC functions properly.

Otherwise the escalation of fake encounters, impropriety in search operations and other connected allegations, elimination of leads to larger conspiracies, either by mistakes or premature operations besides turf wars between the states, police and governments may well jeopardize their functioning and threaten the very existence of these agencies created for a very special purpose.