Oppose Centre's overreach
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: February 24, 2012 -

The Indian state has been increasingly under threats and attacks from extremist organizations over the last decade or so, the most devastating of these being the the 2008 coordinated attacks on 11 spots across Mumbai on the November 26 which left 164 people dead and more than 300 others injured.

The attackers who came from Pakistan, one of which, Ajmal Kasab was caught, tried and sentenced to death, during interrogation claimed that the ISI provided logistical and other support for the attack.

It is also under sever pressure from the activities of the Maoists in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to some extend.

While in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and the North eastern states, particularly Manipur, major insurrection is going on. In view of these challenges to internal security in almost the whole of the country, the Government of India has been coming up with various measures to thwart these threats.

The latest such measure is the proposal to establish the National Counter terrorism Centre (NCTC) as a branch of the Intelligence Bureau (IB). The move has been facing very strong opposition from the states, particularly from those ruled by non – Congress parties, the latest tally of those opposing it is said to be 13.

Among the most vociferous opponent of the setting up of NCTC include the Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Bennerjee, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Ministers Omar Abdulla, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

All these chief ministers despite being engaged in the exercise of imposing the state’s jurisdiction over vast area under threats from Maoists, insurgents and extremists have come out against the NCTC, since all of them felt that it dilutes the federal character of the Indian state.

The NCTC as proposed is an intelligence gathering agency dealing with internal security, which will also be conferred the right to arrest and prosecute suspects anywhere in the country, supposedly the only such agency in the world with such powers.

The NCTC can also requisition police personnel from any state, and besides it will have have the power to seek information, including documents, reports, transcripts, and cyber information from any agency.

Besides law and order being the responsibility of state governments, all these powers given to NCTC impinge on the jurisdiction of the state government and understandably, the apprehensions and the protests.

Also the fact that the NCTC will be under the IB (consequently not answerable to the Parliament), which considering its track record and its politicized nature, reinforces these apprehensions all the more, giving rise to the specter of political vendetta and victimization.

In the midst of all these very vocal opposition from various states, it is surprising that the state of Manipur, which would be one of the most likely places of NCTC’s operation has been absolutely mum.

Even though it is a Congress led government we would have expected at least a murmur of protest from the SPA government. And what about the opposition parties as also human rights organizations and activists in the state?

Before the NCTC is instituted formally, it is imperative that Manipur also voice its opposition and add to the collective opposition so as to force the Home Ministry to reconsider it and make suitable amendments in consultation with the states.