Sad article in NYT about the rape and murder of two young Kashmiri women and the alleged attempts by the Indian armed forces to cover it up.
Perhaps most disappionting is the quote from the man in charge of the police officers who are alleged to have injured the two women, "'There is a prima facie feeling there was destruction of evidence, whether deliberate or inadvertent," Mr. Khoda said. "The investigation is going on and the results of that investigation will come.'"
I don't know Mr. Khoda, but his attitude seems a bit lethargic, considering that the Indian government is widely considered to have bungled the Kashmir situation horribly. These investigations can go on forever and be brushed under the rug - but what about all the people who are suffering? How long are they willing to be silent? In a country where domestic terrorism is prevalent, the authorities in these contested areas don't seem keen enough on winning public support.
I wish I could say that the situation of the two Kashmiri girls was unique, but it isn't. Like so many nations, India suffers from a clogged legal system that turns policemen into their own judges, and removes a necessary level of accountability from over them. As the world has discovered in Bosnia, Congo, and countless other nations, "if you give a thug a gun...he's still a thug, with a gun."
There's a growing consensus even among Indians, for whom Kashmir is such an emotionally fraught issue, that the national government has done a poor job administering the state. I've heard many people say it out loud since I've gotten here.
Well, police all over the country is pretty bad. So much so that the common man is afraid of taking matters to police. It's time we thought over the role of police in India. I mean police is there only to extort money (or other benefits in kind)from anybody & everybody on the street. I have yet to see a policewala travelling in public transport and buying ticket !! Murder (what else will you call those fake 'encounters' for medals ?) & rape (id always dominates superego if you know you can get away with it) by cops is also not new. And think of it, the moment we have some serious disturbance in any area the Government calls Paramilitary Forces or the military to control the situation. Another question that occurs to me is - with so many cops around why do we live under constant fear of theft, murder, rape etc?
ReplyDeleteIsn't it time we disbanded the police?
But do you think disbanding the police is the solution? I'd say the better solution is to set up ways to hold police accountable for their actions (more transparency and oversight) Right now, the police think they can get away with anything, because they can.
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