Saturday,
December 8, 2001, Chandigarh, India![]() ![]() ![]()
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India needs to have POTO minus its darker aspects The Tribune has done well to initiate a debate on POTO
(Nov 21). Terrorism is now a universal phenomenon, threatening the entire civilised world. Therefore, even Mr V. Eshwar Anand, while opposing POTO, has to admit that adequate measures are necessary to tackle terrorism. According to him, terrorism can be effectively tackled by sprucing up the existing laws and for this reason POTO is unnecessary. But as experience has shown, the existing legal and judicial system is not adequate even to tackle ordinary crime. The Supreme Court has noted with anguish the high acquittal rate in criminal trials. Against this backdrop, POTO or a such like special law would be justified. Mr Anand has raised two main objections against POTO. It has got some darker aspects and there are some apprehensions that these may be misused. So far as the misuse is concerned even good laws may be misused. Therefore, terrorists cannot be conceded a free hand simply because an anti-terrorism law may be misused. The alleged misuse can be minimised by constant supervision by the higher echelons of the security forces and bureaucracy. For that matter judicial supervision is always there. If TADA was misused by the police in Punjab, a large number of police officers in Punjab are facing criminal trials for alleged excesses and abuse of power. The arguments and exposition of Mr Amar Chandel are well-balanced and make out a strong case for POTO minus its "darker aspects". The nation must act firmly but wisely. BEANT
SINGH BEDI, Mohali Let POTO in toto: We are going through reports of killings of innocent persons and even security forces on a daily basis. There is all round pessimism in the public mind. In the absence of effective laws, some loopholes in the judicial system and insanity of the militants, the situation in various parts of the country is going from bad to worse. The opposition parties label the government as weak and in the same breath oppose POTA, which the government is determined to put through so as to take on the militants. |
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