India: SC seeks official response to extrajudicial killings
October 2, 2012: The vexed issue of extra judicial killings of ‘innocent’ civilians
has come haunting the Indian government otherwise battling internal dissidence in
terms of insurgency and Maoist violence in several states.
The Supreme Court
on October 1 ordered the federal government and the state government of Manipur, in
North Eastern India, to respond to allegations that 1,528 people, including women
and children, have been killed by security forces and state commandoes since 1978.
“It’s
a frightening situation that should shock the conscience of the entire nation,” Colin
Gonsalves, lawyer for the petitioner, told ucannews.com. The 410-page petition has
been filed on behalf of two Manipur-based organizations, Extra Judicial Execution
Victim Families Association and Human Rights Alert.
The petition seeks halt
to such indiscriminate killings and setting up of a special investigation team comprising
of honest police officers to probe the killings in the state. Manipur bordering Myanmar
has overwhelming presence of men in camouflages. There is at least security force
personnel for every 20 civilians in Manipur, according to Asian Human Rights Commission.
The embattled federal government, faced with corruption charges and growing political
opposition to reforms initiatives, wants to go cautiously on a sensitive and emotive
issue like this.
“We have heard about the Supreme Court directive and will
respond to the petition in time,” said a union Home Ministry official on the condition
of anonymity. The insurgency-hit Manipur government too said they will also “respond”
to the allegations.
“We are seized of the matter,” a Manipur government official
told ucannews.com. He, however, added that a “myriad of complex issues” ought to be
understood in terms of providing adequate security to citizens, protecting the national
integrity and honor in a sensitive border state and help governance and developments
reach people.
Northeastern states and Jammu and Kashmir in northernmost India
have been reeling under a controversial law called the Armed Forces Special Power
Act (AFSPA), which gives unbridled and sweeping powers to the state and federal security
forces. But this legislation, initially drafted in 1958 go along with Disturbed Areas
Act, is sought to be justified by the armed forces and the government on the plea
that it is required to fight the secession movements.
The Defense Ministry
had earlier this year opposed diluting the provisions of the law saying it is their
"vital tool for operations." The primary complain against the Act is that under its
provisions even a junior officer is granted the right to shoot and to kill individuals
on mere suspicion in order to "maintain the public order."