Attack on Minorities Akin to Terrorism: High Court Judge

(November 10, 2011) Former judge of Karnataka High Court, Michael F Saldanha, thinks that attacks on minority institutions should be treated as acts of terror and not as common crime. During his interaction with journalists in his hometown, Mangalore, South India, on Tuesday, he said attacks on minority institutions were “nothing but a manifestation of terrorism. There are many forms of terrorism and attack on minorities is definitely one of them.” Justice Saldanha, who recently returned to the country after visiting the US and Europe, said the presidents of France and the US and the British prime minister have expressed dismay over the attacks on minority institutions in Karnataka. He felt that such attacks deserve more attention of the state law and order machinery. “The aftermath of the attacks was more horrendous than the attacks. Even today, three years after the church attacks in the state, the victims are being further victimised by the government while the wily attackers have been roaming free with the patronage of the government,” the former high court judge said. He added that the law should have zero tolerance towards such “internal acts of terrorism”. He has written a book on church attacks, which will be translated in the local language, Kannada and released shortly in Mysore. The former judge was critical of the fact that the politicians’ pleas for bail and anticipatory bail were getting priority in the courts at the cost of common man's pleas. “This is a total misuse of power and deprivation of justice to the poor people,” he said.