People's Democracy

THE BJP's desperation to have the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO) endorsed by the parliament has assumed such proportions that a joint session of parliament is reportedly being considered in order to bypass its hopeless minority in the Rajya Sabha. Such desperation, clearly, exposes the fact that the BJP's pre-occupation with the POTO has more to do with its politics than with the desire to combat terrorism.

Through these columns earlier, we had pointed out that the existing laws have sufficient provisions to combat terrorist activities. If necessary, some specific amendments could be considered. The problem in containing terrorism is not any inadequacy of laws. The problem lies in the lack of a political vision. This Vajpayee-led government has the ignoble distinction of having no concern for the country's interests and no vision except that of furthering the RSS agenda of converting our secular democratic republic into a rabidly intolerant and communally surcharged "Hindu Rashtra".

The bitter experience of the now lapsed TADA shows that laws alone were not sufficient to end terrorism. On the contrary, it has been repeatedly pointed out that they are capable of gross misuse and abuse. Suffice to repeat that 99 per cent of those detained under TADA were never convicted.

Clearly, the BJP is upping the ante on POTO as a last ditch effort to regain some of its vastly deserted political support in the run up to the UP elections. By equating Muslims with terrorism and whipping up communal passions, they hope to force a polarisation that would give them political benefit. Further, by aping the language of Bush that those opposing POTO are supporting the terrorists, the BJP seeks to beef up its so-called patriotic nationalism (read: fundamentalism). As we had said earlier, no one needs certificates of patriotism from the assassins of Mahatma Gandhi. In any case, the BJP's hands are soaked in the blood of lakhs of innocent victims of the communal riots that they regularly engineer.

The BJP's desperation to use the POTO as a political issue comes in the face of a concerted opposition that seeks to safeguard civil liberties of our people. Apart from the mainstream opposition parties, almost all allies of the NDA have expressed reservations. Some parties like the JD(U) and Trinamul Congress have declared their open opposition. Others like the TDP and DMK have sought greater consultations and more safeguards against the inevitable misuse of POTO.

The National Human Rights Commission has recorded its strong objections to the enactment of POTO and described it as a "draconian law". Clearly, the majority of India's political and legal opinion is ranged against this authoritarian law. Yet, the Vajpayee government persists in institutionalising authoritarianism and empowering the concerned agencies to subject innocent people to harassment and injustice. Given this government's communal outlook and record, it is clear that POTO will be used to stifle democratic dissent and terrorise the minorities.

The BJP has, thus, completely exposed itself as a party which is willing to mercilessly attack civil liberties and democratic rights to further its political interests. A party which repeatedly continues to undermine the secular democratic foundations of India and threatens its unity and integrity, can with no conviction, convince the Indian people of its credentials to fight terrorism. It itself adopts terrorist methods to advance its political ambitions.

Terrorism is a scourge that needs to be defeated and eliminated. The CPI(M) has, on this score, lost hundreds of its comrades in Punjab, North-East, Jammu & Kashmir and elsewhere, who courageously fought terrorism and roused public opinion against it. But at the same time, the intention to combat terrorism cannot be allowed to be used as an excuse or a cover to impose draconian laws that curtail civil liberties and democratic rights.