Indian envoy's puzzling comment
While some of the victims were known in their localities as smugglers, it does not justify, in any way, their killing by the BSF. Worryingly, Chakravarty's statement seems to suggest that, since the victims of border shootings are not innocent and mostly smugglers, their killings are justified. Such a position strikes at the very root of the concept of the rule of law, which is the fundamental principle of democracy. The rule of law requires that even the vilest of criminals cannot be punished, let alone executed, until and unless he or she is adjudged guilty by a credible court of law after a transparent public trial. The government of India, which boasts of itself as the largest democracy in the world, should know better that if a person is wrongfully punished, the rule of law is put into jeopardy.
While we acknowledge that both Bangladesh and India need to clamp down on smuggling, we believe their anti-smuggling actions should by no means encourage the border guards to assume the role of law enforcers, judges and executioners rolled into one. New Age has consistently deplored extrajudicial killings, wherever they take place, at home or abroad, and is, therefore, naturally concerned at the assertion of the Indian high commissioner, especially because of its underlying support for extrajudicial killings.
We would like to believe that Chakravarty's comment is not representative of the official position of the Indian government and that the Indian government does not condone, let alone authorise, extrajudicial killings by the BSF. On the contrary, if the statement is indeed indicative of the mindset of the ruling coterie in New Delhi, it is bad news not only for the people of India but also for the people of the countries bordering India.
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When talking about different aspects of the Bangladesh-India relations on the Bangladesh Television's weekly discussion series 'Shomoyer Kotha', which was aired on Friday, the Indian high commissioner, Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, claimed that the people who die in border shootings are not innocent and are mostly smugglers. His claim is puzzling on the one hand, as it contradicts the reports of local media and the findings of human rights organisations vis-à-vis the border shootings over the years and raises some disturbing questions on the other, as it suggests that he and, by implication, his government has tacit support to such extrajudicial killings by the Border Security Force of India.
Killings of Bangladesh nationals by the BSF have been a regular phenomenon on the frontiers. In October 2007, the human rights coalition Odhikar reported that more than 700 people had been killed by the Indian border guards since January 2000. The report was a compilation of media reports on border shootings in the period. In most of the cases, the media reported that the victims were either farmers or shepherds or cattle traders.
Killings of Bangladesh nationals by the BSF have been a regular phenomenon on the frontiers. In October 2007, the human rights coalition Odhikar reported that more than 700 people had been killed by the Indian border guards since January 2000. The report was a compilation of media reports on border shootings in the period. In most of the cases, the media reported that the victims were either farmers or shepherds or cattle traders.
While some of the victims were known in their localities as smugglers, it does not justify, in any way, their killing by the BSF. Worryingly, Chakravarty's statement seems to suggest that, since the victims of border shootings are not innocent and mostly smugglers, their killings are justified. Such a position strikes at the very root of the concept of the rule of law, which is the fundamental principle of democracy. The rule of law requires that even the vilest of criminals cannot be punished, let alone executed, until and unless he or she is adjudged guilty by a credible court of law after a transparent public trial. The government of India, which boasts of itself as the largest democracy in the world, should know better that if a person is wrongfully punished, the rule of law is put into jeopardy.
While we acknowledge that both Bangladesh and India need to clamp down on smuggling, we believe their anti-smuggling actions should by no means encourage the border guards to assume the role of law enforcers, judges and executioners rolled into one. New Age has consistently deplored extrajudicial killings, wherever they take place, at home or abroad, and is, therefore, naturally concerned at the assertion of the Indian high commissioner, especially because of its underlying support for extrajudicial killings.
We would like to believe that Chakravarty's comment is not representative of the official position of the Indian government and that the Indian government does not condone, let alone authorise, extrajudicial killings by the BSF. On the contrary, if the statement is indeed indicative of the mindset of the ruling coterie in New Delhi, it is bad news not only for the people of India but also for the people of the countries bordering India.
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[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
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