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Dear Mr Police Commissioner:
I am told by “the Press” that Indian Mujahideen and Lashkar e
Tayyaba / Toiba with several score "sleeper cells" are responsible
for bomb blasts at Hyderabad recently. The same press also reports
that the Commissioner of Police says it is not yet known who is
responsible. The media however, quoting allegedly unidentified yet
allegedly reliable police sources, seems to know a great deal more
than even the police.
For, scanning news reports I see that over a week, EVERY name of
an alleged suspect is a Muslim name. Even names of alleged
organisations allegedly linked with the blasts, are Muslim names.
The implications, the undercurrent of political, administrative
and executive as well as media bias is striking. Once again, the
Muslims are the target. To interpret these horrifying signals, not
much of a brain is needed. However, in the India of today where
the language of political discourse has fallen to abysmal levels,
four notable absentees are: brain, shame, truth and justice.
Let me ask you, sir, a few questions:
1. Despite the innumerable Muslim accused having been found by due
process of law to be innocent of terror involvement, and despite
the confessional statements of right-wing Hindutva group cadre
members with those confessional statements supported by
independent corroborative evidence, how is it that ONLY Muslims
are stated in the press as being investigated, interrogated,
searched for ?
2. How is it that despite the confessional statements of
right-wing Hindutva group cadre members with those confessional
statements supported by independent corroborative evidence, NO
non-Muslim name features in ANY of these reports including those
citing mysterious sources giving out Muslim names as suspects?
3. Has the police undertaken a questioning of those media rags
(sorry, newspapers) and ruts (sorry, channels) which have been
promoting this lopsided image of a Muslim community as responsible
for such events, to ascertain which “sources” they got these
credible bits of information from ?
4. Has the police undertaken a questioning of those mysterious
sources to ascertain what information they have and to know
whether they are somehow involved, or wish to create red herrings
to misdirect investigation?
5. Has the police undertaken a questioning of those who control or
own these media rags (sorry, newspapers) and ruts (sorry,
channels) which have been promoting this lopsided image of a
Muslim community as responsible for such events, to ascertain
whether they are carefully orchestrating a media blitz to ensure
that the direction of investigation serves to deflect the focus
from the right wing terror which stands established as a fact?
6. Has the police taken any steps to book cases against these
media houses, press reporters and newspapers, for publishing
material without reasonable basis, as causes dissensions within
society and polarizes it, creating enmity between groups and
sections of society along religious lines ?
7. Considering that a speech by an MLA has had charges of sedition
and waging war against the State slapped against him, should the
same charges not be framed against these media houses, press
reporters and publishers and newspapers, for publishing such
scandalizing material without reasonable basis, and thereby
creating enmity between groups and sections of society along
religious lines ? If they have had these bits of information
planted by some “sources” should those sources not be identified
and similarly prosecuted? Or are Muslim-baiters to be forever
immune from prosecution?
8. Is this not indicative of interference with investigative
processes and is it not actionable? Considering that, what action
has the police taken as against these communalizing elements?
9. If any non-Muslim has even been questioned in these matters,
why is it that the media is absolutely silent of that, or do
“police sources” only reveal to the media the names of Muslim
persons being investigated?
10. Is the police department not aware that the assertion that a
named person is being investigated on such serious charges is by
itself enough to cause massive trauma in his and his family’s
life? Who is behind the publication and the media blitz to defame
and demonize the Muslim community?
11. Why is the Police a silent spectator in the matter?
12. Why did the police not sanitize the areas after the events and
instead permit VIP visitors with entourages, and were any measures
taken to ensure that the entourage members did not interfere with
the integrity of available evidence, or even perhaps plant
“evidence” ?
13. If the police is yet to analyse the data from the camera that
was making a CCTV record of the area/s in question, how is it that
named suspects are being spoken of even before that exercise, and
all of them happen to be ONLY Muslims ? Or is it a foregone
conclusion that ONLY Muslims can be responsible and the police
believe in advance that no one else need be suspected?
14. If in earlier blasts like the ones in Samjhauta Express, Ajmer,
Malegaon, Hyderabad, etc., right wing groups are found on NIA
investigation to be involved, how and why is it that none of those
from those organisations or linked to those accused, are being
investigated or their names shown as possibly involved ? Or, to
repeat, is it a foregone conclusion that ONLY Muslims can be
responsible and the police believes in advance that no one else
need be suspected, and if so, considering this and 13 above, how
credible is this investigation going to be?
15. The press also reports that the State Police is reluctant to
hand over the investigation to the NIA. Why on earth is that? Is
it that the State Police desires a certain outcome and the
investigation by the NIA can come up with results that a certain
section of Indian society holding certain non-inclusive,
non-pluralistic, non-secular views would be upset by this?
16. Is the possibility being investigated that a police,
paramilitary or military hand may be involved looking at the
likely political situation that can unfold while heading towards
the 2014 elections? If not, perhaps someone knows why not,
considering that in the past there is at least one known army man
accused of complicity in terror activities in collusion with some
“religious” individuals wearing (and thereby defaming) a certain
colour ?
17. Considering the press reports that use of certain chemicals
points allegedly to an “IM imprint”, is the possibility being
investigated that any group wanting to have an investigation go in
a certain direction, would use such methods or means to direct
blame towards a specific group?
18. Considering that there is no effort by the police department
or other agencies to distance itself/themselves from what the
media reports, do we citizens take it that the police also is
investigating these matters only along the lines that ONLY Muslims
and none other can be involved ?
19. Are the police officials who are investigating these matters
screened to ensure they are not persons with anti-Muslim bias or a
reluctance to see right-wing hands that evidence points towards?
Is there ever any screening to weed out officials who have been
found in the past to have targeted Muslims during such
investigative exercise or foisted false cases against them?
20. Is it a scheme already in place, with the 2014 elections in
mind, that UAPA will be invoked in the aftermath of these blasts?
21. Is it a likelihood, based on the past similar tragedies, that
an unknown number of young Indians will be charged, arrested,
imprisoned, tortured, police will extract "confessions" under
extreme duress, they will be tried on those charges in the courts,
accused will have attorneys who will hardly have the experience,
resources and support to match the massive resources and influence
over the process of the prosecution by government and its agencies
and, though none of the accused will be convicted for the alleged
crime they will be accused of, nevertheless their lives will be
shattered forever ?
22. Considering that 1 out of 7 Indians is a Muslim, 1 out of 8
Muslims of the world live in India, and over 200 million Muslims
of India belong to India, and India belongs to Muslims as much as
to any other community in India, what do you believe the demand of
proper policing is ?
Advocate
Shafeeq Rehman Mahajir appeared before Justice Bhaskara Rao
Commission inquiring into the police firing on unarmed Muslims in
the wake of Mecca Masjid blast of 2007. He
proved the police claim false and showed that police fired
unprovoked and fired to kill.
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