PaRCha - JNU - AISA chits - 2014 ID-14831
.
Reform the Police! Make Police.
.
Accountable to Democratic Rights!.
.
Reclaim the Republic!!.
.
ML Update Editorial Jan 22, 2014.
.
On the eve of the 65th Republic Day, Delhi has once again emerged as a centre of a mass agitation. While.
in the previous phase of anti-corruption and anti-rape protests, it was the people versus the state, this.
time Arvind Kejriwal's dharna pits the Delhi government against the central government over the issue.
of action against some police officials. As we go to press on 21 January, the dharna has entered the.
second day, but it has already generated an animated public debate not only in Delhi but across the.
country..
.
There are some opinions in the media voiced primarily by the Congress and the BJP and ideologues of.
the ruling elite which describe the dharna as anarchy and as negation of governance. Revolutionary.
communists and consistent democrats reject this elitist, bureaucratic stand and uphold the right of any.
elected government to launch agitations in the interest of democracy and the people. The demand for.
granting full statehood to Delhi and bringing the Delhi Police under the jurisdiction of the elected.
government of Delhi is a long-standing demand of the people of Delhi and the Delhi government is.
perfectly within its rights to insist on it..
.
Having made our position clear on these two basic questions, let us look at the specific backdrop to the.
present agitation. Arvind Kejriwal wants the Home Ministry to initiate action against some police officials.
who he says stand accused of dereliction of duty. Let us look at the three most prominent cases where.
Kejriwal says he will be happy with even transfer of the concerned SHOs. A Danish woman tourist was.
robbed and gang-raped near Connaught Place in the early evening on 14 January and Kejriwal is surely.
right in demanding that responsibility should be fixed. Neha Yadav was set on fire by her in-laws for.
alleged non-payment of dowry on 13 January in Sagarpur in south-west Delhi and Rakhi Birla says the.
police refused to arrest the in-laws despite her repeated insistence. On this question too, Rakhi Birla.
and Kejriwal are right in insisting on fixing responsibility on the local SHO..
.
The third instance involves Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti and the SHO of Malviya Nagar PS. In this.
case the role of the minister has come in for serious public criticism and instead of responding to that.
criticism senior AAP leaders are ridiculing protesters, defending Bharti and demanding action against.
the Malviya Nagar SHO for not obeying Bharti's orders. If there are specific reports of drug rackets or.
organised prostitution in the area, police must intervene and act according to legal provisions. But.
evidence indicates that Bharti was not seeking action against specific individuals, but rather,.
indiscriminate and illegal raids on an entire community of African nationals. The local people may.
have serious grievances against the police and AAP leaders are justified in taking up the cases on behalf.
of the local people, but the minister cannot lead a midnight raid with his supporters, making.
racist comments and instigating supporters to violate the bodily integrity, dignity and rights of.
African women on the basis of suspicion and allegation of being involved in `drug and sex rackets'..
.
Drug and organised prostitution rackets may be serious issues in the area but concerns about organised.
racist politics and violence in the area ought to be equally a matter of concern for an elected.
representative, whose interventions must then be in accordance with the principles of human rights,.
justice and gender sensitivity. People accusing Somnath Bharti of displaying racist attitudes and violating.
..
PaRCha - JNU - AISA chits - 2014 ID-14831
.
Reform the Police! Make Police.
.
Accountable to Democratic Rights!.
.
Reclaim the Republic!!.
.
ML Update Editorial Jan 22, 2014.
.
On the eve of the 65th Republic Day, Delhi has once again emerged as a centre of a mass agitation. While.
in the previous phase of anti-corruption and anti-rape protests, it was the people versus the state, this.
time Arvind Kejriwal's dharna pits the Delhi government against the central government over the issue.
of action against some police officials. As we go to press on 21 January, the dharna has entered the.
second day, but it has already generated an animated public debate not only in Delhi but across the.
country..
.
There are some opinions in the media voiced primarily by the Congress and the BJP and ideologues of.
the ruling elite which describe the dharna as anarchy and as negation of governance. Revolutionary.
communists and consistent democrats reject this elitist, bureaucratic stand and uphold the right of any.
elected government to launch agitations in the interest of democracy and the people. The demand for.
granting full statehood to Delhi and bringing the Delhi Police under the jurisdiction of the elected.
government of Delhi is a long-standing demand of the people of Delhi and the Delhi government is.
perfectly within its rights to insist on it..
.
Having made our position clear on these two basic questions, let us look at the specific backdrop to the.
present agitation. Arvind Kejriwal wants the Home Ministry to initiate action against some police officials.
who he says stand accused of dereliction of duty. Let us look at the three most prominent cases where.
Kejriwal says he will be happy with even transfer of the concerned SHOs. A Danish woman tourist was.
robbed and gang-raped near Connaught Place in the early evening on 14 January and Kejriwal is surely.
right in demanding that responsibility should be fixed. Neha Yadav was set on fire by her in-laws for.
alleged non-payment of dowry on 13 January in Sagarpur in south-west Delhi and Rakhi Birla says the.
police refused to arrest the in-laws despite her repeated insistence. On this question too, Rakhi Birla.
and Kejriwal are right in insisting on fixing responsibility on the local SHO..
.
The third instance involves Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti and the SHO of Malviya Nagar PS. In this.
case the role of the minister has come in for serious public criticism and instead of responding to that.
criticism senior AAP leaders are ridiculing protesters, defending Bharti and demanding action against.
the Malviya Nagar SHO for not obeying Bharti's orders. If there are specific reports of drug rackets or.
organised prostitution in the area, police must intervene and act according to legal provisions. But.
evidence indicates that Bharti was not seeking action against specific individuals, but rather,.
indiscriminate and illegal raids on an entire community of African nationals. The local people may.
have serious grievances against the police and AAP leaders are justified in taking up the cases on behalf.
of the local people, but the minister cannot lead a midnight raid with his supporters, making.
racist comments and instigating supporters to violate the bodily integrity, dignity and rights of.
African women on the basis of suspicion and allegation of being involved in `drug and sex rackets'..
.
Drug and organised prostitution rackets may be serious issues in the area but concerns about organised.
racist politics and violence in the area ought to be equally a matter of concern for an elected.
representative, whose interventions must then be in accordance with the principles of human rights,.
justice and gender sensitivity. People accusing Somnath Bharti of displaying racist attitudes and violating.
..