By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: The release of two Kashmiri students of Jamiatul Falah full seven days after they were picked from Kaifiayat Express at Aligarh has exposed the highhandedness and illegal tactics being used by our anti-terrorism agencies to implicate innocents, say concerned people of the society. If they were innocents and agencies had no proof against them, why were they picked at all? If they were terrorists or terror suspects, as was claimed in next day media reports, why were they released then?
People say the boys were released because lots of pressure built up by media, human rights activists and civil society and also because the police had no proof against them. If their disappearance and illegal detention were not protested strongly they could have met the fate of hundreds of unfortunate ones – proofs were fabricated and they were implicated in some terror cases, say members of the civil society. They have demanded action against guilty officers to check such illegal detentions.
Zafrul Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette says: “They are picking innocent youths on the basis of mere suspicion and in a haste. First they pick and then collect evidence.”
He further says: “The Kashmiri boys were released because people, human rights organizations and media came out and protested. This has happened in the past as well – when people immediately came out and put pressure on the agencies and government, the victims were released. Two years back, son of Amir Rashadi, president, Ulema Council, was also picked but timely pressure and legal process forced the agencies to release him.”
To have a check on such detentions, he suggests: “The guilty officers should be identified and punished by court because they have violated laws and SC guidelines.”
Mohammad Waseem Bhat and Sajjad Ahmed Bhat, the students of Jamiatul Falah, a reputed seminary in Azamgarh, were picked reportedly by UP ATS on 24th May morning and since then their whereabouts was unknown, neither the parents, nor the madrasa were informed about the detention, nor were they produced in any court. In the darkness of wee hours today (Thursday) the boys were handed over to their father in an area in Jammu.
Eminent civil rights activist Manisha Sethi of Jamia Teachers’ Solidarity Association also condemns illegal detentions.
“This has become a pattern, first pick, keep in illegal custody, torture them and get confessions for crimes they have not committed,” says she and adds that this is going on because of no accountability of law enforcers.
“This is going on because there is no accountability on police and intelligence officials. No punishment is given for illegal detentions,” says Manisha who has led several human and civil rights campaigns in last four years.
As it is going on unchecked, it seems it has got nod from the central government and home ministry, she says and gives an example.
“In recent conference of chief ministers, home minister P Chidambaram said that people are coming out in support of terror suspects because of religious affinity, but I say not only community members, human and civil rights organiations have also protested against such illegal detentions. By putting them all in one bracket, the home minister himself is communalizing the issue,” she says and adds that his comment in a way justifies whatever the ATS and intelligence agencies are doing.
“This release was possible only because civil society, media and madrasa authorities became active and put pressure on the government and agencies. The ATS released the boys because they had picked innocents against whom they had no evidence, but our home minister says none should protest against such detentions and pose faith in security agencies,” says Manisha who teaches peace and conflict resolution at Jamia Millia Islamia.
Law student and activist Shehzad Poonawala also condemns atrocities on Muslim youths in the name of anti-terror operations. “I would like to thank civil society and human rights activists and also the National Commission for Minorities for its prompt action on my petition, which has led to securing the release of the Kashmiri students. While the developments are welcome the question of injustice being perpetrated by agencies like UP ATS on young Muslims in the name of anti-terorr operations and the long term scars of alienation is still not answered. So the battle against arbitrary detentions and stereotyping of Muslim youths shall have to be continued,” he says.
Shehzad was prompt in filing a petition with NCM over the disappearance of Kashmiri students. He personally got in touch with NCM chairman Wajahat Habibullah who was visiting Bhutan. He took serious interest in the case and contact chief secretary of UP from Bhutan.
Dr Tasleem Rahmani, president of Muslim Political Council of India, is categorical in saying the detentions are completely illegal and guilty officers must be punished.
“The detention is completely illegal and violates the Supreme Court guidelines. Agencies and sleuths responsible for this should be identified by the central government, cases against them should be lodged and they should be punished. Only this can bring a check on such illegal detentions and arrests of the Muslim youths,” says Rahmani.
He was also active and taking the news report of TCN seriously he shot off mail to UP chief minister and talked on phone to his OSD seeking CM’s attention to the serious case.
Two days back, Muslim community leaders had also sent email and fax to Home Minister and National Minority Commission seeking their immediate intervention in the case of the disappearance of the young Kashmiri boys.