26/11: Where is the Justice?

On the eve of third anniversary of 26/11, Indian Media puts some light on the progress of justice and the verdict which has to be given in the case of terror attacks.

Gargi Mishra
gargi@dakhalandazi.co.in

It’s the third anniversary of 26/11 Mumbai Blasts today. Terror attacks India has always created bloodshed, people have lost the economic and mental stability and, kids have been killed and violence has raised a question that are we going to get peaceful environment ever to spend our lives in.

Three years after the disastrous blasts of 26/11, what we have as the end result is number of debates discussing the politicization of terror attacks across the country and at global level and the failure to face the terror challenges by the government and institution which are fighting against corruption.

The justice still lies in a halt. It has been three years and still the investigative system and the Judiciary of India is not able to take a stand. Who is at the fault? The investigative systems, Politicians or the terrorists. Since three years we have been watching debates and shows raising the issues of terror attacks and disclosing the fact that still the conditions are not under control.

On the eve of third anniversary of 26/11, Indian Media puts some light on the progress of justice and the verdict which has to be given in the case of terror attacks.

Two most popular debate shows, one being “The Newshour” on TimesNow and “We the people” on NDTV carried the debate of terror attacks relating it with the approach the government is taking in solving the issues.

With the panelist including Mahroof Raja, Strategic Affairs Analyst, K.C Singh former Secretary MEA, G Parathasarthy, Former High Commissioner to Pakistan, Anees Jilani, Colomnist and Supreme Court lawyer, Major General (Rt.) Rashid Qureshi and Tahira Abdullah, Human Rights Activists, the Editor in Chief, Arnab Goswami, takes the debate ahead.

The Newshour focuses its pinnacle on the liberties which are being given to the highly renowned terrorists such as ‘Zaki Ur Rehman Lakhvi’( responsible for 26/11 blasts), such as usage of Mobile phones in the jail and Pakistani Government being very unenthusiastic and unconcerned to ponder on the issues of the liberties given to terrorist. It also puts light on the inefficiency of Pakistan to have a check on the roots of terrorism which is the cause of most of the terror attacks.

One of the panelists from Pakistan, Tahira Abdullah, mentions that the issue of terrorism is not only confined to the usage to cell phones by the convicts rather the issues of Kashmir should also be taken into the consideration, taking the debate totally out of the track.

The usage of mobile phones by the terrorist was roofed with the excuse that they fall in the list of influential people. The debate questioned the willingness of Pakistan to deal with the issues of terrorism, being giving the defense that there are not much evidences given by government of Indian to act on.

Talking about the other debate, “We the people” carried on NDTV by the Group Editor, Barkha Dutt, discusses the issue of Malegaon blasts of 2006. The debate focuses on the errors which are being detected in the tackling of Terror attacks.

Slightly the debate questions on the credibility of Police investigations and their workings as seven men out of nine, who were accused of the Malegaon blast, walk out on the bail after 5 years and still they have not got the clean chit.

The debate questions the trustworthiness of the investigative agencies as they first make suspicion on the some people and then take a U turn for their own claims. Most of the blast cases such as Macca Masjid case, Ajmer blasts and the Malegaon blast case remain unsolved.

M.N Singh, Former Mumbai Police Commissioner, one of the panelists, focused on the fact that it is not our responsibility to give a verdict on any issue and police not to be blamed in the shortcomings of the investigations. No doubt every, governance has some shortcomings but we should wait for a decision from Supreme Court.

Jerry Pinto, Journalist, directly questions the credibility of police and raises a question that where should a common man go for help?

Javed Anand, General Secretary, Muslims for Secular Democracy, mentions that there is a minority bias also apart from the failure on the level of investigative agencies.

The audience remained of the opinion that they are the victim of terror politics and not just terrorism.

Despite of all the differences on the thoughts by different panelists on two different debates, the fact is recognized that all the common and innocent folk of India and Pakistan, Hindu or Muslim, feel the same pain when a life is lost in a bomb blast but three years after 26/11 and several other blasts, where is the justice?