By R. Balashankar
?Attack on Geelani is attack on democracy,? said one placard. The protesters were raising slogans against the Delhi police for the ?attack? on Delhi University lecturer S.A.R. Geelani from Kashmir, who is better known as the acquitted accused in the Parliament attack case. When Parliament was attacked, these protesters were not seen waving placards against the Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. They never said attack on Parliament is attack on democracy. Geelani teaches Persian and Islamic studies at the Zakir Hussain (evening) College.
This was the same crowd that wept and poured buckets of tears when India emerged as a nuclear power. The pseudo intellectuals and surrogate writers are also the ones who get international awards. If one suspects their patriotism, should we be blamed.
Why did the supporters and sympathisers of Geelani conclude that it was the Delhi policemen who attacked him is not clear. But one should at least concede that the men in Delhi police are better marksmen than this. That they shot at Geelani five times and still did not manage to kill him seems an outrageous dishonour to the reputation of one of India'sbest police force.
The Supreme Court lost no time in blaming the Delhi police. Within 12 hours the Court too concluded, at the plea of the famous advocate, Ram Jethmalani, that it was indeed the Delhi police which was responsible for injuring Geelani. The Court has asked the Delhi police to explain itself.
A classic case of orchestrated charge fixing. Why do the media, the human rights activists, the courts and the politicians come alive and active when it comes to cases relating to terrorists, anti-nationals and minorities?
Contrast this with the response of the courts when a series of drummed up charges were fixed against the Shankaracharyas of the Kanchi Mutt. The hearings were postponed endlessly, mostly without valid reason.
It may well be remembered that Geelani was not released from the case of attack on Parliament because he was found innocent. It was because of lack of proof. He was let off because of the inordinate delay caused by the Police in presenting evidences and they were not clinching enough. The fact that the investigation trail led the Delhi police and the other agencies to the doors of a lecturer in Delhi University indicates his link with terrorists. And this is not a political case where a motive existed for the police to witchhunt and fix him.
So much fuss and noise was not made when Geelani was arrested, jailed and convicted by the lower court. Now, the UPA is in power due to the mercy of people and parties who have never lost an occasion to call India ?a conglomeration of nations?. It is the same set of people who are today staging street demonstrations for Geelani.
Consider that Geelani himself has never dissociated himself from the terrorist gangs in Kashmir nor has he vowed his loyalty to Indian unity. There seems to be a calculated strategy behind the organised protests in favour of Geelani and against the Delhi police. The plan might be to put the police on the defensive over the Parliament attack case, in which it has gone on appeal, by a Special Leave Petition against the High Court order acquitting Geelani.
The UPA government is kid-gloving the fissiparous elements. Not only has it allowed the Naxalites in Andhra Pradesh a free hand but has given hopes to the separatists in the north-east too.
It has now become routine for the self-proclaimed human rights activists, the biased media and the communal politicians to make a mountain out of a mole hill when it concerns minorities. The same people are never seen or heard when any issue concerning the nation and the Hindus are raised. What kind of perversity is this?
