उत्कर्ष - Turning Point India

Of Ostriches and Kangaroos

by

Prakash Katoch.

World over the ostrich are famous for burying their head in sand during crisis but the reigning mafia ostriches in India have refined their tactics over the years. Instead of burying their heads in sand, they screech arrogance in the most despciable manner possible, in an effort to delay the inevitable for as long as possible. The mere fact that they are mafia, makes them cling together in gay abandon; seeking strength from togetherness. Why should the Kangaroo Club of the politician-bureaucrat-police mafia that has been raping the country through mis-governance for so many years now bother about honour and rape of women? After all no women or relative of Kangaroo Club has been touched. So,what is the public complaining about, whom do you accuse, whom do you plea to and what action can you expect?

Take the recent horrific rape in India’s capital and the equally horrific revelations now made by the brave companion of the ‘braveheart’ victim girl. The nation by and large bows its head in shame but certainly not the reigning mafia. Look at the police filing a case against the media channel and alleging the brave boy who too was battered into unconsciousness is lying. There is absolutely no reason for the brave boy to lie especially knowing that exposing the police would invite their ire. Police is arrogant to the extent possible in suggesting that the boy’s statement to the TV channel was under duress – can there be anything more absurd? The fact is that our Kangaroo Police is so very secure in the politician-bureaucrat-police nexus that they are confident they can screech defiance and get away. At best, if the public-media nuisance persists, there may be a few transfers, with opportunity to latch onto another module of politician-bureaucrat-police nexus at place of new posting. That is why Delhi Police is so very cool about the entire episode.

Fancy the following in India that claims to be a regional power and wants to be a global power:

·       The braveheart is raped horrifically in a bus with unauthorized tinted windows bus without license, her friend battered unconscious and then they are dumped on the roadside almost nude in freezing cold.

·       The accused try to run over the two by the same bus but the barely conscious boy manages to pull the girl to safety.

·       Some 15-20 vehicles go by but no one stops despite cries of help by the victims.

·       As stated by the boy, police PCR vans argue over jurisdiction for half an hour rather than all PCR vans rushing to the spot.

·       Eventually, the police arrive but do not want to ‘soil’ their hands in lifting the battered girl. Hence, the boy is made to lift the girl into the PCR van.

·       The victims are taken to Safdarjung Hospital, which by no means is the closest hospital and Delhi Police now says this was because it is the ‘best specialty hospital’.

·       At the hospital, the boy eventually has to plead for some clothes to cover the girl and him.  

·       After initial treatment, the police take the boy to the police station, where he is kept for no less than four days for mere recording of statement.

·       Two days after the public uproar refuses to abate, the Home Minister Shinde (of ‘Shri’ Hafeez fame) decides to brief Sonia Gandhi.

·       Delhi Police baton charges and fires water cannons on perfectly peaceful agitators on the fourth day of protests while the Home Secretary blatantly denies these acts of the police.

·       Delhi High Court lambasts Delhi Police while the Home Secretary and MoS Home laud them for having apprehended the accused.

·       Delhi Police tries to impose their own statement when the Lady SDM goes to record the statement of the ‘braveheart’. She is even intimidated when she refuses and tells the police to leave the room. Delhi Police then blatantly denies exerting any pressure. Why should a SDM tell lies when she lives in the same city with the same police?

·       Shiela Dikshit, Delhi Chief Minister washes off her hands saying Delhi Police is not under her. She is mum on the traffic mafia in her State, over which she presides and courtesy which this bus without license was plying for the last two years.

·       Police Constable Tomar dies of a heart attack as seen in photos shot by journalists and statement of eyewitnesses who actually tried to revive the constable.

·       Police claims the protestors had turned violent. Pictures show, somebody’s private car being attacked and overturned amidst protestors. Why would protestors damage a car of their own and not attack a vehicle of the police? Obvious handiwork of mafia goondas infiltrated for the purpose.

·       Police alleges constable Tomar was killed by protesters and arrest eight youth of IAC, latter saying they were not even present there.

·       Post Mortem report of constable Tomar is obtained from a hospital different from where he was taken from Rajpath. The report shows fracture of ribs that any doctor would tell you is common when administered CPR.  

·       Sonia and Rahul Gandhi reportedly meet some protestors close to their residence.

·       It takes full seven days for Manmohan Singh to emerge and make his robotic statement on the episode.

·       Section 144 is imposed and some 10 metro stations are closed indefinitely reminiscent of the British Raj – hierarchal fear being the requirement to show normalcy during impending visit of Putin.

·       The rape victim is shifted from Safdarjung Hospital (the ‘best specialty hospital’ as described by Delhi Police) and flown to Singapore putting her life at stake in the five hour long air in her extremely critical condition, only hoping the protests would abate.

·       When news of the demise of the ‘braveheart’ is broken, flying back of her mortal remains is delayed on pretext that this is only possible when the Singapore hospital gives the post mortem report, as if Singapore is like India where the timing of issue of such reports is dependent on political directions.

·       Shiela Dixit’s residence and residences of other politicians are made impenetrable with company after company of police. No less than 28 companies of police are deployed to protect the ruling class – all this while the body of the braveheart is still in Singapore.

·       The President finally stirs to make a statement while his son (the little politician ostrich) cavorting in Kolkata prepares his derogatory speech on ‘dented and painted women’ and later fluff his feathers on national TV.

·       The body is brought to India in wee hours of the morning and cremated at Dwarka reportedly at 7.30 in the morning shrouded in dense fog and without electricity with such dense security that would shame British security while  hanging Bhagat Singh.

·       With the distinction of having achieved the landmark of 873 percent increase in rape cases since 1971 (mind you these are only figures of reported cases – actual may well be double), the hierarchy appoints the Justice Verma Committee to work out safety of women with a 30 day mandate, as if the eminent jurist require that much time to state the obvious. The message was very clear – give 30 days because the protestors can hardly continue long in this chilling cold. If the weather improves, don’t be surprised if the Justice Verma Committee is given arbitrary extension.

There are TV debates galore with politicians vying to show the other political party in bad light. The Ostriches show their arrogance and disdain. A specialist of this category who went hibernating when his driver exposed a sex tape featuring him keeps looking at his watch with bored expression and occasional show of arrogance. Delhi Police spokespersons take the aggressive path. A former intelligence head says in India intelligence agencies operate separate from political interference – joke of 21^st Century. A former police officer argues Ashok Chakra cannot be given to braveheart – don’t mind the police action seen live on TV during the Parliament Attack and the fact that the STF during the 26/11 Mumbai Terrorist Attack were slaughtered like chicken without firing a single shot. Incidentally, how can you expect them to fire a shot when the STF is not even tasked for counter terrorism? Did you know that their task is only investigations?

While many Khap Panchayat’s have publicly ruled rape as punishment, no Chief Minister, Member Parliament or Member Legislative assembly from the same State dare oppose the diktat. It is a known fact that plenty MPs and MLAs in India have rape cases pending against them. A Kangaroo Club chosen former blue eyed President (herself a woman) commuted the death penalty of no less than six persons accused of rape and murder, her sheepish excuse being that this was on recommendation of the Home Ministry.  How could she take a decision otherwise when the Kangaroos had promised her the same life style especially with the same security post retirement? Many politicians across party lines have been making utterances about women being equally blamable for rape, should not cross the Lakshman Rekha and the like. Do you smell the Taliban? Nah – may be only partially would be the right answer. Talk to young Afghans in Afghanistan; they are highly critical of the Taliban rule and their medieval ways but unequivocally appreciative that the Taliban ensured instant justice. There is little hope of that in India with rape cases pending for years and rape accused repeating rape and / or murder while on bail. Even in the instant case, media reports that the so called juvenile accused (who was the most vicious) will be out on bail and if convicted, will only be sent to a juvenile reform facility. The irony in India is that a three year old girl can be raped but if the accused is a so called ‘minor’ (below 18 years in case of India), he only goes to a juvenile reform facility. But then, why bother on minor issues, when there has been ‘only’ 34 percent rise in rape (reported cases) by juveniles in 2011 over 2010. This is ‘minor’ rise and care can be taken to keep these figures low. All you have to do is to tell the Kangaroo Police not register cases, which they are already doing albeit inefficiently. They must do more to keep the mango people under their thumb and ensure the will of the banana republic.

Newspaper headlines today (6^th January) talk of the Supreme Court commuting the death sentence to life imprisonment of a 23 year old accused who killed a 65 year old woman stabbing her 21 times and then raped her pregnant daughter, later stabbing her also 19 times. The reason of commutation, as reported, is that the accused was drunk and was not in his senses. Bravo Indian Law and the sense of justice. After all, this was not a case of “rarest of rare” where death sentence should be awarded. How can you possibly uphold death sentence when the stubborn daughter-in-law did not even die after being raped and stabbed 19 times? Does the Kangaroo Club have data of how many rapes and murders have taken place without being under influence of liquor? If liquor can get you commutation from hanging, are drugs not even better? After all, if the World Drug Report reports 3.2 metric tons of drugs smuggled from Pakistan into India in a single year (2009), can it be without blessings of our Kangaroo Club? When media wondered how the trawler ferrying terrorists had come all the way from Karachi during 26/11, MJ Akbar reported there was no cause for any surprises. As per him such trawlers were daily occurrences ferrying drugs with the politician-police nexus.     

Recommend you read the book “Top Secret – India’s Intelligence Unveiled” by former Joint Director IB MK Dhar. He writes about a police constable in Delhi whom he wanted to be part of an enquiry he was heading. The constable pleaded he should be left out, his plea being he had paid Rupees five lakhs (in those years) to join Delhi Police and he needed to be left free to recover that and much more. So, how do you expect the political-bureaucrat masters to reprimand the Delhi Police? As Lieutenant General Vijay Oberoi wrote in Daily Post on 5^th January, “Unfortunately, the police have given their professional abilities a go-by in favour of making money, kowtowing to the politicians and bureaucrats, and harassing the common people. While the police hierarchy must accept the blame, the political leadership and their bureaucratic advisors are equally responsible for this state of affairs, because all three entities are directly responsible for governance and interacting with the public.”

So if the braveheart’s wish was that the accused should be burnt to death, where do we go from here? A reversible chemical castration is hardly the solution. It is for the public and the media to maintain the pressure. The Ostriches and Kangaroos can be expected to take an eternity to implement whatever recommendations of the Justice Verma Committee. But, much before this horrific incident, the Maoists had said they are going to infiltrate security of politicians in State Capitals and the Capital itself. Then there is also the possibility of early institution of appropriate laws in case the mother, sister, wife, relative of a security guard of a Minister gets raped and he ends up raping, castrating, roping the Minister himself. Meanwhile, the Kangaroo Club continues cavorting in gay abandon. Britain may have allowed gay bishops but if security guards are to be believed India may be witness to the first gay Prime Ministerial candidate in the next general election.   

The Nation is surely appalled with this horrific episode and the string of rapes post the ‘braveheart’ episode but has it affected the Ostriches and Kangaroos. Does not appear to be the case for the time being amidst whispers in intelligence circles some incidents (both acid attacks and rapes) are being orchestrated where political alignments don’t match.

 

The author is a veteran Special Forces Lieutenant General of Indian Army.