Munitions haul

Police have said 'confusing remarks' about the incident won't serve the cause of investigation. Few people would disagree, but police themselves appear to have drawn some premature conclusions. It sounds quite plausible that 'munitions were brought to the country to create lawlessness,' but that is only a vague generalisation. We have to consider the fact that there is more than one theory on the 'ultimate destination' of the heavy load of munitions, Bangladesh, India and Nepal having figured in the speculations. So, police have rightly advised people not to indulge in wild speculations while commenting on the haul, but are themselves apparently trying to draw inferences that sound like premature conclusions.

People would like to see the mystery surrounding such an unprecedented munitions haul solved as quickly as possible. Getting at the root of all blasts and explosives recoveries has become doubly important since armed outlaws now pose a serious threat to the law enforcers themselves in the southern districts, apart from the general slide in law and order.

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It would be an unfortunate reflection on our investigative skills if the biggest ammo discovery goes the same way as the bomb blasts did, the probes there having proven inconclusive even after such a long time since they took place.

There is a general consensus that the arms traders have to be caught if we do not want to leave an issue of grave concern unresolved. Actually what is at stake here is national security. The government owes it to the people to get to the bottom of it. Unquestionably, there should be a thoroughly professional and impartial investigation, one that is unmarred by any extraneous factor like politics. Politicisation of such an issue is something least desired by the people and will only obstruct and derail the process of fair and objective investigation. The word of caution is relevant because few incidents of this type usually go without the politicians raising their accusatory fingers at their rivals, caring little about the possibility of misleading the investigation process. This is a matter over which all political parties need to bury their hatchets for the good of the country, its people and future governance.