Editorial
Denial of crossfire deaths
Refuting a fact causes loss of credibility
WE do not want to quote figures - even one death is one too many if that occurs due to abridgment of the due process of law. But so called crossfire has put a blot in the country's image, not to speak of the fact that public confidence, in the government and in those that people seek protection of, has been eroded badly and the credibility of some ministers severely dented.
The matter causes a degree of outrage when ministers try to justify crossfire killings, as was done by the shipping minister some time ago, and creates indignation when none other than the home minister the custodian of law and order herself goes about denying that there have been any crossfire deaths during the tenure of the present government. This is travesty of truth.
We wonder what has compelled the home minister to refute something that is patently obvious to even the most uninformed. What drives her to say what she has? The least that she can do is elaborate on her statement which has been a dismal attempt to refute the killings, because, to the rest of us the denial mode of the government is all but starkly clear. From her position she is expected to make responsible utterances, especially in sensitive matters.
We are afraid we cannot accept the explanation that the killings are a result of firefights between the miscreants and the security agencies. While no one can contest the right of any individual to self defense, least of all the security agencies, who do indeed lay themselves open to attacks in their line of duty, the manner of the deaths, and the stories that are bandied in every case are so similar and repetitive that do great injustice to the intellect of the public.
We would like to restate that extra-judicial killings by the law enforcing agencies put severe strain on the rule of law besides exposing the government's lack of faith in the legal system. Nothing can be more damaging to the idea of good governance when those that are entrusted to deliver it, themselves act against it. If criminals exploit the loopholes in the system to escape justice it is for the government to take steps to plug the gaps.
We would like to remind the government of its election pledge in respect of extra judicial killings and stress on the fact that adoption of unlawful means is certainly not the way to ensure the rule of law.
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