The Dictatorship of the Law

Encounters have always been controversial. From the time when it reached its peak in the Mumbai Gangwars of the Mid 90's, to the fake encounters in Gujarat, the focus is once again on the dictatorship of the Law. When Human rights are violated in the face of Police Duty, the lines of duty and rights vanish. This seems to be the apparent trend that has set in. The spark to ignite this concept of Law enforcement has been the Sohrabuddin Fake encounter case in Gujarat. It highlights another aspect wether Law and human rights have always got to be on a collision course.

Human rights violations are common during these encounter killings, because ordinary people are caught in it. The police consider the Human rights Activists as detrimental to their casue, because the criminal is elavated to the position of a Martyr of society. The criminal becomes the symbol of the wrongs within the system. Now, in the Sohrabuddin case, it seems that the Police wrongdoing has been exposed by the vigilant Media. The Police system is being bought under intense scrutiny and the political bigwigs in Gujarat and several other states are feeeling the heat.

Nowadays, the spectre of Terrorism has given Encounter killings a legitamacy perhaps. Under the cloak of terrorist activities, innocent civilians are perhaps targetted by the police, in order to cover up their apathy. Although there is a lot of heresay about the connection of some police elements with the Underworlds, one thing is sure that there is just no accountability within the system. It will only be the truthful confession in front of the law that might help in reforming the system.

Is the Law supreme? It is not so when it crosses and grosly violates human rights. However, since details of all thse are so murky, there is no way of knowing what is really the truth and what is a lie. Sometimes, the Police have to act against Terrorist or anti-social elements of society. In that process, the scope of innocent human beings getting caught in the crossfire is unfortunate as well as inevitable, maybe. But, there has to be accountability within the system, otherwise, the dictatorship of the law can catch anybody unawares, as in the case of Sohrabuddin.

The fight between Human rights and imposition of Law will continue. Who is right and who is wrong is perhaps as blurred as this fight. One thing is clear, if there is accountability and vigilance, only then there can be a clear distinction between Democracy and a Police State. This is one thing that should never be blurred, for the sake of the state atleast.