In UP the figures of police encounter killings, in the last five years of the Yogi rule, is 147 amounting to about 30 per year. At the U.S. rate of such killings, the figures should have been 750 for 5 yrs. that is 150 per year. The U.P figures are just 4% of the corresponding U.S. figures. The figures are not alarming by any means, writes Prof HC Pande
Police – criminal encounter killings are around 1000 per year (2019) in the U.S. which amounts to 1 per 300,000. In the case of hard core criminals on the run, the F.B.I. Agents are given a free hand to shoot the criminals down if necessary. In the 1930’s,the heydays of Chicago gangsters, the dreaded gangster, John Dillinger was declared Public Enemy Number by the F.B.I. He was then tracked and shot down, without warning, as he came out of a cinema theatre. Many gangsters were eliminated in this fashion and no U.S. Senator or Congressman, Radio Broadcaster or newspaper Editor ever thought that injustice had been done. President John Kennedy’s assassin, Lee Oswald, was in the basement of the Dallas Police Headquarters in the process of being taken to a high security prison, and, in the presence of the policemen, and, the Press, a person came out of the crowd all of a sudden, and, shot & killed Oswald. The gunman, Jack Ruby, was immediately arrested and sentenced, after a proper trial, and later died in prison, but other than a one day newspaper headline, there were no unending debates or song and dance around it.
In the state of U.P. the figures of police encounter killings, in the last five years of the Yogi rule, is 147 amounting to about 30 per year. At the U.S. rate of such killings, the figures should have been 750 for 5 yrs. that is 150 per year. The U.P figures are just 4% of the corresponding U.S. figures. The figures are not alarming by any means.
The U.P. Police encounters, have generally ensued, in chasing or locating hardcore, history-sheeter criminals and have often resulted in criminals, and, even policemen, getting killed in the crossfire. The criminals killed in the state are an assorted lot, belonging to all communities and castes. Clearly therefore, the hue and cry raised by the media over U.P. encounters is either due to their being confused about the real world situations, or being part of an agenda paid for, or, of their own. But whatever, the damage being caused to the social fabric, by the thoughtless coverage of the media, is a serious matter. The fire and brimstone speeches of the politicians are unfortunate, and malicious, but, understandable. Half-truths are their stock-in-trade, and, for political gains, they can even sell the nation down the river. The media too seems to have now learned the antics of the political class. Surely, a free press is necessary for sustaining a democracy, but, not, a free-for-all, press.
In a country having any number of, now gradually reducing, fault-lines’, the Hindu-Muslim crack is a significant one and its mending process should not be interfered with at any cost. The historical prejudicial baggage, has to be jettisoned carefully, and, for that, the signals from the control tower, the conscious public opinion, should not be jammed or attenuated.
A hardcore criminal reigning over a vast gangland, for close to half a century, and, already sentenced to life imprisonment by a court of law in a 41 year old case, is murdered along with his side-kick. This takes place in front of the Police and the Press, and, at once the assassins are taken in custody on the spot. And then what happens! The opposition goes out hammer and tongs, and tries to beat the police administration out of shape on the anvil of public opinion. But worse still is their their attempt to bring out the genie of communalism out of the dead bodies of notorious gangsters. A criminal is a criminal, however, for vote bank reasons, political parties play up the community card all the time and are not bothered about the deleterious effects it would have on the healing fissures of a multi cultural society. They are shedding copious tears for the murdered murderers, and are full of sympathies for their relatives but not a word about the victims of the dreaded gang or even about the brave policemen who have lost their lives in rounding up the vicious outlaws.
In this day and age of denatured democracy “Politics have no relation to morals”, and, as such, nothing can be expected from the politicians but irresponsibility.
In this day and age, a developing nation, or, any nation for that matter, can afford an irresponsible Media. In the Information Age, data or information is akin to a weapon, and, the media plays the role of a universal arms dealer. The information can be utilised to make or break a society, develop or destroy a nation, usher in peace or ignite a war. It is difficult to understand the media being obsessed with the murder of mobsters. The issue is not of a community or caste but simply that of overconfidence, and, associated carelessness, of the Police. Public enemies should not projected, as martyrs, in the cause justice. The Media handling of the incident has been muddled with sermons and theatrics and not a word about the excruciatingly slow legal system, with any number of loopholes, that allow the gangsters to flourish.
(Prof. H C Pande is Vice Chancellor Emeritus , BITS, Mesra)
