Of freedom fighters and naxals…

Came across two separate posts recently that share one thing in common – both were stories that were largely missed by mainstream media…and that is probably the single most important reason why they deserve wider publicity.

Remembering Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru:

In his post, “Remembering Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru“, Apollo writes,

“Today, is the 76th anniversary of the martyrdom of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. They were hanged on March 23, 1931 on flimsy, cooked up charges by the British colonial rulers. While they were interred in Lahore Jail during the period of their sham trial they were severely tortured and illtreated. While on the contrary whenever the Congress leaders were “jailed”, they were treated like royalty by the same foreign rulers…”

“Unfortunately, we are a country with a very severe problem of short term public memory. So as of today the only importance of this day for our people and our media is because the Indian Crikit team is on the verge of being eliminated from the World Cup Crikit“

So true and so shameful.

Bloodbath in Chattisgarh (and the declining power of the State):

In his post on “Bloodbath in Chattisgarh“, RealityCheck writes:

“In any other country in the world, this would have been the number one headline for atleast two weeks.

Should we talk about the killing of 11 unarmed protestors in Nandigram by police fire (or) the killing of 49 policemen by naxal fire ?

Reality Check thinks that the killings of the policemen are more shocking because the police represent the states’ monopoly over the use of violence (or in this case, the lack thereof). The monopoly over the use of force is the bedrock on which countries are built. India cannot progress beyond the kindergarten stage unless this monopoly is assured and enforced.  In fact, Max Weber even went to the extent of defining a state as an organization that has the legal monopoly over the use of physical force.

In the latest attack Naxalites attacked a police camp in Chattisgarhs Bijapur district killing 49 policemen. You would expect that the sheer magnitude of this attack and the fact that policemen were killed would be enough to make headlines for days on end.

 No. Not in India.

…

The time has come for Indians to accept the possibility that there need not be a non-violent solution to every violent problem…

…Does the Indian state have the will and the resources to demonstrate to the Naxalites that violence will be met with even more furious violence ? A disproportionate use of force is a well known deterrent. Talk to the American police about it.  We have all seen on COPS how SWAT teams demonstrate their “macho power” even when the suspect is a 70 year old lunatic. I am not advocating airstrikes but something along the lines of “You hit me with a stone, I put a rocket launcher in your mouth and then hit you back with a stone“.

Most importantly.

Does the Indian state have the will to hold political parties like the AP Congress accountable for its Naxal policy ? Is it okay to make temporary policies based on electoral interests rather than national interest ?”

Well said, RealityCheck.

Unfortunately, you and I both know the answer…the Indian state is governed by short-sighted leaders whose sole motivation while in power is to hang on to it and while not in power is how to get it back.

“National interests” be damned…they are only for pseudo-intellectuals anyways…

Is there anyone left to cry for my country? and for our hard fought freedoms…?