Immoral Cops Question Police Morals
Wherever the police system is weak, crooks rule. All communal riots in the country have taken place due to the inaction of the police. Be it in Gujarat, Mumbai, or the riots that took place in Delhi recently, reports point to the police department’s failure and inaction. It has been alleged that while in some cases it was sheer police inaction during the riots, elsewhere it was the police who were directly involved in the riots. If the police take stringent action and perform their duties with utmost sincerity, no one will dare to riot.
Of late, moral policing has reared its head in several parts of the state including Mangalore. Ironically, the miscreants involved in moral policing are those who are ‘close’ to the cops. These miscreants who were earlier involved in rowdyism, robbery, and illegal activities and thus were ‘guests of police’ are now shining in the state with their ‘moral policing’ acts These people are taking decisions about who should move around with whom and to whom should farmers sell their cattle and when. People are alleging that the ‘soft stance’ adopted by the police towards ‘moral policing’ is responsible for the increasing number of such incidents in the state. While politicians are making flamboyant speeches that the undivided Dakshina Kannada district will play a significant role in the development of the state, these miscreants are trying to hijack the law and order situation in Dakshina Kannada district with the help of these politicians.
Politicians without realizing that development and anarchy cannot go hand in hand are inadvertently becoming huge obstacles in shaping the district’s future. In the undivided Dakshina Kannada district and Malnad districts, miscreants are wearing masks of ‘protectors of culture’ and ‘protectors of cattle.’ Any criminal activity performed wearing these facades get covert approval of the law. By wearing a specific colour shawl and taking advantage of the political support, they are wielding the authority of stopping any bus or any vehicle and conducting an inquiry as to who is travelling with whom and why. After the moral policing team completes the interrogation, innocent commuters or youth are taken to the police station where the police conduct an inquiry. This is the modus operandi. The police should first question these miscreants and ask them who gave them the authority to stop the bus, if the government has given them the license to interrogate young women, and also the jurisdiction under which the ‘moral policing’ department falls under and take action against them. Action can be taken against innocent commuters only when it is proved that they illegal or unlawfully committed any act. Tragically, police have been taking action against innocent people who have been subjected to moral policing.
Since last January, in Dakshina Kannada district alone, more than 12 incidents of moral policing have been reported. Common people are analyzing these incidents in several ways. It is said that the reason for the increase in the number of such incidents is that the police are treating the miscreants involved in moral policing with kid gloves knowing fully well that they have criminal background. Another argument is that the police are hands in glove with Sangha Parivar. The main objective of these miscreants is to spread hatred against a particular community and instill fear in them. This is not limited to miscreants of Sangh Parivar alone. Recently, in Bangalore, members of an organization stopped a man on the bike and attacked him for travelling with a Muslim girl. Such incidents have taken place in coastal areas also. However, what is special is that the police are more than enthusiastic in taking action against the miscreants of a particular community while they take their own sweet time in acting against the miscreants of Sangha Parivar.
There is not much of a difference between ‘fake cow protectors’ and ‘moral policing’. Fake cow protectors are taking decisions on the streets regarding a farmer selling the cattle he has reared. And the police seem to have given their approval covertly to attack cattle owners or the drivers of the vehicles used to transport cattle, regardless of whether they are being transported legally or illegally. Sometimes they rob the driver of cash and other valuables like cell phones. Though several such cases have been reported, the police are filing cases only against the victims and not against fake cow protectors. How can the number of incidents of moral policing not increase when protectors of culture and fake cow protectors are allowed to roam around freely despite attacking innocents?
Due to such parallel policing by miscreants in Mangalore and other districts in the state, a situation has been created where students, industrialists, women, farmers and others are unable to roam around freely. Parents are scared to send students to educational institutions to these districts. Industrialists are hesitating to invest in coastal districts. Some time ago, an RSS leader had proclaimed Ullal as ‘Pakistan.’ It won’t be surprising if this area is branded as ‘Taliban-occupied area’ by outsiders if the law and order is taken over by miscreants. Before such a situation arises, the police department should understand its responsibilities, carry out its duties, and save its professional dignity. The coastal districts should be immediately saved from the clutches of miscreants.
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Centre in SC 'strongly' opposes setting up ex judges panel to monitor stubble burning
New Delhi, Nov 22: The Centre on Friday opposed in the Supreme court a proposal to form a committee of former apex court judges to oversee the implementation of measures to curb stubble burning, a key contributor to Delhi-NCR’s air pollution.
The suggestion was put forth before a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih, hearing a case related to the rising pollution in Delhi-NCR, by senior advocate and amicus curiae Aparajita Singh.
She sought to leverage the expertise of judges as part of the proposed fact-finding committee.
The amicus said the judges had previously dealt with air pollution and stubble burning issues.
A bench headed by former Supreme Court's Justice Madan B Lokur had heard pleas related to pollution and the role of stubble burning as a contributing factor in the past.
In 2020, a bench headed by the then CJI Justice S A Bobde set up a panel headed by Justice Lokur to deal with the issues relating to stubble burning. The order was later recalled.
On Friday, the amicus curiae proposed that a committee of these judges could monitor and hear all stakeholders, including farmers and government authorities, for a comprehensive approach to address the crisis.
"A committee of experienced judges familiar with these issues could efficiently oversee the situation and hear individual grievances,” said Singh.
The proposal, however, was met with strong resistance from Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre.
Bhati asserted the Centre and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) were taking adequate measures and that adding another oversight layer would be counterproductive.
"We strongly oppose this suggestion. There is no need for an additional judicial committee as your lordships are already monitoring the situation. We are answering all concerns, correcting shortcomings, and making progress,” said ASG Bhati while opposing the creation of "any more tier".
The amicus clarified her suggestion was for a fact-finding committee, but Bhati countered the statement, saying the government was already working with the available data and frameworks to address the issue effectively.
During the hearing, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan highlighted that changes in the timing of stubble burning, coupled with seasonal wind patterns, had worsened Delhi’s air quality.
The amicus curiae further flagged discrepancies in data reported by the CAQM and other sources regarding burnt areas in Punjab and Haryana.
"The burnt area in Punjab has increased to 19.1 lakh hectare from 15.1 lakh hectare in 2021, a 24% rise. Similarly, Haryana’s burnt area rose from 3.5 lakh hectare in 2021 to 8.3 lakh hectare in 2023. This contrasts with CAQM data, which claims a reduction in farm fires in Haryana,” Singh said, raising concerns about the accuracy of official reports.
The ASG defended the CAQM’s methodology, arguing that reliance on unverified sensors would undermine the process.
The amicus curiae, however, emphasised the need for scientifically validated protocols involving experts, with Punjab and Haryana also participating in the efforts.
The bench observed that while satellites could detect farm fires, burnt area showed their exact extent.
"We would like to have that data," it said.
In an order on November 18, the top court directed the Centre and the CAQM to procure farm fire data using geostationary satellites, as opposed to NASA’s polar-orbiting satellites, to ensure real-time monitoring.
The court noted that existing data from NASA satellites was limited to specific time windows and directed the involvement of ISRO in utilising stationary satellites for comprehensive day-long monitoring.
The court will review compliance with these directions and the latest developments on stubble burning measures in its next hearing.
