We Need Immediate Accountability for All the Lapses in Pahalgam; It is Our Right: Dushyant Dave

1 week ago 14

We need immediate accountability for all the lapses in Pahalgam; it is our right - Dushyant Dave, former President, Supreme Court Bar Association, to Karan Thapar for The Wire. ......................................... In a hard-hitting interview that will , no doubt, upset the government and offend many of its supporters and those who troll in its defence, one of India’s foremost Supreme Court lawyers has called for immediate accountability for all the Pahalgam lapses which go well beyond the critical intelligence failures and security lapses, to include the demolition of houses and large scale arrests purely on grounds of suspicion, the mistreatment of Kashmiris in places like Punjab and Uttarakhand as well as the selective, if not prejudiced, manner in which the media has covered and reported the Pahalgam tragedy and its aftermath. In a 30-minute interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire, Dushyant Dave, a former President of the Supreme Court Association, said “we need to hold accountability at the highest standards with zero tolerance – intelligence bureau, local police, army, CRPF. Everybody must be held accountable and action must be taken. Even the civil administration. The government now says the meadow was not open. What do you mean not open? Why did you not stop citizens from going there? For months on? These kind of nonsensical explanations coming from government are shameful. In fact, they really are adding salt to the wounds. This is unacceptable behaviour on the part of democratically elected governments.” I will stop there. This is an interview where Mr. Dave should be heard in his own voice. I don’t want to take the risk of paraphrasing or giving in precis his views in case I misconstrue or misinterpret them. He’s been bold and brave enough to speak out. And he should be heard by all of us. To help you, I give below a list of the main questions put to him: 1) You believe we need immediate accountability for the security lapses and intelligence failures that lie behind the Pahalgam terror attack and we cannot wait until the crisis is over. Can you start by explaining why you hold this view? 2) Let’s come to details. First, there were several reports of intelligence alerts of a possible attack on tourists. Second, NDTV claims that the terrorists recced the Baisaran meadow a week earlier. We don’t know what impact any of this had but clearly neither the Kashmiris nor tourists were warned. Do you believe this is an area where there was intelligence failure and we need a proper inquiry? 3) Second, the Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam was without any security whatsoever. In fact, the one police post there was removed in January. Yet up to 2,000 tourists were permitted to visit and wander around freely. Is this an area where there was a security lapse and we need accountability? 4) Now security in the Valley is the direct responsibility of the Lieutenant Governor. The Chief Minister was even excluded from security meetings held days before the Pahalgam attack. Do you believe that accountability requires that the Lieutenant Governor’s behaviour and response should also be inquired into? 5) Two further worrying developments have taken place in Kashmir. First, at least nine houses of people who are suspected to be terrorists have been demolished without any due process whatsoever. As a result, their families have suffered. This is blatant defiance of recent Supreme Court judgements on bulldozer justice. Do you believe the process of accountability must look into this as well? 6) Second, perhaps as many as 2,000 arrests have been made in the Valley entirely on suspicion. Yet there is no way so many people could have known of the terrorist attack if the government itself was ignorant. Do we need accountability for these arrests which seem to treat Kashmiri Muslims as suspicious simply because they are Kashmiri and Muslim? 7) Now the Pahalgam attack has also provoked a series of very disturbing actions against Kashmiris in the rest of the country. Students in Punjab and Uttarakhand were physically attacked and had to flee for their lives. Shawl walas in Mussoorie were forced to leave the hill station. Should the accountability you envisage inquire into this as well? Who is responsible? What action has been taken against them? Join The Wire's Youtube Membership and get exclusive content, member-only emojis, live interaction with The Wire's founders, editors and reporters and much more. Memberships to The Wire Crew start at Rs 89/month. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChWtJey46brNr7qHQpN6KLQ/join

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