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Editorial, Kashmir Times Nov 28, 2001 POTO in action Kashmir can claim to have many firsts to its credit . It has dubiously added another in being the first state in the country to enforce the draconian Prevention of Terrrorism Ordinance ( POTO ) . While a fierce battle on POTO is on in Parliament , with the Opposition up in arms against the controversial law, Jammu and Kashmir has the dubious distinction of invoking its provisions to arbitrarily seal a house in Srinagar, throw out its inmates including women and children and arresting the owner. The first victim of the obnoxious ordinance , which has yet to be approved by the Parliament, happens to be one Ghulam Mohammed Dar of Safapore in the summer capital of the State . Allegging that the house of Dar was being used by a militant outfit the police swung into action and sealed the house under , throwing out his family on the streets Sections 8 and 9 of the controversial legislation . Dar was arrested under Sections 3,4,21 and 22 of the POTO . According to reports three more! persons have also been arrested in this connection merely on sucpicion. There have been natural protests against this blatant misuse of another draconian law on the whiff of whims of the state government and its ruthless police force . While on the one hand the present State government swears by the State's autonomy, demanding repeal of all central laws made applicable since August 1953, it has been most enthusiastically enforcing the draconian central laws to deprive the citizens of their freedom and trample human rights . As if other draconian laws like Armed Forces Special Powers Act , Disturbed Areas Act and Public Safety Act were not enough to let loose a reign of terror in Kashmir . In a state where the citizens have always been deprived of the fruits of Indian democracy and denied civil liberties and human rights the draconian laws have been misused recklessly to suppress people's political urges and every voice of dissent , the addition of another black law may not ! make much difference . But it certainly comes as another weapon in the hands of an authoritarian and anti-democratic establishment to silence every opposition voice. Where the people have been suffering untold atrocities at the hands of the security forces including the State police and disappearnce of youth, indiscriminate arrests, firing , lathicharging and teargassing of demonstrators and even custodial killings have become common features the enforcement of POTO will only compound the situation . This in turn is bound to further inflict wounds on the suffering people and increase their alienation ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
