Days ago, the media carried the story of a couple who were attacked by thieves from Nagerkoil who assaulted them in a railway coach meant for differently-abled people. The thieves, who decamped with valuables, were later apprehended from the area. However, a few months later, if you find human rights activists debating for the convicts and viciously attacking the police for arresting them, then do not be surprised, just remind yourself that history repeats itself.
The gravity of the crimes of convicts who killed Sheela, a housewife in Puthur for her ornaments, who raped and killed Soumya in 2011 and who raped and maimed a girl in a moving bus in Delhi was severe and deserved extreme censure.
However, the fact that people came in support for them is deplorable. That anti social elements such as women goons, blackmailers and hired killers are given the benefits of the provisions of the law under human rights is a dangerous precedent that can harm law and order in the state.
Historically, human rights norms were almost always applied to war prisoners and those who were inadvertently caught in drug trafficking. However, with time, the norms were expanded to include other criminals who committed crimes on their free will. Reformatory punishment is welcome, but it needs to have limits. Some media stooped low when they defended Ajmal Kasab, who had attacked the nation and killed many.
In fact, should we not defend rights of humanity? A convict is jailed as a means to cancel his rights as a citizen. That is done in order to protect the right of the society. However, in some cases, a criminal gets more consideration than the police who try to protect the society. If the human rights commission gives more importance to the rights of the criminal than the police, it cannot be justified.
There could be a small number of police personnel who are criminals. For example, we heard of the police who tried to help a rich criminal who rammed his vehicle on a hapless security guard. However, the majority of the police personnel are sincere and it is their privilege to be treated well by the society, the human rights commission and the police complaint authority.
Here are some suggestions to improve the police force
Ensure training that would instil a sense of responsibility and duty in police personnel.
Use funds to modernise the police force rather than trying to modernise facilities and infrastructure alone.
Never support officers who are known to have breached human-rights norms
Use retired personnel as an intellectual force. This would help the police force to draw from the wealth of experience of retired personnel.
Ensure that no criminal can take refuge in the law that would allow protection under human rights. Defending the rights of an established criminal and giving too much importance to the rights of people who deliberately break the law are human rights violations.
(The author is a former secretary to the Home department.)
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