INDIA has no dearth of human rights activists. These champions of humanity raise their heads immediately whenever an incident takes place in any part of the country. Mostly, they poke their noses when the incident involves any member of the minority community on one side and Indian security forces on the other. They don’t intervene in the cases where it is a majority community versus state, however, heinous. They are desperate to highlight the detention of people charged with sedition and waging war against the state. They miss no opportunity to tarnish the image of the country by issuing adverse and irresponsible statements. As far as their role is concerned, it is very disappointing, as their intervention aggravates the situation rather than eases it. Because of their partisan role people have lost all faith in the existence of such individuals and organisations. It is a tragedy that instead of taking any action our government is succumbing to their pressures from time to time.
It is a pity that such things happen in India and not in other countries like Iran or Saudi Arabia where such people are punished by lashes and jail terms. It is again a pity that in India such people are always free to speak whatever they like. Had they been in China they would be languishing in labour camps. Likewise, in Russia such dissidents usually disappear from the world. Human rights activists ought to know that democratic India is much better than many countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Somalia, Malaysia, Sudan, China etc in such eventualities. It is a matter of concern that despite being given liberty to speak and free movement, human rights activists in India are indulging in activities that are prejudicial to the interests of the law abiding citizens and the country. And by chance if any of the offenders is arrested the other so called human rights champions unfurl a revolt until he is set free. There is a set form of protest. Posing before the media cameras – print and electronic, displaying placards carrying the image of their hero, and mouthing aggressive slogans. They are soon joined by their counter-parts operating from other countries having tolerance for such a form of protest.
The life sentence meted out to rights activist and eminent doctor Binayak Sen by a Chhattisgarh court last week has triggered a spate of criticism from people with leftist leanings. But it is strange that no voice is raised when the naxals, whom Dr. Sen was allegedly helping, kill the innocent. There is no denying the fact that armed depredation of the Maoists has already claimed many innocent lives, besides affecting development work in tribal areas. More than anything else the Maoists show the way to other fissiparous groups to rear their heads.
Incidentally, this is the first case in which a human rights activist has been convicted for life. There have been so many instances of human rights activists visiting Kashmir, meeting separatist leaders and militant commanders but none of them was either arrested or convicted. Why none of the leaders who were photographed with dreaded militants in Kashmir, has not been charged to date, is a matter worth pondering over. All this makes it clear why the Government of India is viewing human rights workers sympathising with Maoists and Kashmiri militants differently.
There are important reasons to believe that the government of India is not as much perturbed by Kashmir violence as by Maoist attacks. It is another matter that both are aided by Pakistan.
It is surprising that none of the human rights activist hobnobbing openly with Kashmiri secessionists was convicted for life as Dr Sen for waging war against the country. Even the government had failed to produce evidence in nailing down the militants claiming to have murdered more than twenty people in Kashmir during the two- decade militancy. The sentencing of Dr. Sen for life and not others ominously points out that he is being made a scapegoat.
One wonders: Why such charges were not slapped against Arundati Roy? Why she was not arrested? Why she was not tried in a court of law for treason? Why she was not labelled an anti-Indian, for her candid remarks that Kashmir is not an integral part of India? She talks about alleged atrocities of Kashmiri people by security forces but conveniently ignores the fact that Islamic militants killed and plundered minority Hindu Pandits during late 1980s and early 1990s until all Hindu pundits were forced to flee Kashmir. It is all the more interesting that Indian leaders didn’t even sum up the courage to lodge an FIR against her as she challenged the country’s forceful occupation from the ramparts of Delhi.
Apart from Arundati Roy, no action was initiated against the highly revered and renowned saint Sri Sri Ravi Shanker, who had several meetings with separatist leaders and ex-militants in Srinagar. If meeting naxal leaders is a serious crime as proved in Dr Sen’s case why  is it not the same in Sri Ravi Shanker’s and others cases. Swami Agnivesh is another religious monk and self- styled human rights volunteer who has been meeting naxal leaders and pleading their cause. He too was never tried.
Suggestively, the Government of India needs to act against all those individuals who are working for naxals or militants in the guise of human rights activists. Otherwise, they will disintegrate the country on the basis of caste, creed and religion. Moreover, if they are allowed to propagate naxal and jihadi ideologies and bringing both closer, a day will not be far off for them to sound the death knell for the country.
The fact remains that some naxal leaders have already made inroads into Kashmir and are believed to be in touch with LET Commanders. The naxals in the garb of human rights activists are acting as catalysts at the behest of Pakistan to bring both groups closer for a joint action against India. The nexus was recently unearthed in J and K as some known sympathisers of Maoists have met a couple of separatists in the valley. The nexus was confirmed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah himself.
According to Kashmir-based sources, the so-called human rights activist and other sympathizers of naxalites wanted some of their cadres to be trained by the militants of LET and HM in handling of sophisticated weapons and explosive devices. In turn, the militant outfits like the LET and HM have been assured of the support of the naxalites in giving shelter to their cadres in Maoist dominated States like Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa etc.
Predictably, Pakistan had been trying to win over the naxalite groups for quite a long time to create unrest in different parts of the country. To achieve its nefarious designs it is hiring the services of rights activists as they are free to roam freely and meet anyone and everyone.
Keeping in view the latest development, Indian forces need to enhance vigil on the so-called human rights activists, especially on those operating in sensitive areas like Chattisgarah, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Kashmir etc.
The state machinery — police, judiciary, politicians and bureaucrats must identify these self- styled humanitarian workers and check their bona fide intentions, whether they are rendering any service or promoting sedition.