tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13437119.post5057747424933140629..comments2024-03-01T13:51:47.721+05:30Comments on Reality, one bite at a time: The buck must stop at the very topSiddharth Varadarajanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07721228307097170092noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13437119.post-18447865365432155012010-04-18T07:26:12.532+05:302010-04-18T07:26:12.532+05:30The doctrine of 'command responsibility' h...The doctrine of 'command responsibility' holds that that the person holding command is responsible for the actions of his subordinates, including acts of omission.<br />The allegation against Narendra Modi is that he either himself abetted, or at the very least failed to prevent, heinous acts of violence in the aftermath of the Godhra atrocity.<br />In Indian law, Modi would face criminal charges if admissible evidence substantiates the allegation.<br />A separate question- one relating to the chances of success of court cases filed against Modi, on Human Rights grounds, in a foreign jurisdiction or one founded upon a claim for damages under the U.S Alien Torts Claims Acts- has to do with 'command responsibility'.<br />This begs the question as to whether Modi had inherited a machinery of State that was fit for purpose and, as such, amenable to command.<br />What are we to say of a State where, in 1992, the police were in the pockets of a gangster (who also financed the Congress party) who assasinates a senior Congress M.P who was about to present damaging information about him to the Central Home Minister? The same gangster, together with a former Congress Minister of Fisheries, then arranges a terror attack on Surat in response to the Babri Masjid demolition before fleeing to Pakistan.<br />Modi, over the years, may well have eliminated at least the criminal/terrorist/police nexus. But, in a democratic set up, how much further can he go to break the nexus between land sharks and corrupt policemen? What of illicit liqor, the flesh trade, drugs and the various other ills associated with rising material prosperity?<br />As for religious and caste prejudices- can his mantra 'all religions are equal paths to God' really prevail?<br />Modi was brought into Gujerati politics because he was neither a Patel nor a Kshatriya. He was supposed to confine himself to speech making and, perhaps, building bridges to adivasis and marginalized farmers. His response to the Kutch earthquake showed the calibre of the man. But Godhra should have cut him off at the legs. Riots are the means used by the middle level party bosses to render the guy at the top impotent. It's all about countervailing power. The middle level guys are paid off by the criminals who then themselves can rise to become political figures.<br />Modi essentially took responsibility for the post Godhra riots, utterly obscene though they were, thus rising above his rivals and concentrating power in his hands. With the courage of desperation he then brokered a deal with the farmers whereby they gave up free electricity in return for an assured power supply at night at a lower rate. This was only one of many path-breaking initiatives that he took. Some see Modi's manic energy, post-Godhra, as a psychological defence against the horrors of the riots. What is unquestionable is that Modi changed how Government and Society interacted.<br />His attitude towards Panchayat Raj- where he encouraged unanimous voting in elections- indicate his supicion of the political instrumenalization of disorder that is the other side of the coin of party politics.<br />Modi refers again and again to the fact that he wasn't involved in student politics and held no elected office until parachuted in by the BJP high command.<br />Both Godhra and its aftermath were the inevitable result of a corrupt political process in which not just criminals but also terrorists could be used to appeal to 'vote-banks'. The hilarious story of Ram Vilas Paswan taking along an Osama bin Laden look alike to gather Muslim votes shows how cynical our politicians are.<br />In this context, Modi's moral as well as 'command responsibility' for the post-Godhra riots pales into insignificance when compared to the hereditary masters of the Nation's destiny.windwheelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17743208784383880385noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13437119.post-24056502886394889282010-04-12T11:03:22.142+05:302010-04-12T11:03:22.142+05:30Mr. Sidhartha
Not more than 1200 were killed, and...Mr. Sidhartha<br /><br />Not more than 1200 were killed, and muslims were not more than 900. Get your figure correct.<br /><br />quote Any society built on the foundations of law would not require the widow of a victim to petition the highest court of the land in order to investigate the reasons behind the state's failure to protect the life of its citizens during those fateful days. unquote<br /><br />But this has happened before and after Godhra riots. Off hand, many windows of anti Sikh riots are there.<br /><br />SC transgered TWO cases, out of HOW MANY registered? 25,000, Mr Sidhartha!!<br /><br />quote At stake is not so much the individual guilt or innocence of Mr. Modi but the need to unearth and dismantle a system of rule which could allow so many innocent people to be massacred.<br />unquote<br /><br />Yes. Modi is yet to shown guilty. I ask you: Do you accept the system? NO?? The very system that saw ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits.The very system which allowed Bareilly to burn for 15 days, where hundreds of Hindus died? Or the Hyderabad carnage. Or pre 2002 riots in Gujarat.<br /><br /><br />Speaking in toungues?<br /><br /><br />quote Why was the Army not called out immediately and why was there a delay in its deployment when it finally reached Ahmedabad? <br />unquote<br /><br />How much time lag is unpardonable delay Mr. Siddhartha? Get your facts clear.<br /><br />Train was burnt on 27 Feb. Same day Modi issued shoot at sight orders. Contest it? Curfew was imposed. Like to counter it?<br /><br />By about mid night of Feb 28-March 1, Army was in position. Delay? Army units were airlifted from Rajasthan border. Want to contest this fact? From helipads to deployment was Army business. Ask them.<br /><br /><br />quote Why, for example, was there was no response to the desperate calls for help made by Ehsan Jaffrey, unquote<br /><br />Did he really call? Proof?? Oh, ZERO.<br /><br />Do you know that India does not recognise the International Criminal Court?<br /><br />Do you know SC cannot create a new law just to hang Modi, your sole [or soul] agenda?<br /><br />Last.<br /><br />Did you and wipe the tears of Pandits? NO? They do not exit?Water Engineerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00713301838563219216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13437119.post-77038231345895326322010-03-28T01:16:19.615+05:302010-03-28T01:16:19.615+05:30Hi Siddarth,
Interogation of the CM of a state in ...Hi Siddarth,<br />Interogation of the CM of a state in a communal voilence case(maybe first of its kind in India) is great step to re-state the values of INDIAN secular democracy, judicial power and autonomy. <br />Irrespective of the political ideologies of different parties I believe there is need to check the loop holes in the adminstrative system and the police functioning which either directly or indirectly governed and dictated by the rogue political elements.(this may not be true in case of Gujarat till the highest court of the land decides). Nevertheless, the bottomline is 'effective checks are lacking preventing the adminstrative officials yeilding to political pressure'.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13437119.post-8410834880194903552010-03-28T00:26:23.015+05:302010-03-28T00:26:23.015+05:30Mr. Varadarajan,
Winning a few awards in journali...Mr. Varadarajan,<br /><br />Winning a few awards in journalism should not make you so smug. Your article reveals nothing new, nothing which has not been discussed threadbare before. So why parrot the same thing? You reveal your bias and put your credibility as a neutral chronicler/reporter/journalist at stake. To quote you from the article - "If its investigators find a smoking gun linking him (Modi) directly or indirectly to the violence or the wider conspiracy to commit violence, one could expect an FIR to be lodged. In the absence of such evidence, the SIT may nevertheless establish the chief minister's vicarious responsibility." Either way, you want Modi impaled ! Due process of law go to hell. I wonder why the Supreme Court chose the SIT. They could have as well chosen you. You would have solved the case on the very same day! Do us a favour. Just sit in the US and suck up to those commies who pay you and award you for your "brilliant" articles. You are better off writing about Yugoslavia sitting in a free country like the US. Or do us a real favour. Why don't you raise the bar for yourself, and do some serious journalism, residing in (this is important - you need to reside there!) and writing about countries where communism and tinpot dictatorships flourish. Next destination Somalia? You don't have anything to write about the unjustness of law in that great country? Atleast then, people can appreciate that you are something more than an armchair hypocrite preying on easy meat to leave behind your all-too-familiar journalistic diarrhoea? It stinks!Srinivasa Ramanujanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11493284291567082342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13437119.post-73186765468912311082010-03-25T22:47:02.868+05:302010-03-25T22:47:02.868+05:30Anything can happen. After all, Narendra Damodarda...Anything can happen. After all, Narendra Damodardas Modi too is a humanbeing with a heart. His heart may prick him. His conscience may stir him. He may break into tears and beg pardon. <br />Anything can happen. After all, Narendra Modi too is a humanbeing with a dhadaktha dil. <br />He may accept his crimes, murders, sins and start crying. He may ask a glass of water. He may resign and surrender himself to the court. He may write a book sitting in jail waiting death sentence. Anything can happen. After all, Narendra Modi too is a human with a dhadaktha dil. <br />Let us wait. Let the law take its own course. Let Teesta and Zakia Jafferi succeed. Let us hope..!T Azeez Luthfullahhttp://azeez-luthfullah.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13437119.post-87468915211778008152010-03-25T17:47:48.661+05:302010-03-25T17:47:48.661+05:30There are a lot of murders committed everyday, man...There are a lot of murders committed everyday, many crimes. That's normal. That's how we humans are.It's terrible, but it happens. But when the keeper of the law orders murders, commits serious crimes---when the fence eats the crop--then we have to be seriously worried. That is the point. So, the polticians who ordered the murder of sikhs after Indira Gandhi's murder, must be punished as must be Modi and the senior functionaries of the then Gujarat government.jlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00016375685639363423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13437119.post-47225225458247997482010-03-15T13:19:19.831+05:302010-03-15T13:19:19.831+05:30Mr. Siddharth
Good day.
We would also like to k...Mr. Siddharth<br /><br />Good day.<br /><br />We would also like to know the truth about who was behind burning the Sabarmati express in Godhra on Feb 27, 2002.<br /><br />Because we know Mr. Narinder Modi, it has been easy to pick him up.<br /><br />But, what about the mob that has killed 57 Hindus ? Because they are unknowns, they will get submerged in the events of past, as unknowns, forever.<br /><br />The whole episode is a farce.Raghu Seshadrihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15780068124396201704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13437119.post-83006189163794789452010-03-15T10:52:17.414+05:302010-03-15T10:52:17.414+05:30Whether command responsibility is accepted or not,...Whether command responsibility is accepted or not, the fact remains that political establishments will have broad discretion to decide whether a person is guilty of a crime even in the presence of strong evidence. While it may be tempting to dismiss this as a feature peculiar to India the fact that officials from your own country like Dr. Kissinger are extended the same types of immunity makes it look like a rather universal phenomenon.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13437119.post-32389863425311120402010-03-13T10:30:36.750+05:302010-03-13T10:30:36.750+05:30Well said Sir.Well said Sir.P4ND3Yhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10046371684105075549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13437119.post-73098501076986879562010-03-13T00:19:00.004+05:302010-03-13T00:19:00.004+05:30I'm skeptical that command responsibility in t...I'm skeptical that command responsibility in the absence of direct involvement on the side of the offenders is sustainable. To take a direct example, would Manmohan Singh now be in the dock for 11/26 and the recent Pune bombing for starting talks with Pakistan that lead to negative actions from people looking to scotch his initiatives?KRnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13437119.post-10313652812656114052010-03-12T20:59:04.697+05:302010-03-12T20:59:04.697+05:30Your only correct claim is that religious violence...Your only correct claim is that religious violence should end. Your article at least should have tried to hide bias. Incorrectness is incorrect until renaming related incorrectness are correct.Ragu Kattinakerehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17043138095700145552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13437119.post-75832408693657810592010-03-12T11:15:55.504+05:302010-03-12T11:15:55.504+05:30I guess you will also publish the same comments fo...I guess you will also publish the same comments for Rajeev Gandhi, Sajjan kumar and other who were responsible for Sikh massacre.<br /><br />I guess you will also publish same comments for Pakistani leaders who were involved in 26/11 massacre.<br /><br />I guess you will apply the same logic to other chief ministers under whose rule riots have happened.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08338235827061588425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13437119.post-88840041527367638022010-03-12T07:56:11.441+05:302010-03-12T07:56:11.441+05:30Beautiful presentation Mr.varadarajan,but I do not...Beautiful presentation Mr.varadarajan,but I do not believe ultimately any justice will be done in this mundane world.All delaying tactics ,dilly dallying the issue,technicalities involved ,procedural delay,political changes involving the procrastination of how best possible - may be good intellectual exercise by the media and writers.Lives lost , are lost for ever.Only depression set in the minds of the honest and humane readers who are helpless anyway except typing out letters or comments.Media can benefit either from the ruling or the opposition, since 'the paid news'concept eroding the confidence once we had with the fourth pillar of democracy.Money corrupts and corrupts completely the entire humanity.Homo sapiens was once a species no longer exists.uthamanarayananhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06916694182083351885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13437119.post-26651725970283928222010-03-12T01:05:46.580+05:302010-03-12T01:05:46.580+05:30Will you apply the same International Law against ...Will you apply the same International Law against Rajiv Gandhi for the 1984 riots in Delhi?<br />Is PNVR to be tried and summoned for 1992 Mumbai riots?<br />How about charging Manmohan Singh for 26/11 attack on Mumbai and so many other terror attacks on this Nation during his tenure?<br />This land is governed by a formal law called "The Constitution of India". Applying so called international law onto an internal matter of the Republic of India is, as expected from you, a totalitarian view undermining the sovereignty and integrity of India. The secular/jehadi union was chasing SIT to somehow get Modi involved and this summon is just a result of that. Please note, he has just been summoned by SIT; unlike being held guilty by people like you.<br />You talk of stories Azhar and others. Have you ever thought of those 254 Hindus who lost their lives in the same riots? And, SIT recently told SC that Teesta and Co cooked up stories of murder and rape and also 'created' evidences.Deshabhaktahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17668739913419977960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13437119.post-3476484657075620192010-03-12T00:56:56.209+05:302010-03-12T00:56:56.209+05:30Too many people playing God when ti comes to Modi....Too many people playing God when ti comes to Modi.. so and so heard so and so say that Modi did this and did that.. No wonder till date all these vultures could nto get even a simple FIR registered with these conjectures..<br /><br />Shaem on you judge jury and excutioner media ponga panditsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13437119.post-25317449902159609092010-03-12T00:33:41.570+05:302010-03-12T00:33:41.570+05:30Though i am a congress party member i believe that...Though i am a congress party member i believe that government lacks credibility to take this investigation forward because it should first clean up the sikh riot mess to send a strong signal to public and people like modi that they cann't get away from this.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14938591719748069080noreply@blogger.com