Scribes, Rights Activists Denounce Terror Law

NEW DELHI (PTI): Journalists and human rights activists on Saturday denounced the recently-promulgated Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO), suspecting it to have political manifestations and disagreeing that it would help tackle terrorism.

A resolution was also passed after lengthy debate rejecting the POTO in totality and demanding its immediate withdrawal.

"This is legal form of emergency and under this dissent will be smothered," said renowned journalist and MP Kuldip Nayyar, adding the government projected those opposing POTO as terrorists or its supporters.

Under the ordinance, onus lay on the suspect to prove not guilty, said Nayyar, who also champions the cause of human rights.

"We oppose the POTO in totality and not only the clauses in it that prescribe restrictions on freedom of journalists," said Indian Journalists Union president Suresh Akhouri at the discussion organised by the Delhi Union of Journalists here.

He alleged that almost all governments since independence had tried to muzzle press and the present government was trying to do the same.

Warning of an agitation to demand withdrawal of POTO, Akhouri asked the Congress to give up "double standards" and make its stand clear on the ordinance.

Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) president S.K. Pande termed POTO as a method of "press censorship" like the one witnessed during emergency under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA).

Nayyar, who is member of the Rajya Sabha and standing committee on home affairs, said that the government had not brought any draft of the POTO before the panel for discussion prior to its promulgation.

"Even till now, none of the committee members has got the copy of the ordinance officially," he added.

Former Delhi High Court chief justice Rajinder Sachar and noted human rights activist said that the POTO was no better than the infamous TADA, which did not help combating terrorism in Punjab but only worsened it.

Stating that the country already had laws to tackle all issues, he alleged that the POTO was promulgated keeping the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls in view.

"The bill on this law remained with the government for over a year. However, it was brought in the form of ordinance immediately after September 11 attacks in the US using that as an excuse," justice Sachar said.

Zoya Hassan of Jawaharlal Nehru University said that there was no lack of legislations in the country but only their under implementation.

Human rights activist Praful Bidwai charged that "communal forces" in the country were using the Afghanistan war to "malign Muslims".

Attacking the US for bombarding Afghanistan, he said "it will not end terrorism. In turn, terrorism will get greatly strengthened by what is happening in Afghanistan."