The President of India: To take account of illegal and unconstitutional media briefing of Minister

To

The President

Government of India
 
Respected Sir,


We
want to draw your attention over a recent news item published in ‘The Hindu’
newspaper (dated 2nd April 2015). The news was about the remarks of
Mr. Rajnath Singh; Minister In Charge of Home Affairs; GOI, during his recent
visit to West Bengal part of Indo - Bangladesh bordering area and BSF
establishments. He categorically negated the BSF’s official notification of
2011, in which they decided not to use lethal weapons at bordering areas of
India and Bangladesh. This notification was come into its existence after a
prolonged intervention by human rights organizations. We want to mention here
that Human Rights Watch published a joint report on extra judicial executions
and torture by BSF at Indo- Bangladesh bordering area in year 2010 and which
was instrumental for BSF and government to come up with the said notification. National
Human Rights Commission also observed that grave violation has been committed
by the BSF and Ministry of Home Affairs, GOI approved and compensated the
victim family.

We
strongly condemn the falsehood and purposeful deception of Mr. Rajnath Singh
while making the quoted statement that “There is nothing like a non-lethal
strategy. What is paramount is that our border needs to be protected. I
cannot allow [a situation in which] the jawans are attacked and they cannot
fire in self-defence.”  But truth is,
there is a non lethal strategy; as BSF issued a statement over the issue on 12
March 2011 jointly with Head of BGB (Bangladesh Border Guards) and circulated
the same within its rank and file. Media also covered the statement. Secondly,
while trying to justify for another spate of killings and violence at the said
bordering area; he undermined the basic plank of legalities, the notification
never restricted the BSF jawans to restore firing on self defence rather it
tries to check unnecessary and uncalled-for firing by the jawans, which was
numerous and increasing at the time of notification. We strongly believe that
the minister advocating more violence and sanction more immunity for the
infamous band of Indo Bangladesh bordering are; the BSF. His recent statement
is loaded with intolerance and hatred for neighboring country as well the
minority of the said area. We are shocked by the remarks of the minister as he
was concerned about the safety and security of the gun totting bordering guards
but callously silent on the safety, security and right to life of the commoners
of the area. 

The
minister shared his opinion over the issue of smuggling at the bordering area;
but that too influenced with trumpeted untruth of BSF, he was purposefully
silent on the involvement of BSF personnel with smuggling and root cause of
association of locales with smuggling as mere courier; the issues of
unemployment, under development, marginalization and rampant penury of the
citizenry of that area. Further, we strongly believe that the BSF, the civil
administration and police all involved in a nexus in cross border smuggling of
cattle; as the cattle are moving towards this border from different states of
the country covering thousands of miles. It is also evident that the BSF guards
are providing entry to anyone from the other side of the border by accepting a meager
amount of Rs. 500 and facilitating visit to Bangladesh by accepting equal
amount of money as bribe throughout the 2000 kilometers of West Bengal part of
India and Bangladesh border. The minister’s opinion on beef eating was biased
with religious fervor and against a specific religious community and its eating
habit, this comment must not be made by a minister of India having secularism
as its constitutional ethos, further this has content of penal offence.

In
this given context, we request your office to take immediate account of his
given statement and ensure the adherence of the notification for use of lethal
weapon. We further request you to instruct your government to minimize the
terror, violence, torture and extra judicial killings committed and perpetrated
by the Border Security Force.