S.A.R. Geelani's acquittal is a great relief as an event in itself. But it is only a silver lining on the dark cloud that has come to shadow India’s nascent democracy. The fact is that it is possible to be picked up on the flimsiest of evidence and our lower judiciary is capable of being so easily convinced as to pass a death sentence on that basis. This only shows what uncertain times we live in and makes us wonder how long our existing system of democratic accountability, rule of law and institutional checks and balances can withhold a ruthless assault by a cynical and manipulative band of anti-democratic ideologues who constitute our political establishment. From the Best Bakery case to those involving the Parliament attack, intervention at the level of the higher judicial was only to offset the consequences of inherently prejudicial treatment meted out to the victims of the prosecuting authorities. This is no time to exalt the virtues of a system that is held under siege and yet delivers — as your editorial does (‘Justice speaks’, IE, October 30) — but a time to remain eternally vigilant. — Ravindra Karnena, On e-mail Anti-national? Geelani is an anti-national element. A day after being acquitted by the Delhi High Court, he accused the country’s judiciary of being hand-in-glove with the police. Addressing a press conference in the Capital on Thursday after his release from prison, the suspended Delhi University lecturer alleged that the police and the judiciary had got together to frame charges against him, to which he pleaded innocent. “The Judiciary has been used as a tool to further the agenda of certain fascist groups,” claimed Geelani, adding,”I was made a victim due to politicisation of both the police and the judiciary.” Stating his position on Kashmir, Geelani said that the whole of Jammu and Kashmir was a disputed territory, and a solution, keeping in view the aspirations of the people of Kashmir, is the only way out of the current dispute. — Deepak K. Vidhyarthi, On e-mail Good move I feel it is a good move by the Central government to form a Central Review Committee for Pota. This will certainly minimise political vengeance being a motive for arrests under the Pota Act and, at the same time, it still has its teeth, since the state governments have the power to arrest the accused. The presence of the dignified members in the Review Committee will help minimise the misuse of Pota, if not totally prevent the same. — G.S. Srinivasan, On e-mail Azad’s birthday Celebrating the birthday of Maulana Azad will not make any difference. Among the Muslims of India there is the darkness of despair (‘Maulana Azad’s forgotten century’, IE, October 30). The future will will only bring them more deprivation, insecurity and eventual extinction as a community. — Mukhtar Ali Naqvi, On e-mail In the process of recalling Maulana Azad’s legacy it is apt to recall his disillusionment with Congress functioning, so clearly portrayed by him in his autobiography, India Wins Freedom. That Maulana went on to repent the installation of Nehru as the Congress president may be out of context in the present times. However, it does give food for thought to sycophantic Congress leaders. — Nitin Palkar, On e-mail
