Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

The Haneef episode

It is a matter of great relief that Mohammad Haneef is back with his loved ones. No doubt, the trauma he and his family had to undergo was unprecedented. But so was the public support he gained as more and more information came to light. This has placed Dr. Haneef in a unique position to help his community in India. Some sections of Muslims take the extreme route of violence to address their perceived injustices. They need to be encouraged to believe that the legal and judicial systems available in India and across the world can address their issues. Dr. Haneef has endured injustice and come out with his honour intact. This happened because of the legal system and plurality of society. He can spread this message.

Tony Augustine,
Bangalore

Human rights organisations and responsible sections of the media in Australia and the rest of the world should be commended for literally forcing the Australian police to accept their mistake. Such examples of innocent persons being treated fairly by the international community should help in countering the fundamentalist forces’ attempts at misdirected indoctrination of the young.

Kasim Sait,
Chennai

There is a lesson for those sections of the Indian media that hastily branded Dr. Haneef a ‘terrorist.’ The siege mentality of the Muslim community was evident in its defensive attitude and also in the fact that no organisation or group came forward to offer moral support to Dr. Haneef’s family. We should learn from the conduct of the media and activists in Australia how to fight for a just cause without discrimination of race, nation or community.

Sayeed Ahmed,
Bangalore

But for his luck, the incessant media glare, fight to the finish by his lawyer, overwhelming support from Australia’s civil rights organisations, and empathetic help from the Indian government, Dr. Haneef would have still been languishing in jail. It is time the government took a cue and looked into the cases of umpteen terror suspects detained on flimsy charges under POTA and TADA.

Syed Sultan Mohiddin,

Kadapa

If the Haneef experience leads our government to introspect and think of the innumerable number of detenus here, it will be remembered for its ‘demonstration effect.’

S.R. Badrinarayanan,
Chennai

How many of us have spared a thought for innocent persons like Dr. Haneef who are lodged in Indian jails on suspicion without any case being registered against them? Why don’t the media highlight their plight and expose the atrocities they are subjected to?

A. Digu,
Coimbatore

While I appreciate the government’s efforts to help Dr. Haneef, I wish it would take a look at its own backyard; thousands of undertrials are languishing in jails for years.

K.S. Sundaram,
Bangalore

Dr. Haneef will no doubt feel hurt but it will serve little purpose to find fault with the Australian police for detaining and charging him. We are living in terrible times and there are no easy solutions to terrorism.

The right way to deal with it is to raise our security level and institutionalise deterrent steps. They may not stop suicide bombers but will at least reflect our collective determination to stand up to terror.

J.S. Acharya,
Hyderabad

The unwarranted action of the Australian authorities is a classic example of how even well-equipped investigating agencies can commit serious blunders based on mere suspicion. Terrorism needs to be fought but not in such a shameful manner.

J. Eden Alexander,
West Boylston, Massachusetts

The real credit for Dr. Haneef’s release should go to the Australian government.

Once the prosecution realised there was a mistake, it dropped the terror charge against him. But the Haneef episode deflected attention away from the real issue of terrorism.

B.H. Shanmukhappa,
Davanagere

In India, it would have taken years to free the accused in case of a mistake by the prosecution. The argument that Australia was racist in targeting Dr. Haneef is unacceptable.

Krishna Kumar,
Ahmedabad

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