The article, “Tombstones do not remain mute” (Jan. 27), homed in on the nub of the issue when it wondered why, if the Pathribal encounter had been a joint operation, the Army would have required the police to file an FIR. The above is the proverbial “single arrow of truth that pierces the heart of the lie” and exposes those who have carefully built a fortress of self-serving interpretations of past events and circumstantial evidence to shield the guilty. The Army’s clean chit needs to be challenged and the Centre needs to prove its credibility to the nation and facilitate a rapid trial of the accused Army personnel in an open court whose verdict will be based on “real evidence” collected from the ground, as opposed to distorted interpretations fabricated in favour of the Army.
Shahabuddin Nadeem,Bangalore
The Armed Forces Special Powers Act is a very legitimate and indispensable element of counter-terrorism and anti-insurgency operations. If the Army is to function in disturbed areas, it must be empowered adequately by the Constitution and given special powers for operational efficiency. The Army cannot be brought under the IPC or the CrPC for the simple reason that is not a police force and has a completely different set of objectives and agenda.
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