The Hindu : 'POTA has failed to contain terrorism'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 06, 2003

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National

'POTA has failed to contain terrorism'

By Our Special Correspondent

Somnath Chatterjee, MP, (second from left), N. Sankariah, of the CPI (M), So. Balakrishnan, Tamil Nadu Congress leader, K. Krishnaswamy, Secretary, Puthiya Tamizhagam and N. Varadarajan Secretary, Tamil Nadu unit of the CPI (M) condemning the POTA in Chennai on Thursday. — Photo: N. Balaji

CHENNAI JUNE 5. The enactment of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) has not lessened terrorism in the country, Somnath Chatterjee, CPI (M) leader, said today.

Criticising the BJP-led NDA Government for bringing in the law, he said "even when the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (promulgated prior to the POTA) was in force, they (the Government) could not prevent the attack on Parliament in December 2001".

Addressing a meeting organised by the State committee of the party, Mr. Chatterjee asked the Union Government and defenders of the law, including the Tamil Nadu Government, to cite a single case wherein terrorism had been contained. "They would not be able to accept this challenge", he said.

The real intention of the Central Government behind enacting such an Act was not to control terrorism but to "arrogate sweeping and unregulated powers" to them to deal with minorities and political detractors of the NDA, the CPI (M) leader said.

Faulting the Centre for not consulting the Opposition and State Governments before formulating such a law and ignoring the recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mr. Chatterjee pointed out how the Opposition cooperated with the Union Government on the issue of fighting terrorism. But, "very significantly, when this Act was enacted, the Opposition was kept in the dark and no discussion took place with us". He reiterated that the existing laws, if properly implemented, would be sufficient to handle terrorism.He recalled how the now-defunct TADA was misused and when this legislation was made, the BJP leaders, including the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, who were now strongly defending the POTA, opposed it tooth and nail.

Taking a dig at the support given by the AIADMK Government for the POTA and the number of arrests made by it under the Act, he said the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, "completely surrendered" herself to the machinations of the NDA Government. She owed an explanation how the Defence Minister, George Fernandes, could meet the MDMK general secretary, Vaiko (now lodged in Vellore under the POTA), if the latter was a terrorist.

The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president, S. Balakrishnan, said the DMK, the PMK and the MDMK, constituents of the NDA, should quit the alliance if they were genuine in their opposition to the POTA. The senior CPI (M) leader, N. Sankaraiah, explained the `dangerous' provisions of the law. N. Ram, Editor, Frontline, and Vasanthi, Tamil writer, said the law posed a grave danger to the freedom of the press. Others who spoke include K. Krishnasamy, president of Puthiya Tamizhagam, and N. Varadarajan, State secretary of the CPI (M).

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