A couple of years ago to almost the day , a young lady called [tag]Manaroma Devi[/tag] was picked up by the armed forces, under the extremely repressive Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). The state was [tag]Manipur[/tag], the armed forces was a detatchment of [tag]Assam Rifles[/tag] and with a few hours Manorama Devi’s raped, tortured and bullet ridden dead body was recovered. Two hears since her death – there is no justice for her family. All one has is a glib statement that she belonged to a paramilitary organisation (not proven) , and a one man judicial committee that led the probe into her death. Last year this time, in another part of the world, a young plumber called Jean Charles de Menezes was shot dead by the London Metropolitan police who suspected that he was a terrorist. And almost to the date that he was killed the Police chief in London has decided not to charge any policeman with the killing. And then there are the scores of nameless people caught in the last 15 or so years, across the world, under the suspicion of being terrorists. No trial, no sentance, no closure. We don’t know if the guys there are guilty, innocent or a smoke screen. They are almost in limbo land. Maybe, there needs to be? a slightly more fast tracked legal system to deal with this sort of thing. A panel of judges, a team of investigators, more public accountabilty. After all, if the purpose of all this is to tell society at large ‘don’t worry the guilty will be punished, the innocent protected, and the average citizen will walk safe’ then systems across the world are failing. Unless systems across the world get geared for delivering justice, i really don’t see any abatement of terror. If i was the family of Manorama Devi or John Menzes – i am sure that by now i would be burning with rage at the system that bereaved me and showed me no justice. Delhi riots, Gujarat riots, Godhra train burning, Bombay Blasts, Nelli Massacre, Diwali Blasts ……. all of this have one thing in common – justice is yet to be delivered. The System may have some idiot foot soldier in custody confessing to the crime, but where are the big wigs brought to trial (forget trial, where are they even charged). Succor for the vicitms, punishment for the guilty, a sense of security, and justice for all – is this really too much to ask of the modern Republic? other reading: PUCL’s analysis on the AFPSA – here, A collection on the Gujarat Riots – here? sadly, there is nothing on Nellie apart from statistics !