Few people know that when the Nazis started their campaign in Germany, it was the legal fraternity which became the first target. Once this community was silenced by brutal police measures, it took no time to silence the entire people throughout Germany. Today unfortunately the people who openly claim to be inspired by the Nazi movement - the R.S.S and its outfit BJP- are holding the reins of power at the Centre. This Government led by the BJP attacked the legal community first by stealthily introducing fatal amendments to the Advocates Act, as well as to the CPrC and then by unleashing brutal police violence on agitating lawyers on February 24, in a calculated way. Without any provocation, the peaceful protest of lawyers was lathicharged, teargassed and even plastic bullets were used which injured many lawyers. As so many eyewitness accounts and video tapes of the incident show, the motive of police violence was not to disperse a mob, but to teach a lesson to the lawyers for raising a voice of dissent. The police had deliberately concentrated upon giving ‘baton treatment’ to the lawyers. Individual lawyers fleeing from the scene were rounded up and then brutally beaten. Even lady lawyers were given the same treatment. Plastic bullets were fired to create a reign of terror. The intention of the Government was to teach a lesson not only to the lawyers, but to the entire people, that if lawyers can be subjected to such treatment, there would be no respite for anyone who raises the voice of dissent.
Now with each passing day, it is becoming more and more clear that the scheme of violence against the agitation of lawyers was premeditated and was the handiwork of none less than the Ministry of Home itself. The way in which the Home Minister, L.K. Advani, is taking a personal interest in shielding the erring police officials, clearly indicates that he is the mastermind behind the entire plan. The planned assault of 24th February, is merely a step in the bigger gameplan. The motive is to undermine the rule of law, step by step, and to substitute it by the ‘rule of batons’.
If laws like the proposed amendments to the Advocates Act and the Civil Procedure Code, which are patently fatal to the interest of the masses are to be imposed, following the dictates from global agencies like the World bank, IMF etc. then 'rule of baton' becomes necessary. People are to be ‘subdued’ and ‘regulated’ by hook or by crook, to give way to the policies dictated by international masters, silently. And this is what our government is obediently and sincerely trying to do. It has become restless in striving to open the doors for multinationals in all walks of life including the legal profession. Large parts of industry, trade and business have already been sold out by this Government, in the name of liberalisation, to foreign companies and now the legal profession is the next ‘commodity’ on the list of items for auction. When the lawyers protested, the Government arranged for teaching a lesson to them. It used the ultimate means at its disposal — violence, baton and bullet. But to the surprise of the rulers, the protest instead of being quelled, spread all over the country. Contrary to the expectations of the rulers, the legal fraternity came out with more determination against the fascist designs and this time not only for petty professional interests, but against the attempts to establish a Police Raj, against the regime of batons and bullets, and in defence of democracy and the rule of law in general . The Minister, who masterminded the gameplan, to teach a lesson to people in general, and lawyers in particular, instead, had to learn a lesson for himself - people are not going to bear the rule of baton - a memorable lesson for the Hon’ble Minister.
This is a important lesson not for the Minister alone, but for the Government as a whole and for all those who entertain similar views, and who enter into conspiracies against the interest of people.
The glorious struggle of lawyers goes on. The earth under the feet of rulers has already started to move. The government has given a concession - suspension of constables and transfer of officers. Refusing to be satisfied by this, the lawyers rejected the offer, and continue to protest, demanding immediate suspension of concerned officials. We say that the lawyers should now insist on the resignation of the highest official, the Minister of Home himself, who is supposed, and rightly so, to be the brain behind the calculated violence. If this is achieved, nobody would dare even to dream of ‘baton rule’ in the years to come.
On behalf of the working class of Delhi, we welcome the struggle launched by the brother lawyers against the attempts to establish a police-raj and in defence of democracy and assure full support from the working class to their struggle.
Mazdoor Mukti Sangharsh Samiti
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