Mangaluru: Indian democracy at risk - Former HC judge M F Saldanha


News: H M Pernal

Mangaluru, Dec 9: “Our country and its citizens are in danger. Economy has drastically slowed down. Human rights are violated every day. Even the judiciary, which was citizens only hope, is collapsing," said Justice M F Saldanha, former judge of Karnataka and Bombay high court.

He was speaking at a seminar ‘Indian Democracy at Peril’ organised by People’s Union for Civil Liberties South Kanara (DK and UK) on the occasion of Constitution and Human Rights Day at Maria Jayanthi Hall, Jeppu.

Calling Finance minister’s reaction to rising onion prices with statement ‘I am not eating onions’ as ridiculous, Justice Saldanha said, “The politicians of this country are neither concerned about the common man nor the country.” He cited the example of an illiterate man who does not even know to sign becoming education minister of a state. He said that he represented the said minister when he was a lawyer and the judge threw back the affidavit with education minister’s thumb impression on it. “Sadly, in this country going to the jail maximum times has become the criteria to become a politician,” he said.

Commenting on the Hyderabad encounter, Justice Saldanha said that in his tenure as a Judge, he has handled 29 encounter cases and all of them turned out to be fake. He said, “Most of the times, in high profile cases, police catch hold of innocent people like watchman, lorry drivers and cleaners and kill them in an encounter with the sole intention to save their faces and pacify public outrage. They fabricate stories that the accused tried to escape from custody, snatched weapons from the police, fired at police etc. But in most encounters, there are one or two bullet wounds on the police jeep and the windscreens of the police vehicle are hardly damaged. Not a single policeman gets injured in cross firing.”

Referring specifically to the Hyderabad encounter, Justice Saldanha questioned, "What was the need for the police to recreate the crime scene at 3 am in the morning? What prevented the police from taking the accused to the scene of crime during day time? If police force all over the country takes this as a model to eliminate accused, what will happen to nation and democracy? "

“To save democracy the citizens should take active initiative. If everybody thinks it is not my business and keep quiet, whose business is it to save democracy?” he questioned.

High Court advocate Dilraj Rohit Sequeira and human rights activist Fr Dr Ozmond Roshan D’Souza presented their views on the subject.

Advocate Dilraj, in his address, spoke about different types of democracies practiced in various countries of the world. He strategically pointed out that implementation of England model of democracy by Nehru in India was a failure. England model of democracy will not suit a country like India with different cultures and many languages. He further said that People Representatives Act should be amended with minimum educational qualification for people to contest elections. Free and fair election process and environment awareness, especially water conservation will help in saving Indian democracy.

Human rights activists Fr Dr Ozmond Roshan D’Souza said, “Human rights come to us by nature. Unfortunately, today we are fighting for them.” Citing an example of students’ agitation at a University Dr Ozmond said, “Even research scholars do not listen to intellectual professors. But they run away when policemen come wielding Lathis. By imposing fear, we cannot restore democracy.”

PUCL President R Eswarraj welcomed the gathering and introduced the speakers. Former PUCL National Vice President P B D'Sa moderated the discussion. PUCL Secretary Ajoy D’Silva rendered vote of thanks.

Prior to the session, case studies handled by PUCL were presented by affected parties.

  

Top Stories

Comment on this article

  • KS Mayya, Mangalore/Bangalore

    Tue, Dec 10 2019

    Well said. It is true, with encounter any possibility of arriving at truth would have gone. When we all celebrated Telangana Police's encounter, we made many assumptions.
    1. Culprits are indeed the ones who were in police custody.
    2. If not for police, these culprits would have been publicly lynched.
    3. After death penalty was brought in for rapists, modus operandi shifted from rape only to rape + murder by burning to erase the trace.
    However, these criminals had got the modus operandi right. Why else, would the accused douse the victim in Unnao and burn her within days of Hyderabad atrocity?
    Also, the blatant similarity of assaults regardless of geography, meant that somewhere some action had to happen to hit back using their very method.
    I don't think everyone who celebrated Hyderabad encounter want this to be the new normal. However, when things go out of hand, these kind of encounters are needed in the larger good to the society.
    How else to explain the convicts still enjoying on tax payers money trying umpteen mercy petition before facing the gallows.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • JK, Udupi/Dubai

    Tue, Dec 10 2019

    India is becoming strong in the world!!!

    DisAgree [7] Agree [8] Reply Report Abuse

  • Max, Mangaluru

    Tue, Dec 10 2019

    Okay Mr. Saldanha, you can express your views. What are your views about emergency, 84 riots and Kashmiri Pandits in exile? Okay Mr. Saldanha, how much time does it take for a rape victim to get justice?2012 Nirbhaya case is still pending. Telangana encounter is a good example to deter future rapists. You may be a learned man but your views are too narrow.

    DisAgree [17] Agree [35] Reply Report Abuse

  • JK, Udupi

    Tue, Dec 10 2019

    Indian democracy at risk because onion price went up?.

    DisAgree [3] Agree [15] Reply Report Abuse

  • Af,,, MANGALORE

    Tue, Dec 10 2019

    Why cant you ppl think beyond onions.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • Sanjay, Hebri

    Mon, Dec 09 2019

    Probably he is next cong chief minister candidate....but will siddu allow?

    DisAgree [8] Agree [20] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jeevan, Kudla

    Mon, Dec 09 2019

    A true citizen of India freely enjoy democracy value under modiji regime.

    DisAgree [48] Agree [37] Reply Report Abuse

  • John, Sharjah/Valencia

    Mon, Dec 09 2019

    Now Judge M F Saldanha will be labelled as anti national.

    DisAgree [13] Agree [49] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jeevan, Kudla

    Mon, Dec 09 2019

    Who imposed emergency and curtailed our democratic rights in 1975 to 1977 ???

    DisAgree [38] Agree [43] Reply Report Abuse

  • Charles D'Mello, Pangala

    Mon, Dec 09 2019

    Although I wrote comment against human rights and womens organisation, I feel ritired Judge of HC speaks some truth. I am sure that those on dias will be reading this news...My questions are...1) HOW MANY POLICE OFFICERS LOST JOB BECAUSE OF THIS FAKE ENCOUNTER. HOW MANY OF THEM OF ARE JAIL AT PRESENT..????? 2) MY QUESTION ABOUT DEMOCRACY IS...ARE WE HAVING ANY DEMOCRACY NOW...!!!???? OF COURSE HUMAN RIGHTS COME TO US BY NATURE.....BUT HOW MANY TIMES IT HAS BEEN PROVED....HUMAN RIGHTS ARE ONLY FOR SUSPECTED OR ALSO FOR SURE VICTIMS......I EXPECT THE ANSWER FROM THE PEOPLE ON THE DIAS AND NOBODY ELSE. 3) DOES ANYBODY IN INDIA DO JUSTICE TO THERE OWN PROFESSION...????

    DisAgree [9] Agree [24] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Mon, Dec 09 2019

    I have been saying this since 2014 ...

    DisAgree [32] Agree [33] Reply Report Abuse

  • Raju, Karkala

    Mon, Dec 09 2019

    No one cares

    DisAgree [5] Agree [18] Reply Report Abuse

  • Michael, Mulky/San Fransisco

    Tue, Dec 10 2019

    I have been saying this to him all this while Raju bhai. Frustration is not the solution but understanding is.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ashok, Mangalore

    Tue, Dec 10 2019

    Thank you.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Karuna, Bangalore

    Tue, Dec 10 2019

    Only ISI S can rule India, ,to achive peace prosperity

    DisAgree [1] Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • Nice, Mangalore

    Mon, Dec 09 2019

    .

    Are you Joking that Only Indian democracy at risk ?
    Every Institution in my country is at risk my friend

    Just live with it , no use Talking
    No Choice Sir

    Just pay your Taxes
    .

    DisAgree [15] Agree [29] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ashok, Mangalore

    Tue, Dec 10 2019

    Very nice. That is the understanding we need. Thanks

    DisAgree [1] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse


Leave a Comment

Title: Mangaluru: Indian democracy at risk - Former HC judge M F Saldanha



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.