Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Terror and justice

Persons suspected to be involved in “terrorist activities” are often denied the benefits of justice and handled like war criminals (‘Counter terror with justice’ May 27). This leads to more people jumping on the bandwagon of terrorism. It is important that terror should be rooted out, but the human behind the terror acts should not be denied his rights.

C.P. Velayudhan Nair,

Thiruvananthapuram

Gaurav Sharma,

Gurgaon (Haryana)

Ever since the government promulgated tough anti-terror laws, the country’s human rights situation has hit a new low, resulting in serious violations against the minorities. Though national security is of paramount importance, the worth of a nation is the worth of the individuals constituting it. As Article 21 — which guarantees life with dignity — asserts, both national integrity and individual dignity are the core values of the Constitution — compatible and not inconsistent. Any law for combating terrorism should be consistent with the Constitution, the relevant international instruments and treaties, and should strike a delicate balance between protecting citizens’ rights, on the one hand, and ensuring public safety against the threat of terrorism, on the other.

T. Marx,

Karaikal (T.N.)

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