Re: Major Bhatnagar's Court-Martial: A Case for Indian Liberals

["Manish Gupta" <ml_gupta@hotmail.com>]

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This definitely is of concern to every Indian not only to Liberals....
however what concerns me is the tone of the article in which the judgement
has already been passed by the author against the Court Martial and the
process, and assumption has been made that Major Bhatnagar is indeed
innocent.

I don't have to tell you how  Indian press analyzes these kind of events,
they always have very clear biases (and the judgement is always passed
before the court does so).

This should be of more concern to us....

Regards

Manish


>From: "Dr.SubrotoRoy" Reply-To: debate@indiapolicy.org To: Subject: Major
>Bhatnagar's Court-Martial: A Case for Indian Liberals Date: Tue, 16 Jan
>2001 06:04:53 -0800 (PST)
>
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>Please help make the Manifesto better, or accept it, and propagate it!
>--------------------------------------------------------------------- More
>than a year ago I had expressed the opinion that IPI was in danger = of
>becoming an ineffectual talking shop for homesick Indians abroad who = were
>alienated (and often socially marginalised) migrants in their own = chosen
>societies. I had said we needed to focus instead on concrete = practical
>cases of possible violations of individual rights by social or = political
>organisations in India. One such case is presently at hand = (Asian Age Jan
>16 2001, p. 3), and is brought to the attention of all = persons genuinely
>interested in the cause of Indian liberalism.
>
>Major Manish Bhatnagar, 5 Parchute Regiment, is being court-martialled = in
>Chandigarh as this is written. A senior officer is quoted by the = paper as
>saying:
>
>"The Army establishment is desperately trying to protect senior Kargil =
>commanders for their lapses in the run-up to the war and their handling =
>of the conflict. Using elaborate ploys, they are attempting to = implicate
>young officers who could discredit them by conclusively = nailing their
>errors."
>
>Major Bhatnagar is apparently being charged with refusing to carry out = an
>attack ordered by his senior officers because "his company had been =
>de-inducted from the Siachen Glacier, travelled three days by truck, =
>walked an entire day in high altitude carrying a 30kg load, and were =
>badly equipped."
>
>I, for one, fear for the safety of Major Bhatnagar's individual rights =
>when he is up against the system that he faces. =20
>
>Subroto Roy
>
>

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