A disturbing aspect of the whole scenario is that neither Hubli nor Lucknow are exceptions.

Today one after the other bar associations are coming forward and passing resolutions about not taking up cases of specific nature which according to them have 'anti-national' motives. And the latest to join the bandwagon is bar associations in Madhya Pradesh who have declared that they would not take up any cases where alleged operatives of a Islamic organisation were nabbed by the police. We know that the MP police arrested many people including ex-Chief of a particular organisation, claiming that they were associated with it. (Let me make it very clear at this juncture that I do not hold any brief for sectarian organisations who have a very bigoted view of history - may they claim allegiance to any of the religions.)

The vehemence with which these bar associations have come forward to declare and implement their resolve, it is becoming clear that for them it is another name for wearing patriotism on their sleeves. And they have not limited themselves to passing resolutions, they have exhibited their 'readiness' to implement it also. At places they have not even hesitated in physically assaulting/intimidating anyone who opposed such a move or tried to take up cudgels on behalf of the accused who were charged with 'terrorism' by the police.

The case of Khalid and Tariq who are languishing in jail since last four months supposedly (according to the police) for 'executing the serial blasts in courts of UP which left 14 people dead' presents a representative picture of the whole situation.

If one searches the record of the Jamia Tul-Salahat Madarsa in Jaunpur where Khalid use to teach, it tells us that not only he was present on the day (23 Nov) in the Madarsa but had also checked the copies of the students.The judge has been asked to cross-check the UP police story which says that Khalid landed in Lucknow in a bus on November 23 morning, met other accomplices, bought new cycles, planted bombs in Lucknow court premises and returned immediately to Jaunpur.

The recent decision of the UP government asking a retired judge to ascertain whether both these persons arrested for the court blasts in state are indeed terrorists or not, is an indicator of the pressure governments are facing over repeated complaints that the state police is implicating Muslims as terrorists.

Subhash Gatade