November 01, 2001

    The Home Minister, Shri L.K. Advani has said that the Criminal Justice System in the country and the community should be brought closer to each other for prevention and control of crime. This is because those who judge and those who are judged are part of the same society. He said only when the two work and operate in tandem can we expect a better society, a crime-free society. He said a foolproof strategy to combat the menace of crime is the need of the hour. Shri Advani was addressing the All India Criminology Conference organized by the National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science, here this morning.

    The Minister said new developments in organized crime call for a relook at our laws and our experience in achieving the desired results through implementation of those laws. Unlike, traditional crimes, the new kinds of crime are not purely local in their genesis or impact. One can say that there is a certain globalization of crime at work. This makes the task of law enforcement agencies increasingly difficult. It is out of a thorough review that the Government has come to the conclusion that the country needs an effective law to control organized crime and terrorism which effects our internal and external security, simultaneously threatening the unity and integrity of the country. Referring to the Prevention Of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO), Shri Advani said it is a well thought out response to this all-to-evident menace. The POTO had suitable provision to punish those who create terror. He said terrorism has nothing to do with religion.

    Citing the changing manifestations and patterns of crime, the Home Minister said September 11, 2001 will be marked as a watershed in criminal history (whenever it is written). India had been experiencing the impact of terrorism specially, aided and abetted by external forces, but it is the September 11 Strike on the World Trade Centre in New York and Washington that made the world to realize the dangerous manifestation of terrorism. Therefore, even though the world at large realizes the impact of this menace, India supports all types of measures to check these acts.

    Referring to Human Rights violation (particularly as alleged in the Punjab operation) the Home Minister said he is one who can not think of human rights violation but the courts and law enforcing authorities will have to look into the circumstances and situations in which human rights violations are alleged to have been committed. It is to be considered that the human rights violation by State police or para-military forces were bonafide or malafide and whether fundamental rights were at all curtailed or violated.

    Shri Advani said the criminal justice system should be made more action oriented and cases should be expedited to bring the criminals to book in a reasonable time. We should ask ourselves whether lengthy delays in pronouncing judgements making the aggrieved persons settle scores with each other illegally. Do we need to overhaul some of our existing laws that encourage criminal activity, particularly in the economic sphere? He said we should also look into how we can increase coordination between our police stations, courts and jails all over the country for speedy disposal of cases. With the advent of information technology crime in the society has taken an altogether new dimension. We should ask ourselves whether we are geared to deal with this newly emerging trend. That is why we need better implementation of laws to control the new type of crimes. All these efforts will help establishing good governance in the country. Shri Advani hopped that good governance with full security to the common man can be established even in a large democracy like India.

    The Home Minister expressed his confidence that the three day Conference will deliberate on these vital issues and come out with concrete suggestions which will help the Government, its different agencies in formulating strategies and effectively fighting the battle against crime.

    The Conference will discuss among other things Prevention and Control of Organized Crime; Computer and Cyber Crime; Drug abuse and Drug related Crime; Crime against women, children and the aged; Juvenile delinquency and Neglect; Treatment of Offenders as a Strategy for Crime Prevention and Control; and also the Community’s Role in the Prevention and Control of Crime.