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| 'Geelani's application to be considered on merit' | | | Local intelligence sleuths have added 25000 persons in "Red Book" during past few years
Early Times Report
srinagar, May 21: The government of India has made it clear that Hurriyat hawk Geelani has to fall in line if he wants the passport. Geelani has applied for the passport and, according to a government of India spokesman, the application shall be considered on merits.
The coalition partners in the state are divided over the issue. The PDP wants to trumpet its `healing touch' policy by not opposing the application while as the BJP has severely opposed it. A local BJP leader went to the extent of saying that Geelani must "apologise for his anti-national activities" before seeking the vital document…a demand ridiculed reportedly ridiculed by the Chief Minister.
Geelani's application has evoked criticism from public as well. Some quarters even accuse him of deviating from his known stand on Kashmir.
Although holding a passport is a constitutional right of every Indian citizen, the government denies it a particular class of people for political reasons, according to human rights defenders.
The local intelligence sleuths have added around 25000 persons to "Red Book" since the past few years. The "Red Book" actually is a `black list' which the establishment calls Security Index. Persons in this list cannot get travel documents and cannot, therefore, go out of the country, not even for pilgrimage. The Red Book, therefore, has around 100,000 persons.
According to human rights defenders, right to travel is guaranteed under international law. "Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR, 1966), which has been signed and ratified by India reads: "Everyone has a right to leave the country including his own and this right should not be restricted to any restrictions."
But, the talk of international covenants makes no difference for the persons in the "Red Book". Last year the police denied clearance to 400 aspiring Hajj pilgrims-they were either in the "Security Index" or have relatives who do or in some cases bear names "similar" to the ones mentioned in the list. Even minors related to those in the list have been denied travel documents.
The High Court in a landmark judgment two years ago observed that the acquitted persons have a right to hold passport. Humayoun Yusuf Jan, a reputed businessman of the city was arrested by a security agency in connection with FIR No 130/97 under section 3/25 Indian Arms Act. The court later acquitted him. Notwithstanding his acquittal, Jan was denied a passport. He moved court. The court held that acquitted persons cannot be denied passports. As per the court directions, the passport had to be issued to the petitioner in four weeks time.
A leading gastroenterologist of the state has been denied passport because his brother-in-law (SALA) was a militant. The doctor divorced his wife and informed the concerned that he had severed his relations with his Sala. Notwithstanding this, the passport has not been issued. |
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