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all for their ‘efficacy’ ‘protecting the sovereignty (boarder), integrity and security of our country or for doing their commendable services in cases of civic disturbances when the police had failed or for their relief works in cases of national calamities. Moreover the prose- cution is not against all the army personnel but against those who committed inhuman and brutal crimes against citizens by way of fake encounter-killings, rapes, loot and maiming in AFSPA areas. There were charges for killings (murders), destroying and erasing evidences and for threatening witnesses etc. The Supreme Court had rightly, clearly and categorically declared that “there is no concept of absolute immunity from trial by a criminal court” if an army man has committed an offence.” It also declared that” the extra judicial killings and fake encounters by the Army, Assam rifles personnal and the police in Manipur cannot be tolerated”. So the protest issue of prosecution is not against the army institution or its entire personnel but only against the army personnel who committed the crimes. Nor it is the questions concerning the alleged sovereignty, integrity and security of India. It is simply about the crimes committed by some army personnel against citizens. It is not understood why this simple and proper issue shall cause confusion and why the army officers face confusion and how they are unable to answer the countering questions of the soldiers and why they are unable to clarify them that doing their bonafide duties in good faiths without any “criminal intent or mens rea” is entirely different from committing inhuman crimes against people with total disregard to citizens. It is apparent from various incidents of army personnel 20 opposing prosecution for the crimes of some army personnel, that they are being propped up by the vary rulers who are not interested in revoking AFSPA and to agree that crimes occurred in AFSPA involved areas. Even the army top brass has been supporting and encouraging those officers who blatantly committed crimes against people instead of diminishing and punishing them under the provisions of military law. For example in J&K on April 9, 2017, one Farook Ahmed dar was used as a human shield by the Major Leetul Gogoi, who sparked a nation –wide out cry against using a ‘human shield’ against stone pelters in J&K. Instead of honouring the public sentiments and reprehending the errant major, the army chief awarded him “for his ‘stained’ distinguished service till now is counter insurgency operations in Jammu&Kashmir”. The major is allowed to announce proudly in public that “he saved lives without firing a bullet or beating anyone” by using Dar as a human shield. The NDA govt. supported the errant major through its attorney general in court defending him and publicly announced that “Nothing wrong… if it has to be done again it should be done. We are 100 cent backing the army and the Major” and “Major Gogoi risked his life for the nation; his critics are speaking rubbish”. But however very recently the very same major Gogoi had to be indicted by the Army court of enquiry for “fraternizing” with a local woman and for “being away from place of duty while in operational area” and he has been shifted out of his unit for his bad behaviour. Such has been the real face of the army personnel committed crimes. Such has been the affairs with the Army and its top brass in protecting their personnel who have been committing crimes against people. The army chief allowed to comment on governmental policies in public with media without remaining an apolitical as chief of the army institution but as a supporter of the policies of the present day rulers and ruling party the BJP. Since the BJP polices are anti-people particularly with the north-eastern states and J&K, the army chief role has become controversial and anti- people in essence, which a real democratic government ought not allow and accept. In fact the Indian army is not supposed to handle internal strife and it is not its domain. Its core role is to safeguard the sovereign boarders, to undertake front operations against the enemies that exist on the border. But our rulers of ‘independent’ India being the ‘heirs’ of colonial rulers adopting the very same colonial policies of suppression and oppression of the people of the country, have been using the army against people during the conflicts with people, making the army as a tool to suppress the people in the name of internal strife national integrity, to which the army has been willfully serving the political interests of the ruling parties and ruling classes in power. This is the real problem the army is facing from the rulers in power. To appease the army and make it a willful tool in their hands, the rulers have been privileging it with acts like AFSPA granting immunity to all its acts with impurity which made the army officers of high echelon arrogated to the extent of defying the law of land and demanding an absolute immunity even from the criminal acts perpetuated at innocent citizens of this land. This demand is indirectly being abetted and supported by the NDA rulers in the form “presenting the government’s position” by deputing its advocate contd. on page 21 Class Struggle