Release Tajinder

Tajinder Pal S Bagga, 27, president of Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena is under house arrest. What is his crime? He and his organization took part in the Anti Rape Protests at India Gate, Delhi.

While some would see it as a national service to protest for equal rights and safety of 48% of the population, the Government of India certainly begs to differ.

Not only have the authorities been harassing Mr. Bagga repeatedly since the 22nd of December, they had also detained his father for 6 hours without any cause.

I cannot comprehend why Mr. Bagga has policemen posted outside his residence or why restrictions have been placed upon his personal freedoms without any wrong doing on his part. Perhaps his crime was that he stood up to the government or perhaps it was because he stood up for women and their rights (rights which the government is completely uninterested in since women are not a vote bank in India). Either way, it is absolutely unconstitutional to detain a law-abiding citizen of this country for no reason at all.

Keeping the coming elections in mind (because free votes are the only thing that get the Congress’ attention), the government would be better perceived by its citizens if it abstains from showing off its muscle, the Delhi Police – who seem to be present around protestors in such great numbers that one wonders why they can’t stop crimes against women – and focuses on actual problems, problems which people like Mr. Bagga are focused on, such as one woman being sexually assaulted every 20 minutes.

All police personnel must be recalled immediately from Mr Bagga’s residence! Instead, the government would find that they might be more productive on public transport or deployed around schools and colleges.

Tajinder Pal S Bagga is not an anti-national – far from it, really. He is just another protestor trying to ensure the safety of his nation’s citizens. If raising one’s voice against justice is a crime, all 1.25 billion of us outside Parliament are criminals. Arrest us too.