Disturbing trend

The mysterious disappearance of four social media activists in last few days once again bring into the lime light of the issue of forced disappearances in the country. The government officials as usual denying the role of any state institution in these disappearances. But the denial is not enough for the government to walk away from its responsibility to protect its citizens from state or non state actors. The government should accept its responsibility to recover the missing social media activists immediately, if the government wants to stop people from speculation and maligning the state for this unlawful action. No body can deny this fact that forced disappearances and missing persons is an issue which needs to be addressed properly and permanently. When the government introduced new amendments in the anti terrorism laws and provided sweeping powers to the law enforcement agencies to arrest suspects for long period of time. It was anticipated that the issue of forced disappearances will finally be solved. But the recent events shows the opposite.

If the government and establishment feels that somebody is violating the law and compromise the national security through the social media than the government should take action using the existing laws and cases should be brought in the court of law. The practice of forced disappearances and missing persons should be stopped. The violations of the law by the law enforcement agencies will not help to establish the rule of law in the country. No body wants to blame the state institutions for this disturbing trend but this practice should be stopped that no body can point finger at our respected institutions. Intellectual discourse and debates on the social media and in general should not be treated as treason or crime. The difference of opinion and ideology should not met with brute state force. At the same time the activists and intellectuals should also show respect and keep in mind the sensitivities of the society. The freedom of expression and speech should be used freely but with responsibility.