POTA: Freedom to Terrorise

In more than 19 months of its existence POTA has established itself as a piece of legislation that is meant to terrorise precisely those sections of the population that are vulnerable and are victims of gross injustices. Not surprisingly, the maximum numbers of those charged under POTA are landless or land-poor dalits and adivasis accused of being Naxalites, Kashmiris fighting against oppressive Indian rule or Muslims accused of working in tandem with Pakistan's ISI.