Bulldozer leashed

THE rampaging bulldozer, which has been riding roughshod over laws and rules in Uttar Pradesh and other states, will hopefully no longer have a field day. Equating ‘bulldozer justice’ with the ‘might is right’ approach, the Supreme Court has laid down pan-India guidelines for using the demolition machine. Henceforth, no illegal structure can be razed without issuing a showcause notice to the individual concerned and giving him/her 15 days to respond. In short, the due process has to be followed, even if the case involves an accused or a convict.

Brazenly usurping powers of the judiciary, the executive has been unleashing ‘bulldozer justice’ in an arbitrary and high-handed manner. The administrative action has often reeked of vindictiveness, particularly when members of minority communities have been targeted. In recent years, demolition drives have been conducted in the wake of communal violence in states such as UP, Haryana and Delhi. This has left no room for doubt that the authorities roused themselves from slumber just to teach a lesson to persons suspected of involvement in disturbances. A couple of years ago, a close aide of the UP CM had warned rioters that “every Friday is followed by a Saturday”, making it clear that Muslim troublemakers would be dealt with quickly and firmly.

The court’s guidelines are expected to ensure that overzealous officials are taken to task for exceeding their brief. The challenge, of course, will be to implement the norms in letter and spirit. Unauthorised construction and encroachments do not come up overnight; this illegal exercise happens over months, if not years, with political patronage and bureaucratic connivance emboldening violators. The key is to raze illegal structures in a time-bound and legal manner, irrespective of which community’s members are on the wrong side of the law. Having come under intense judicial scrutiny, the bulldozer must learn to behave itself sooner than later.