Doctors in Birgunj have become the latest target of these criminal groups leaving the medical fraternity in this industrial town deeply worried. A bomb was found at the residence of Dr Rajendra Prasad Sah, an orthopedic specialist, on Thursday morning. Thankfully, security personnel defused the bomb saving loss of valuable lives and property. A day earlier, an underground outfit had demanded Rs 1 million from Dr Sah.
The Home Ministry last year identified 109 armed groups operating within the country of which most are based in the restive Tarai belt. The fact that the region borders the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh where such criminals thrive compounds the problem all the more.
The fear factor in business persons and even professionals is so high that they either keep their cell phones switched off or avoid taking calls from unknown numbers. Their philosophy is simple: As far as possible, refrain from talking to these criminal elements because once the contact is established, they either have to dole out the demanded amount, which mostly is in millions, or run a risk to their lives.
Normally, what prevents the problem of extortion from being addressed is the hush-hush manner in which the deal is struck. Most business persons and professionals opt to pay a negotiated amount rather taking a stand against criminal groups following which they have to live in constant fear of death. But again, it is not for nothing that those on whom monetary demand is placed choose to remain silent. This happens only when people are not confident about the state’s ability to protect them. Hence, it would not be going too far to say that the rising number of incidents of extortion is directly related to the pathetic law and order situation in the country. In some instances, police have been found to be hand-in-glove with the extortionists.
Though we understand that it is extremely difficult for the situation to improve unless major changes take place in the larger political landscape, we still urge the Home Ministry to do whatever is possible now so that the people living in the Tarai can experience some semblance of normalcy in their lives. Surely, it is not asking for too much from the state to provide an environment where the citizens do not have to compromise on their basic right to life and free movement.
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