Section 144: A Boon or Bane
SECTION 144 IMPOSED IN CALCUTTA IS A BOON OR BANE
Kolkata Police on 24/05/2024 imposed section 144 on Kolkata which prevents assembly or five or more people at an area. This step has been taken up by the police as aftermath of a recent rally carried out by one of the BJP leader who is close to the Prime Minister. Kolkata Commissioner of Police imposes section 144 of the IPC prohibiting any unlawful assembly of five or more persons for 60 days from 28.05.2024 to 26.07.2024 or until further order based on information received from credible sources that violent demonstrations are likely to take place resulting in large-scale disturbances of the public tranquility and breach of the peace,” the order read.
“A desperate Mamata Banerjee imposing prohibitory order all across Kolkata to prevent people of West Bengal from attending the meeting of PM Shri Narendra Modi on May 28, is a clear sign of the INDI alliance having conceded defeat and conspiring somehow to disrupt the electoral process,” said Union Minister Anurag Thakur.
Whether it is a boon or a bane to the people of Kolkata is still a questionable part since the aftermath of this order will never be serious to the people residing over there. It is a move that is taken by Kolkata police to regulate the peace and security of people. Earlier there has been occasions where Kolkata Police has taken certain measures to control the peace and security of people residing and this time too it is a mechanism adapted to control the security during the election period.
Section 144 is a boon in some cases since it prevents people to gather for unlawful reasons which can be a security threat to the citizens of India. It is not a decision that is to be made alone by the police but it is an action that is to be takn up by the Executive Magistrate after there is a reasonable suspicion that there will be reasonable threat to the peace and security of people to explain in simple language. This gives power to the security forces to take actions even if there are reasonable suspicion that there might be chances that peace can be broken due to such gathering. On earlier occasions India has faced several conditions where Section 144 has been imposed. The end result has been fruitful too. There are lesser amount of crime rate that has happened and security forces has successfully maintained to keep a control on the peace and security of the citizens. The best example that can be taken up is Kashmir example when Article 370 was abrogated. During that period when Section 144 was imposed it has resulted as good action since not a single innocent life has been killed during the period when the order was passed where there was high chances that innocent lives could be lost due to provocation of the political minds and leaders present there.
Section 144 as a bane could not be set as an example since it a matter of Judicial and Executive body to decide upon.
