A penetrating look

By Shevlin Sebastian

‘The Silent Coup: A History of India's Deep State’ is one of the most chilling books I have read in recent times.

Josy Joseph, an award-winning reporter, highlights the callous behaviour of law enforcement.

If, by bad luck or coincidence, you fall into their clutches, you could end up dead. If you survive, you will become a mere husk of a human being, physically broken and mentally shattered. It will destroy your family. The family will take decades to feel a sense of normalcy. They feel a deep sense of injustice when the authorities do not reprimand the police for false cases. There is not even a slap on the wrist. They continue to flourish under political patronage. The law of karma never works in their case. Their life moves along splendidly, with plum postings and perks.

Josy said Parliament must enact laws that will make law enforcement accountable to it.

When a major terrorist attack takes place, the investigation is shoddy. Those whom the police arrest are informers. The informers get shocked because for so long, they have worked with the police. The police feed the media a false narrative. The actual perpetrators escape justice.

Most times, the police delay filing the charge sheet. The case moves at a snail’s pace through the legal system. Courts can take anywhere from ten to fifteen years to exonerate them. 

How do you pick up the pieces of your life after that?

Some of the topics Josy has dealt with include the militancy in Kashmir, bomb blasts in Mumbai, the 26/11 Pakistan terrorist attack, the insurgencies in the North-East and the Sri Lankan imbroglio. He also focuses on the other conflicts that have beset the nation in the past 75 years.

Josy highlights the anti-Muslim bias among police officers. 

The lack of Muslims in law enforcement heightens the prejudice. According to Josy, the political executive has completely seized control of the agencies. They have no independence. Hence, their investigations lack credibility and integrity.

This book is a must-read for any Indian who is worried about the future of the country.

We need multiple and honest viewpoints to have a better understanding of our complex country. 

Only the truth can save a society from ruin.