E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

182 Contextualising Gandhian Thoughtetc. He may hold people to ransom to extract money orweapons, or use them as hostages to secure the release of hiscompanions who have been taken prisoner by the State. Atother times, he may play Robin Hood or mete out instantjustice to instill fear, or faith in his revolutionary 'bonafides.'At this point, it is necessary to draw attention to theresponse that this draws from the State. Firstly, even when theleaders of the administration are aware that there is a dimensionof 'social justice' to a conflict or an incipient conflict, they aremost often prone to view the conflict as a challenge to 'Law andOrder,' entitling them to use the traditional means that are usedby States to maintain Law and Order. Those in authority oftendevelop a fear that 'political means' may be regarded as a signof weakness; that at best they may be used to buy time or toseal a situation after the paramount authority of the State hasbeen established and vindicated for the view of those who mayentertain ideas of similar action in the future. So the standarddrill is the recourse to the Riot Act. And when the State findsthat it cannot suppress the symptoms of terrorism withoutcontaining or eliminating the cause, and with the wonted easewith which it is habituated to deal with problems of law andorder, it begins complaining that the powers that it has at itsdisposal are inadequate; that it must have more powers,especially to free itself from being 'bound down' by thefundamental freedoms that are used to 'undermine' law andorder. Since the terrorist does not function in the open, but insecret, under cover, the guardians of law and order argue thatthey should have the powers necessary to tear down the veil, tounmask, and bring to book; they should therefore have thepower to search without notice or specific warrant; to arrest anddetain without trial. Since both witnesses and judicial officers(magistrates) are threatened and terrorised, and find it difficultto depose, or sit in open court or pronounce judgement usingthe deterrent and penal provisions of the law, the guardians of