Indian Social Institute: Communal Riots in India 2005

 

COMMUNAL RIOTS - 2005
(News Clippings on Communal Riots for the year 2005 )

1. 150 houses gutted, several injured in clash (7)
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,   FEB.   27. Two persons were
seriously injured and over 150 thatched houses gutted
when a mob attacked a fishermen colony belonging to a
particular community on Poovar beach near here this
evening. Scores, including women and children,
sustained injuries. The police are searching for 600
persons in connection with the violence. Nearly 1,000
people lost their houses and belongings in the fire.
The clash started when a youth was apprehended on the
charge of theft from a house in EMS Colony at 3 p.m.
The accused was handed over to a police patrol.
However, the relatives of the youth freed him forcibly
from the police vehicle. The colony residents staged a
protest demanding the arrest of the youth. This
resulted in a standoff between members of the two
communities on the road skirting the beach. Soon the
groups started pelting stones at each other. Fifteen
policemen led by the Deputy Superintendent of Police,
Neyyatinkara, reached the spot. At 4.15 p.m., more
than 600 people armed with paddles, petrol cans and
country-bombs stormed the colony. The police party
scampered for cover while the residents fled the
colony and sought refuge in the nearby Poovar Masjid.
(The Hindu 28/2/05)

2. Night attack on Kerala mosque leaves 1 dead, RSS
workers held (7)
ALAPPUZHA, FEBRUARY 24: A 30-YEAR-OLD man was killed
in an attack on Wednesday night on a mosque, allegedly
by RSS activists, in Kerala's Alappuzha district.
According to reports, a group of men who came in two
jeeps attacked the mosque in Kathuvinal on Wednesday
night. The police have reportedly taken nine RSS
activists into custody. The mosque's Imam Muhammed
Musaliar was among the two injured in the attack.
Police believe Ashraff, who died early this morning at
the Medical College Hospital here, was an activist of
National Democratic Front (NDF), an Islamic
fundamentalist organisation. There have been frequent
fights between the RSS and NDF over the last one year
in the area. NDF's district convenor Sudheer Punnapra
denied that Ashraff was an activist but his
organisation called a bandh in protest in the taluk.
While Ashraff was buried in the presence of a large
gathering, tension prevailed in the area. A strong
police force led by I.G. Sen Kumar and DIG Sreelekha
are camping there.  (Indian Express 25/2/05)

3.  3 killed during Muharram clash, curfew clamped (7)
LUCKNOW, FEB 20. Three persons were killed and about
10 wounded in a sectarian clash during a Muharram
procession in Old Lucknow even as indefinite curfew
was clamped in the area. State Principal home
secretary Alok Sinha told mediapersons here that the
condition of four of the injured, including a
policeman, was critical. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav announced an
ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakhs and Rs 3 lakhs to the kin of
those killed and critically injured respectively. Mr
Sinha said the curfew had been clamped in selected
troubled spots in Thakurganj area to prevent any
untoward incident. Officials maintained that situation
was tense but under control. All the deceased belonged
to a particular sect of the community, however, the
administration was yet to give names of the victims.
The bodies had been sent for post mortem. The home
secretary said the victims were wounded in firing from
.12 bore gun and later three persons succumbed. He
said two culprits involved in the firing incident had
been identified but were yet to be arrested. Mr Sinha
said the trouble started when some people objected to
the unfurling of a religious flag during a Tazia
procession this morning near Chhota Imambara. This
sparked a clash and incidents of stone throwing and
arson. (The Hindu 21.2.05)

4. Love story causes a communal flare-up (7)
Baroda, Feb. 23: One constable of State Reserve Police
unit was injured and few others reportedly suffered
minor injuries in a communal flare up in the old city
area on Monday. A mob of around 100 people from both
the communities started pelting stones at each other
on Monday at around 10 pm and also targeted few shops
in the area. Police commissioner Sudhir Sinha said,
"An affair between a Hindu girl, Krishna, and a Muslim
boy, Akbar, was the cause of the flare-up."Earlier,
some untoward incident had happened near Mehta Pol in
the evening, which went unreported. Later, miscreants
exploded Sutli bombs near a school in Mehta Pol at
night, which brought people from surrounding areas on
road. The swelling crowds added to the mounting
tension leading to people from both the communities
pelting stones at each other, he said. A mobile unit
of SRP unit soon reached the place and lathicharged
the crowd, which was dispersed only after two teargas
shells were lobbed. A complaint in this regard was
filed with the city police station by Nirmal Singh
Ravubha, the constable injured in the incident. (Asian
Age 24/2/05)

5. Couples elope, Rajnandgaon under curfew (7)
RAIPUR, FEBRUARY 10: CURFEW was clamped in Dongargarh
town in Rajnandgaon district as violence broke out
after two Sikh cousins allegedly eloped with Hindu
boys of the locality. The communities took to the
streets, burning shops and attacking each other even
as investigations were on after the girls went missing
three days ago. Curfew was clamped last night as a
precautionary measure. One of the communities,
however, attacked two shops this morning when curfew
was relaxed. "We acted very promptly to round up the
mob, which was attacking members of the other
community and torching their shops. Curfew was
re-imposed immediately," IG D.M. Awasthi said.
Dongargarh SHO Pranesh Dubey was transferred this
afternoon and replaced by Mohan Dubey, who :d at
Rajnandgaon. (Indian Express 11.2.05)

6. Bill to deal with Communal Violence to be tabled
soon (7)
New Delhi: A BILL to deal with communal violence is
ready and will shortly be released by the Government
for debate, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said
here on Tuesday. The Home Minister also said a draft
for this Bill which was sent to the Law Ministry for
examination was sent back to the Home Ministry
recently with some suggestions and amendments.
Addressing mediapersons after chairing the tenth
meeting of the standing committee of the Inter-State
Council here. Mr Patil said the main focus of the Bill
and discussions with the chief ministers fo-cussed on
harnessing and promoting broadmindedness and good
governance to address the problem of communal tension.
Elaborating upon the four-hour deliberations, he said
the standing committee considered two items including
a blue print of action plan on good governance and
disaster management.  The meeting was attended by
chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat,
Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir besides ministers
for law and justice, shipping and transport,
information and technology and personnel, public
grievances and pensions, the Home Minister said. The
ministers and the chief ministers expressed their
views on these important topics including law and
order, security, poverty alleviation and providing
ideal conditions for trade and economic activities, Mr
Patil said. (Pioneer 31/3/05)

7. Prohibitory orders clamped in Bhilwara (7)
JAIPUR, MARCH 15. The situation in Bhilwara town in
southern Rajasthan, which witnessed communal violence
following the murder of a Bajrang Dal activist on
Friday last, continues to remain tense. The Vishwa
Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal workers blocked the
Bhilwara-Bea-war road for six hours today to protest
against the lack of progress in the investigation into
the alleged killing of another activist early this
month. While a Bajrang Dal activist, Raju Bairwa, was
killed in the town allegedly by some persons of the
minority community on Friday, an instructor in the
Rash-triya Swayamsevak Sangh 'shakha', Satyanarain
Sharma, was found dead in the nearby Karjalia village
on March 1. Today's protest was focused on
Satyanarain's alleged murder with the activists
claiming that the culprits were being shielded. The
Sangh Parivar activists blocked traffic at Haripura
square - 28 km from Bhilwara -for about six hours and
raised slogans against the failure of police to nab
the murderers. The blockade was lifted only after a
message from the Home Minister, Gulab Chand Kataria,
assuring his personal attention to the matter was
passed on to the agitationists. Prohibitory orders
enforced over the week-end in Bhilwara will continue
till March 21 even as an incident of a Maulvi being
stabbed in the town on Sunday has heightened the
tension. The clergyman was hospitalised and was now
stated to be out of danger. (The Hindu 16/3/05)

8. UPA answer to communal violence: Army rule, Delhi
rule (7)
NEW DELHI, APRIL 22: IN the name of "suppressing"
communal violence, the UPA Government has drafted a
controversial Bill that not only gives the Centre
unprecedented   powers   over states but also equips
the armed forces with draconian powers of arrest,
search and seizure. It calls for special courts to try
cases and arms them with the power to order externment
of people  "likely to commit a scheduled offence." The
draft Bill, finalised by the Home Ministry is being
studied by the Prime Minister's Office and the
National Advisory Council (NAC) headed by Sonia
Gandhi. According to the preamble to the Communal
Violence (Suppression) Bill 2005-a promise made by the
UFA in its Common Minimum Programme-the Bill is in
exercise of the constitutional "duty of the Union to
protect States against external aggression and
internal disturbance." However, it turns established
constitutional principle on its head by allowing the
Centre to "prevail" over the state in declaring any
area as "communally disturbed." Once the area is
declared "communally disturbed," as per the Bill, the
Centre can deploy armed forces and nominate one or
more Central officers-not below the rank of Additional
Secretary-to "coordinate steps taken for dealing with
the situation." But it's Clause 7 to Clause 10  that
reads like a virtual reprint of the Armed Forces
Special Powers Act, an act which, ironically, the
Centre-after the Manipur protests-has committed to
reviewing. (Indian Express 23/4/05)

9. Muslims flee villages, tension in Rajasthan (7)
Jaipur, April 9: Communal tension forced Muslims to
flee villages in Bhilwara district while curfew
remained in force in Mandal town for a second day.
Curfew was imposed in Mandal on Friday following group
clashes during a procession and the death of one
person in police firing. The trouble began when a
saffron flag was hoisted on a mosque in Mandal on
Friday and violence broke out while a religious
procession was in progress. Rajasthan home minister
Gulab Chand Kataria told this correspondent an
all-party committee would be constituted to restore
communal harmony. "The committee will visit the
troubled area whenever such situations arise in the
state," he said. The home minister said the divisional
commissioner has been asked to probe the incident in
Mandal. When asked about the social boycott in
Karjalia village in Bhilwara district, he said there
was a problem and the government would try to bridge
the gap between the communities. Facing ostracism,
Muslims had migrated to safer places from Karjalia
village, where an RSS activist was killed on March 1.
(Asian Age 10/4/05)

10. Dismissal of Rajasthan Minister, CBI inquiry
demanded  (7)
JAIPUR: Accusing the Rajasthan Home Minister, Gulab
Chand Kataria, of instigating violence against Muslims
in the communally- sensitive Bhilwara district, the
Sadbhav Manch and Rajasthan Muslim Forum on Monday
demanded his immediate removal and institution of an
inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
into the recent spate of communal clashes in the
district. A five-member delegation of the two
organisations visited Mandal and Bhilwara towns on
April 15 to take stock of the situation there and
found that Muslims were living in a state of shock and
terror with both the communal outfits and police
targeting them. Muslims, who were forced to migrate
from Karjalia, Kalias, Udo Ka Badia and Brah-mino Ki
Saredi villages, are finding it difficult to return to
their homes. The representatives of the two bodies,
addressing a Press conference here after failing to
get an appointment with the Chief Minister, Vasundhara
Raje, alleged that Mr. Kataria had given signals to
the district administration not to take action against
the rioters who burnt a dozen shops of Muslims in
Mandal, damaged two mosques - including the Jama
Masjid - and two tombs in the town, and drove Muslims
out of several villages. "Mr. Kataria has acted like a
hardcore Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh activist during
the turbulence over the past one month. The
trouble-makers felt encouraged every time he visited
Bhilwara during the period," Sawai Singh, convenor of
the Sadbhav Manch, said and added that Mr. Kataria's
"misbehaviour" with a delegation of Muslims in
Bhilwara was equally outrageous. The delegation was
told by the local people that the rioters, who were
mostly the RSS and Bajrang Dal activists, were given a
"free hand" to indulge in loot and arson during curfew
in Mandal on April 8 and even the police personnel
assisted them at some places in setting the shops on
fire. "There was evidence suggesting that policemen
provided kerosene and diesel to arsonists," said Abdul
Latif, a member of the delegation. (The Hindu 19/4/05)

11. Muslim family driven out of village (7)
A MUSLIM family has been forced out of their village
in Mansa, Punjab after a boy from the family married a
Jat girl. The village panchayat decided to throw the
family out and villagers promptly implimented the
decision. About six months ago, Angrez Khan (26) had
married Paramjit Kaur (25) apparently without the
consent of the girl's family The couple had also
sought police security Following several clashes
between the two families since the marriage, the
entire village has turned against the Muslim family.
Finally the panchayat took the decision that the
Muslim family leave the village.  (Hindustan Times
25/4/05)

12. More to probe than meets the eye in violence-hit
Rajasthan town (7)
MANDAL (RAJASTHAN): Despite the district
administration's claims of being impartial in the
investigation into the communal clashes in Mandal
early this month, justice eludes Muslims who were
targeted by the communal outfits and the police and
were left with their property destroyed, self-esteem
outraged and religious beliefs humiliated. The
violence in the town in Bhilwara district erupted
during a post-Holi procession on April 8 following an
incident of hoisting of a saffron flag on a mosque.
Violent mobs indulged in arson to avenge the alleged
pelting of stones on the procession and put a dozen
shops on fire. It was followed by the police crackdown
in which a large number of Muslims were beaten up and
their houses ransacked "before their arrest. The 27
Muslims, who have been accused of attacking the
procession, face the charges as serious as those of
attempt to murder and promoting enmity between
different communities. Though they have been granted
bail after two weeks, they are still unable to
overcome the trauma which they underwent in police
custody. Only seven persons from the majority
community have so far been arrested on charges of
burning down shops. (Indian Express 28/4/05)

13. Mass migration of Muslims after murder of RSS
activist (7)
KARJALIA (RAJASTHAN): Mass migration of Muslim
families from Karjalia village in Bhilwara district of
Rajasthan following the murder of a Rashtriya
Swayam-sevak Sangh activist recently seems to have
convinced the Sangh Parivar of the efficacy of its
strategy to use an incident as a pretext to browbeat
the minority community. Muslims have been terrorised
and boycotted in the village even after their return.
The developments in Karjalia since March 1, when
16-year-old Satyanarain Sharma - an instructor in the
RSS 'shakha' -was found dead in a field, have made an
alarming addition to the spate of communal incidents
in Bhilwara. The arrest of two Muslim boys in
connection with the murder on 'unconvincing* grounds
has left the community aghast in the village.
Satyanarain's father, Ramgo-pal Sharma, and the RSS
activists of the village - who accuse three Muslim
families of creating trouble in the past - had the
support of none other than the Home Minister, Gulab
Chand Kataria, who visited Karjalia on March 16 and
offered to resign if the accused were not arrested
within three days. Police acted swiftly and arrested
Farooq Mohammed and Moin Khan the next day. The two
boys were already in informal custody of the police
since March 4 and an atmosphere of terror and
intimidation was created in and around Karjalia. (The
Hindu 30/4/05)

14. Ten convicted in '89 Bhagalpur riots (7)
Patna: In a significant order the District and
Sessions Judge VII of Bhagalpur on Monday convicted 10
people while letting off 13 others in the infamous
Bhagalpur communal riots case. A total of 23 people
had been named accused in the case lodged in the
Sultanganj police station on October 14, 1989. The
final verdict, however would be delivered on May 12.
It may be realled that in the Bhagalpur communal riots
five people belonging to a minority community had been
butchered in village Kamarganj on October 14, 1989.
The verdict comes after a fifteen year long wait. A
total of 1,158 people had been killed in those riots.
So far, only 500 victims have received compensation
which came soon after the riots. (Pioneer 10/5/05)

15. New dimension to communal tension in Bhilwara  (7)
JAIPUR: A new aspect of alleged threats and
intimidation has been added to the growing communal
tension in Bhilwara district of Rajasthan, with the
authors of a report - exposing the role of Sangh
Parivar in the recent anti-Muslim violence in
collusion with the local police officials - being
singled out and hounded with the intention to "muzzle
criticism". The booklet, "Fasivad Ki Aa-hatein"
(Footsteps of Fascism), was published early this month
to record the findings of a four-member team of
People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) that carried
out an investigation following the violence in Mandal.
The report has blamed the Bajrang Dal leaders for
replicating the Gujarat model to target the Muslim
community in the town. The chief writer of the booklet
and a Dalit activist, Bhanwar Meghwanshi, alleged at a
Press conference here on Tuesday that while the
Bajrang Dal activists had launched a campaign to
terrorise him and enforced a social boycott against
him, police had also started harassing him and his
family members, although no legal case had been made
out against him. "The in-charge of Mandal police
station, Bhajju Ram, and the officials under him
visited my office in Bhilwara twice on May 4 and 6 and
my residence in Sir-dias village on May 9 to make
enquiries without spelling out the charges against
me," Mr. Meghwanshi said. He said the complicity of
the State machinery in the attempt to muzzle criticism
amounted to an undeclared ban on the booklet.  (The
Hindu 11/5/05)

16. Communal tension grips parts of Meerut (7)
Meerut: THERE APPEARS to be an insidious pattern to
the repeated communal incidents occurring in Meerut
which threatens its fragile social fabric. On Thursday
night, a group of people beat up a father and his
12-year-old son belonging to another community for
allegedly teasing females in the walled area of the
city. Speedy intervention by senior police and
administrative officials, brought a potentially
explosive situation under control with the help of
local leaders. On Thursday the afternoon, the young
daughter of a Congress leader, was molested by two
youths on a motor-cycle, in the Kotwali area of the
city. On hearing her cries for help, shopkeepers from
the area helped rescue the girl. In the ensuing
confusion the two young men managed to flee but not
before the registration number of their mobike was
noted. Once again, the local police arrived promptly,
but by now the restive crowd protested against the
growing incidence of eve-teasing. On their part the
police, which included the Circle Officer, tried to
pacify the crowd and assured them that the offenders
would quickly be brought to book. The second incident
on Thursday took place at about 8.30 pm, when Zaheer
and his son Shadab of Ismail Nagar area were returning
home after closing their shop, near Budhana Gate. It
is alleged that somebody passed a remark at Zaheer to
which his son protested. Soon a crowd gathered and one
of them hit Zaheer's on his face. Shadab rushed home
and soon hundreds of people from Ismail Nagar reached
the spot and started shouting slogans against BJP
(City) MLA. Soon a rumour was circulated that the
local BJP MLA had been manhandled, though at that time
he was sitting safely in a doctor's clinic. The
agitated local residents started shouting slogans
against the people of the other community. The local
police informed all senior officials of district
administration about the tension between the two
communities. (Pioneer 14/5/05)

17. Communal Violence Bill takes a 'beating' (7)
New Delhi: Picture this: Standing in the middle of a
polluted pool of water and trying to kill the
mosquitoes around it. Wouldn't it make more sense to
simply clean the pool? This analogy was used to
criticise the contents of the Communal Violence
(Suppression) Bill, 2005, at a conference in the city.
The bill, as it's name suggests, addresses only
communal violence. There is no mention of curbing
communalism per se, the propaganda that leads to the
violence or nipping the problem in the bud by stopping
political parties from spreading such propaganda. The
draft bill was also criticised for the immense power
it had vested in the police and state machinery
Vibhuti Narain Rai, former IG of police who has
encountered several communal riots, said: "There is no
need to vest such draconian powers to the police and
state since they will use it as a licence to persecute
minorities." He also said that there had to be a
machinery to punish officers found shirking duty or
conniving with the perpetrators of violence. Justice
Verma said: "There is no need for fresh laws, existing
laws should be implemented properly. There are no
provisions for ensuring accountability of the law
enforcement machinery. There should be an
institutionalised mechanism for punishing police
officers and magistrates for then- acts of commission
and omission in a Gujarat-like situation." (Times of
India 19/5/05)

18. 1984 riot victims to get Rs 1.23 lakh each (7)
NEW DELHI, May 22. - Holding the state liable for its
failure to protect the life and liberty of citizens,
Delhi High Court has directed the Centre to pay a
compensation of Rs 1.23 lakh each to all those who
suffered injuries during the anti-Sikh riots following
the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira
Gandhi in 1984. "It is the bounden duty and
responsibility of the state to secure and safeguard
the life and liberty of an individual from mob
violence," Ms Justice Gita Mittal said in her landmark
judgment, which would benefit about 2,800 Sikhs
injured during the riots in the Capital. The court
asked the government to pay the compensation within a
month to one Mr Manjit Singh Sawhney, who was injured
and lost his sister in a mob attack which killed seven
at Tuglaqabad railway station in November 1984. It
also asked the Centre to pay him an additional amount
of Rs 11,000 as cost of protracted litigation that
went on for four years. To secure parity among all
those who suffered injuries during the riots and were
given an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2,000 only, Ms Justice
Mittal ordered that they all be paid the enhanced
amount. It took note of the fact that in the case of
Mrs Bhajan Kaur, who lost her husband in the same
place during the riots, a general order was passed in
July 1996 directing the Centre to pay the enhanced
compensation in all similar cases. The court
calculated the compensation payable to the petitioner
at Rs 75,000 with interest from the date of incident
Which was quantified at Rs 50,000. It deducted Rs
2,000 that had already been paid to him as exgratia.
(Statesman 23/5/05)

19. Victims of  Gujarat riots begin a new chapter in
Delhi School (7)
NEW DELHI: Their tales tug at your heartstrings. Each
of the 25 children from Gujarat whose lives fell apart
in the wake of the communal riots that rocked the
state in 2002, has a harrowing story to narrate. After
the riots, even as these children were trying to
gather the scattered pieces of their broken lives,
living in a resettlement colony (started by Jan Vikas)
called Kashimabad near Kalol, Act Now For Harmony And
Democracy (Anhad), a Delhi-based NGO, has reached out
to them. In a quest to help them leave their sorrowful
past behind and move on, and also to enable them to go
to a school, to study, to dream, to live, the NGO
recently brought these children to the capital. These
25 children have been admitted into the Balwant Rai
Mehta School at GK II and are staying at Apna Ghar (a
recognised hostel by the school) at Jaitpur. "Many of
them have still not got over the trauma that they
underwent," says Ms Shabnam Hashmi of Anhad. It will
still take some time for the psychological wounds to
heal, she adds. (Asian Age 25/5/05)

20. Mob sets fire to 2 mosques after acid attack (7)
MANDI, MAY 27: AN angry crowd set two mosques in the
town on fire this evening after a man threw a bottle
of acid at passengers of a private bus, seriously
injuring at least 11 people, including a
five-year-old. Doctors attending to the injured said
four persons with more than 50 per cent burns may even
lose their eyesight due to the attack. Police later
arrested the culprit, Mohammad Mahboob, from
Muzzafarnagar in Uttar Pradesh. He has reportedly
confessed to the crime. According to the Mandi police,
the incident occurred outside a bus stand around 3 pm,
when Mohammad threw a bottle of acid at 22-year-old
Mamta from Drubal village. Mamta was sitting inside
the bus which was leaving for Koon. As news of the
acid attack spread, crowds began pour onto the
streets. They collected in city squares and marched to
the two mosques - Moti Masjid in Ramnagar Mandi and
Janta Masjid on Jail Road. Police sources said some of
them raised slogans and incited the mob to set fire to
the shrines in retaliation to the acid attack. Those
injured in the acid attack were identified < as Mushan
(5), his mother Sheela, Shalu (all from Koon village),
Mamta (Drubal village), Champa, Puran Chand (Kataula),
Bhoop Singh (Banau), Manohar Lal (Badoh), Yog Raj,
Shankar and Roop Singh. (Indian Express 28/5/05)

21. Town tense after RSS man killed in Orissa (7)
Bhubaneswar: The death of a Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh
supporter in police firing has sparked off tension in
Champua, a tiny town in the tribal-dominated Keonjhar
district, on Wednesday, reports our correspondent. The
RSS, along with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the
Bajrang Dal, were protesting against "police inaction"
to arrest an attempted rape accused belonging to
minority community. The situation has been volatile in
the RSS stronghold Keonjhar district as the Sangh
Parivar has called for a district-wide bandh on
Thursday. Senior police officials and four platoons of
the Central Reserve Police Force and the Orissa Armed
Police Force have rushed to the spot. Over 3,000
supporters of the RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal on
Wednesday laid siege around Champua police station.
(Asian Age 9/6/05)

22. Minorities panel may probe violence (7)
MANGALORE: The State Minorities Commission is weighing
its options of conducting an investigation into the
circumstances that led to communal clashes in
Mangalore taluk on June 8. The Commission's Chairman,
K.S.M. Masood, told The Hindu here on Sunday that the
members of the commission are shocked at the frequent
communal disturbances in Dakshina Kannada district and
majority of them feel that they are being engineered
by groups or organisations with ulterior motives and
political gains. Mr. Masood said since two of the
commission members are not immediately available for
conducting an independent inquiry, he, along with
officials, will tour the affected areas on Tuesday to
undertake a preliminary study. Once the commission has
full quorum, he will lead the commission in forming an
independent body, which will undertake a detailed
probe into various incidents of communal flare ups.
Mr. Masood recalled that during the incident when two
people were stripped and paraded in Ajjarkad in Udupi
some time ago, he had recommended to the Government to
declare the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi as "`communally
sensitive and disturbed districts," but it has not
been done. (The Hindu 15/6/05 IN)

23. Sangh Parivar activists disrupt tribunal hearing,
Prafulla Das

BHUBANESWAR: The hearing by the Indian People's
Tribunal on Environment and Human Rights on the
communal situation in Orissa was disrupted by Sangh
Parivar workers here on Tuesday.  The tribunal
members, including two retired judges, were allegedly
harassed and threatened with dire consequences.  "The
Parivar activists threatened to rape us and parade
us," said Angana Chatterji, a member. The public
hearings, intended to find out whether there was any
communal tension in the State and, if so, the causes
leading to such a situation, were held in Phulbani,
Keonjhar, Bhadrak and Jagatsinghpur districts during
the last few days. Tuesday's hearing was the final
session.  `Highly deplorable'  Justice K.K. Usha,
former Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, and
Justice R.A. Mehta, former Acting Chief Justice of the
Gujarat High Court, who were among the four members
conducting the hearing at Red Cross Bhavan, termed the
incident as "shocking, outrageous and highly
deplorable."  Later, at a press conference, the
tribunal members said that several activists of the
Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had come to
depose responding to the invitations sent to their
State offices earlier. Four of them, including two
women, deposed without any hesitation and their
submissions were taped with their consent. Trouble
started when the activists received a fax message from
the organising secretary of the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad's State unit, asking them not to participate.
Activists' threat
The Parivar workers then allegedly demanded that they
be given the audiotapes containing the submissions.
When the tribunal members said that the Sangh Parivar
testimonial was necessary to the tribunal's work, the
activists threatened that they would use any means to
take possession of the tapes, Dr. Chatterji said.
Tapes destroyed  With tension building up, Dr.
Chatterji destroyed the tapes in front of the Parivar
members as demanded by them. The hearing ended and the
tribunal members decided to leave the venue. As they
were proceeding towards their vehicle, the Parivar
members, comprising nine men and two women, said the
tribunal was funded by foreign agencies, she said.
They threatened to rape the women members and parade
them naked. (Source: Gujarat Development:
willy@vsnl.com ) (The Hindu, , JUN.15)

24. Sangh activists threaten judges heading probe,
Satyasundar Barik

Bhubaneswar, June 14: Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu
Parishad activists threatened dire consequences to two
former high court judges who were conducting a hearing
of the Hindu nationalist organisations here on
Tuesday. Former Chief Justice of the Kerala high court
K.K. Usha and former acting Chief Justice of the
Gujarat high court R.A. Mehta were part of the Indian
People's Tribunal (IPT) which was recording deposition
from members of the Bajrang Dal and VHP on
communalism. The two former judges, while addressing a
press conference here after the derailing of the
tribunal process, regretted and deplored the
high-handed and aggressive actions of the Sangh
Parivar. The Indian People's Tribunal on environment
and human rights had been conducting a state-level
investigation on communalism in the state for the last
four days. The IPT had recorded the deposition of
members of the Bajrang Dal and Sangh Parivar at four
communally sensitive places - Keonjhar, G. Udayagiri,
Jagatsinghpur and Bhadrak. Some invited
representatives of the Bajrang Dal and VHP had come to
offer testimonies here in the morning. All was going
well until the members received a fax from the
organising secretary of the VHP directing them to keep
away from the "self-appointed Indian People's
Tribunal." After receiving the fax, Sangh Parivar
members demanded that they be given the two
microcassettes recording their sessions. The tribunal
members attempted to reason with them and persuade
them to leave the tapes in the tribunal's custody,
stating that the Sangh Parivar testimonial was
necessary to the tribunal's work. The Sangh Parivar
members who deposed had done so with informed consent,
the tribunal members argued. Subsequently, the Parivar
members aggressively responded to former Justice Usha
and former Justice Mehta. Convenor of the tribunal
Angana Chatterji alleged that Sangh Parivar members
had threatened to rape them if the tape was not handed
over to them (the Bajrang Dal and VHP). "We
immediately left the place after we heard that the
11-member-gang of Sangh Parivar called their bosses at
Cuttack for reinforcement," Ms Chatterji said.
(Source: Gujarat Development: willy@vsnl.com)  (Asian
Age, JUN.15)

25. Rs 7-cr suit filed against VHP, RSS and BJP  (7)
Twenty one people filed compensation suits totalling
over Rs seven crore against the Vishwa Hindu Parishad,
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bhartiya Janata Party and
VHP leader Dr Pravin Togadia in the city civil and
sessions court in Ahmedabad on Monday.   This came up
following the legal notices served by the next of kin
of the Gulbarga society massacre in Ahmedabad during
the post Godhra communal riots. "The suit has been
filed for loss of life, trouble and trauma and damage
to property," said lawyer for the victims Ershad
Mansuri. Among those who have filed for compensation
include Zakia Jaffri,widow of the late MP. The
compensation cases have been based on the Kerala High
Court judgement of July 28, 1997, wherein it was ruled
that in the case of bandh calls, the caller shall be
responsible for the damage to private and public
property. This judgement was subsequently ratified by
the Supreme Court. Compensation is being sought on the
ground that death and destruction was the result of
the bandh call given on February 28, 2002 by the state
unit of the VHP and supported by the state unit of the
RSS and the BJP. It was due to this call, it has been
stated, that communal sentiments were heightened and a
section of the community attacked the Gulbarga housing
society, killing people and destroying homes and
belongings. (Pioneer 11/6/05)

26. To 'protect' Hindu girls, BJP govt orders 2
colleges to swap buildings (7)
BHOPAL, JUNE 27: This is a tale of two colleges which
threatens to divide one city right down the middle-on
communal lines. In an order that has no precedent, the
BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has ordered that two
prestigious colleges, both almost 50 years old,
''swap'' their premises. One is the MLB Girls College
in the old city, a neighbourhood with a significant
Muslim population. The other is the Hamidia Arts and
Commerce College, about 4 km away, in the New Market
area.  Behind this bizarre idea is state higher
education minister Uma Shankar Gupta. His reason:
''The girl students (at MLB) were facing lots of
problems and a memorandum to this regard had also been
submitted. Since the student strength and
infrastructure in the two colleges are almost the
same, we decided to go for the swapping.'' The
''problems'' the Minister refers to are explained by
Aradhna Malakar, the Bhopal chief of the women's wing
of the BJP's Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
(ABVP): ''The decision is welcome. The students of the
all-girls MLB (about half of the 300 students are
Muslim, the rest Hindu) were being lured by the youth
of the old city neighbourhood where the college is
situated and conversions had become rampant.'' Both
the minister and the ABVP's claims run contrary to
police records. A senior police official, who declined
to be named, said that there were hardly any
complaints of ''eve- teasing'' or harassment reported
from the college. ''There could be a few cases but
such cases are routine even in other colleges situated
in the New Bhopal areas or anywhere for that matter,''
the officer said.  (Indian Express 28/6/05)

27. Tension following group clash (7)
BANGALORE: There was tension on Tannery Road in K.G.
Halli Police Station limits on Wednesday following a
communal clash. Two vehicles were damaged in stone
throwing. The police said around 8.30 p.m. a youth
belonging to a particular community was committing
nuisance on the roadside when a group of youths
belonging to another community reportedly thrashed
him. The youth, who was assaulted, went home and
returned with nearly 20 people of his community. The
two groups clashed with each other and indulged in
stone-throwing. As tension mounted in the area,
shopkeepers closed down their shops, the police said.
The police rushed to the spot and brought the
situation under control. Security has been tightened
in the area. (Ref: The Hindu 23/6/05)

28. UCF Delhi condemns the act of violence at Ayodhya
(7)
The United Christian Forum- Delhi (UCF - Delhi)
strongly condemns the act of violence at Ayodhya.
President of the UCF - Delhi, Bishop Karam Masih,
urges the government to maintain communal harmony,
peace and public order and appeals to all political
parties to refrain from using this act of violence for
political gain. UCF- Delhi also expresses its sympathy
with those hurt because of the attack and appreciates
the courage displayed by the security personnel in the
face of personal danger. UCF - Delhi also urges
citizens of India to recognise this attempt to destroy
the communal harmony of the nation and prays that we
would stand steadfast in our resolve to maintain
peace. Rev. Richard Howell, Secretary, United
Christian Forum- Delhi source: EFI News,
mail@efionline.org

29. IUML, Bajrang in Mataram war (7)
Bhopal, July 12: The Ayodhya attack, the London bomb
blasts, and the ruling BJP's decision to encourage the
singing of Vande Mataram in government offices and
schools seems to have goaded communal organisations,
both Hindu and Muslim, in old Bhopal to settle scores
through a poster war.  The first poster, printed in
the name of the Indian Union Muslim League, was seen
pasted on a few walls on Monday. It warned Muslims
against intoning Vande Mataram since it would be
deemed a direct affront to Allah. Co-religionists, in
fact, were told to even avoid being seen anywhere near
the anthem-singing site. Failure to comply would
invite instant retribution. The local Muslim clergy,
however, promptly took the initiative to cool off
tensions by assuring their brethren that there was
nothing to worry about since the singing of Vande
Mataram hadn't been made compulsory. The state
government circular on the subject had only requested
optimum participation in the singing on the first day
of every month. The Bajrang Dal responded with its
very own posters during an anti-terrorism rally the
same day. Responsibility for the poster was credited
to a Delhi-based body called Akhand Hindustan Morcha,
whose address and telephone numbers were imprinted.
The creators of the poster were contacted in Delhi and
they did not hesitate to admit that they were behind
its publication. Police sources, however, told this
newspaper that there was nothing overly objectionable
in the contents. It primarily sought to inform the
public of how some misguided Islamic fundamentalists
were bent on spreading violence in the name of jihad,
the London bomb blasts being the latest evidence of
it.  (Asian Age 13/7/05)

30. Builders want to demolish mosque(7)
Mumbai: The residents of CST Road, near the Bandra
Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai, are up in arms against
Diwan Builders because the builders want to demolish
the Hafzul Imam Masjid, which comes in the way of
their construction of a huge building tower. To
placate the Muslim residents in the area, the
developers have promised to build another mosque in
close proximity to the current one. "The real estate
prices in and around BKC are anything between Rs
14,000 and Rs 16,000 per sq ft. The builders want to
earn big bucks. Though the builder has promised us
that he will construct a masjid in the area, it is a
sentimental issue. Any place of worship being brought
down becomes a controversy in Mumbai," said Taufeeq
Ahmed, a resident of Mohammed Estate where the mosque
stands. The mosque has been there for about 35 years.
This newspaper tried to contact Mr Bhupendra Mehta,
the manager of Diwan Builders, but could not get in
touch with him. Diwan Builders has many construction
projects in this area.The construction activity falls
under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) SRA
scheme. "Under SRA rules, no house of worship can be
brought down. Also, this structure is pre-1995 and
leaves no room for the builder to demolish it," said
Mr Sirish Upadhyay of the Students and Youth
Association. (Asian Age 15/7/05)

31. Muslims angry over VHP plea to vacate houses near
mandir (7)
Lucknow : Muslim residents of Ayodhya have reacted
with anger to the VHP's petition to the President and
Union Home Minister, asking that occupants of houses
on the periphery of the Ram Janmabhoomi complex be
made to leave on the plea that they are vulnerable to
jihadi pressure and hence a security threat. Nearly
all the occupants are Muslims.  Haji Mehboob, a senior
leader of the Babri Masjid Movement and president of
the Anjuman Muhafiz Muazib Avadh, dismissing the move,
said, "the VHP demand is totally unjustified. We are
not going to tolerate this. We also plan to meet the
President and Union Home Minister to put forward our
side of the story. The VHP can't be allowed to whip up
a communal divide. They have already failed in their
designs and have been exposed before the people of
Ayodhya and Faizabad." Saying that most of the houses
were at least four generations old, he justified his
stand by adding, "the VHP is simply looking for an
issue since their efforts to encash on the terrorist
strike have failed miserably for lack of public
support." There are about 50 houses and shops
belonging to the minority community in the periphery
of the RJB complex mainly in Duari Kuan, Karziana,
Panji Tola, Katra and Tehri Bazar localities
accounting for a population of nearly 3,000 families.
Ironically, when the VHP was meeting the President,
the Nehru Yuva Kendra was taking out a sadbhavna yatra
in Ayodhya to promote communal amity. However few
seemed to notice the procession on Tuesday and many
dismissed it as an "official exercise." (Pioneer
21/7/05)

32. Communal harmony at its best  (7)
Gandhinagar : Picture this camaraderie. Despite a High
Court order terming the ban on animal slaughter during
the Jain festival of Paryusan "illegal and
unconstitutional", the butchers of Ahmedabad have
struck a blow for communal differences by volunteering
to keep meat-shops closed during the eight days of the
festival. The Jain Sangh, in turn, has decided to find
a way to compensate the financial loss these meat-shop
owners will suffer on account of their decision. A
spokesman of the Qureshi Jamaat, an organisation of
meat-shop owners has appealed to all its members to
respect the sentiments of the Jain community and
refrain from doing business during the most sacred
period for the Jains.  "It is a plea we have made to
the people involved in this trade and we are confident
they will respond with magnanimity," says Rizwan
Ahmed, one of the leaders heading a local organisation
of meat-shop owners., Most involved in the trade
welcomed the decision of the Gujarat High Court which
had upheld their right to carry on their business
unhindered even during the period of Paryusan.
However, they also felt that rights apart, there was
need for the communities to be sensitive to each
other's beliefs. "Mutual respect and love is the need
of the hour and we have responded in this spirit," he
said.Earlier, Vishwa Hindu Parishad general secretary
Pravin Togadia had said Hindus and Jains would not
allow the killing of animals during the holy period.
He had also urged meat-shop owners to voluntarily keep
their establishments closed during the period.
(Pioneer 5/8/05)

33. 'Communal conflagrations a thing of the past in
Hyderabad' (7)
Hyderabad  : A gathering of non governmental
organisations, working for promotion of peace and
communal harmony, called for strengthening the
mechanism of bureaucratic accountability and closer
relationship between the official machinery and the
civil society organisations to check the communal
violence in the country. Non governmental, social
activists and serving senior police officials came
together on a single platform in Hyderabad over the
weekend to dissect the problem of communal violence
and other conflicts and suggest solutions. The
"Workshop of peaceful coexistence" organised by Aman
Public Charitable Trust, New Delhi and Confederation
of Voluntary Association, Hyderabad was attended by
more than 60 representatives of various NGOs to share
their experiences in different parts of the country.
The workshop heard the reports of study of communal
situation in two of the most sensitive Indian cities
Hyderabad and Bhiwandi and one of the most communally
peaceful city Bikaner in Rajasthan. Three senior
police officials from Hyderabad city police making a
presentation on how the situation in Hyderabad turned
around over the last one and a half decade said that
several factors had contributed to the change. The
Additional Commissioner of police AK Khan said that
since the last major riot in 1990, when the city was
under curfew for 75 days and 300 people lost their
lives, the city has not seen any major riots, even
though triggers were there. He gave the credit for the
change to the people, who had become mature, to the
economic prosperity, to the stake people have built in
peace and good governance. "Huge communal
conflagrations that used to happen earlier is
definitely a thing of the past," Khan declared. On the
role of the political parties, Khan said that they
were not trying to foment trouble as much as they used
to do in the past. (Pioneer 8/8/05)

34. Scared, Muslims flee workplaces (7)
Guwahati : Fear and panic have gripped Bengali
speaking Muslim daily wage labourers in Assam with
hundreds of them fleeing their workplaces, including
many from the State's main city of Guwahati,
apprehending a crackdown by authorities to deport them
to Bangladesh. A Government spokesman confirmed the
exodus and said it was a result of some 'mischievous
propaganda' by people with 'vested interests' to scare
away religious and linguistic minority people to leave
their workplaces. "There is no need for panic. We have
asked the police and civil authorities to maintain
strict vigil so that no genuine Indian citizens are
harassed by people with some political affiliations
trying to create communal tension," the spokesman
said. "We cannot say the people who have left for some
reason are all Muslims. There could be people from
other faiths as well," he added. Many of these Bengali
workers were engaged in construction works, brick
kilns, and pedal rickshaws in Assam, besides doing
menial jobs.The immediate provocation for the exodus
is the repealing of the controversial Illegal Migrants
(Determination by Tribunals) Act to identify illegal
Bangladeshis. The Supreme Court, last month, decided
to replace the 22-year-old IMDT Act with the
Foreigners Act in Assam saying the previous
legislation was a hindrance in identifying and
deporting illegal Bangladeshis from the State.Under
the IMDT Act, the onus of proving one's citizenship
rested on the complainant rather than the accused,
while it is just the reverse under the Foreigners Act.
(Pioneer 3/8/05)

35. CPI (M) calls for law to tackle communal violence
(7)
NEW DELHI: Underlining the need for a comprehensive
model law to tackle communal violence, the Communist
Party of India (Marxist) has suggested that the Centre
should take the initiative and consult all States on
this. "There is an urgent need for the Central
Government to take the initiative for consulting all
the States to evolve a mechanism by which the States'
rights and autonomy shall be maintained on the one
hand and, on the other, necessary legislative powers
should be acquired to deal with the prevention of
communal riots and providing speedy justice to the
victims," an editorial in the recent edition of the
party organ People's Democracy said. In the backdrop
of the report of Justice G.T. Nanavati Commission that
probed the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the editorial said
the question of punishing the perpetrators of communal
strife was necessary not only from the viewpoint of
humanism and compassion but it was imperative that
justice be delivered in order to strengthen the
secular democratic foundations of the modern Indian
republic. The National Common Minimum Programme of the
United Progressive Alliance Government speaks of a
comprehensive law to deal with communal violence. The
editorial said while few would disagree with the need
for such a law, concerns were expressed during the
discussions while formulating the CMP. These concerns
relate to the federal structure of the Constitution
under which the division of responsibilities and
authority between the Centre and the States places the
issue of law and order as a State subject.  (The Hindu
16/8/05)

36. No relief for riot victims: CPM (7)
New Delhi, Aug. 16: Observing that relief for the
victims of Gujarat riots does not appear near and that
the Nanavati Commission's report on the 1984 anti-Sikh
riots has singularly failed to establish culpability,
the CPI(M) has reiterated the necessity of enacting a
comprehensive law to deal with communal violence in
order to improve the justice delivery system.
Recalling the mention of such a law in the national
common minimum programme of the UPA government, the
editorial, published in the latest issue of the CPI(M)
mouthpiece People's Democracy, said there was an
urgent need for the Union government to take the
initiative of consulting all states to evolve a
mechanism by which the states' rights and autonomy
shall be maintained on the one hand and, on the other,
necessary legislative powers should be acquired to
deal with the prevention of communal riots and
providing speedy justice to the victims. The
editorial, titled "Punish the perpetrators of communal
strife", also said it was an "ironic coincidence" that
on a day when the government tabled the action taken
report on the Nanavati Commission report, the Supreme
Court came out with a blistering comment that the
Gujarat police was either "conniving with the accused
or worthless". The editorial read: "For three long
years after the gruesome state- sponsored communal
carnage in Gujarat, the guilty are yet to be
apprehended, while the victims continue to languish.
This, despite a huge array of circumstantial evidence
available through media reports and eyewitness
accounts." "While the various cases concerning the
Gujarat carnage continue to be heard in various
courts, neither relief for the victims nor the
elimination of fear and insecurity for the minorities
appears near. It is once again ironic that the same
Justice Nanavati is now to probe the Gujarat carnage!"
(Asian Age 17/8/05)

37. In Rae Bareli, how a routine crime acquired
communal overtones (7)
DALMAU (RAE BARELI), AUGUST 21: A group of small-town
tough guys tease a girl. A man from the girl's
locality objects to it. An altercation takes place,
then a fistfight and finally gunshots, killing the
man. A revenge killing follows. This scene is common
in Uttar Pradesh. But its entire complexion changes
when you throw in the fact that the tough guys were
Muslims. That the man who objected was a Hindu, a
Dalit, and an Army jawan posted in Jammu & Kashmir's
Rajouri area. And that Dalmau village, where it
happened, is a stone's throw away from Rae Bareli,
constituency of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.  A
clinical look at the incident doesn't give it a
communal colour-nothing similar has happened before in
Dalmau. Neither is there a political setting that may
have planted the seeds of communal hatred here. In
fact, it could well have passed off Friday last as any
other incident, and it quite did. Yet, this incident
has now filled the air with communal tension in a
village of around 20,000 people. At first, it was only
between Bachchi Ali-and his boys-and Ramesh Sonkar,
the jawan. Now, it is They and Us, Hindus versus
Muslims. ''Most communal fires at many places across
India have started from such incidents, especially
eve-teasing,'' says a senior IPS officer. Indeed,
there are now more policemen than people in the Miya
Ka Tola pocket, where people disappear behind
half-closed doors at the first sight of ''outsiders''.
And, in the smaller pocket of butchers within Miya Ka
Tola, they have all fled in fear after Naeem Mohammed,
one of them, was lynched in retaliation to Sonkar's
killing.  (Indian Express 22/8/05)

38. Mau on boil for 3rd day (7)
Lucknow: EVEN AS shoot-at-sight orders were issued in
riot-torn Mau, a fresh bout of violence on Saturday
claimed two more lives, taking the total death toll
in the Dussehra-triggered communal clash to five. The
State Government, however, claimed that only three
persons had been killed, nine injured and 30 shops
either looted or set afire. Eighty nine persons have
been arrested. Mau was dogged by violence for the
third consecutive day despite the State Government's
Friday claim that the situation "is under control and
the administration has done a commendable job." The
Saturday bout had Principal Secretary (Home) Alok
Singh and DGP Yashpal Singh scurrying for a situation
assessment of the riot-torn town on Saturday even as
four senior police officers and five companies each of
the PAC and the RAF were battling the situation under
curfew conditions. Communal tension was sparked off in
the township on Thursday after a group clash over the
use of loudspeakers during a Bharat Milap procession.
This snowballed into violence, arson and
looting.Despite curfew on Friday, miscreants roamed
the streets indulging in arson and violence. A dozen
were seriously injured after miscreants lobbed bombs
into the Brahmin Tola locality. Anti-social elements
armed with semi-automatic firearms opened
indiscriminate fire near the branch of Oriental Bank
of Commerce injuring several persons. In Kathupurwa
locality, houses of two local journalists were set
afire. The violence resulted in the exodus of a
particular community. Despite a flag march by the RAF
and PAC personnel, marauders pelted the Shahganj
passenger train with stones, compelling the Railways
to divert several trains, including the Lichhavi
Express, from Ballia. (Pioneer 16/10/05)

39. Violence spreads in Mau, two more are killed (7)
Lucknow: Violence continued unabated in Mau district
for the third consecutive day on Sunday after a
communal flareup that has claimed seven lives so far.
Two more persons were killed and five others injured
in a fresh bout of violence on Sunday. While one
person was shot dead near the railway station, another
was killed in mob violence near Madanpura. Three dead
bodies were also recovered from the riot- affected
areas. More than 180 persons have been arrested in
connection with the riots that began on Friday,
following a dispute over use of microphone during the
traditional Bharat Milap programme that is a part of
the Dussehra festivities. Four senior officials,
including the commissioner, the district magistrate,
the deputy inspector-general of police and the senior
superintendent of police, have been suspended. While
Mau town remained largely peaceful on Sunday, communal
violence spread to the suburban areas and outskirts of
the township, from where sporadic incidents of
communal clashes were reported throughout the day.
There were reports of a school being burnt down by
rioters even as the paramilitary forces continued to
stage flag marches in the township. The state election
commission has, meanwhile, deferred the panchayat
elections in Mau district, where polling was scheduled
for October 17 and 20. The state's principal home
secretary, Mr Alok Sinha, told reporters that curfew
was on in Mau town and the district administration had
been asked to make arrangements for the supply of food
to residents.  (Asian Age 17/10/05)

40. Peace meets held, no fresh violence (7)
MAU: Shoot-at-sight orders remained in force as
additional forces were deployed in sensitive areas and
peace meetings were organised on Monday to defuse the
situation in this curfew-bound town where communal
riots have claimed seven lives. Additional security
personnel were rushed to areas where fresh incidents
were reported on Sunday and a close vigil was being
maintained, according to official sources. While
senior police officials including the DIG (Range) are
camping in the town to monitor the situation, meetings
of peace committees were being organised to diffuse
the tension. Essential commodities were being provided
to the people residing in curfew-bound areas, they
said. So far 32 people have been injured while 180
arrests made in connection with the riots that broke
out last week over Dussehra festivities. Meanwhile,
the local independent MLA Mukhtar Ansari, denied
allegations of inciting violence saying the BJP had
hatched a conspiracy to trigger communal violence
``with a view to gain political mileage and malign my
image''. He demanded that the town be handed over to
the army for maintaining law and order and
registration of cases against the suspended
Commissioner, District Magistrate, Superintendent of
Police and Circle officer. Several long and short
distance trains passing through Mau or originating
here had either been cancelled or diverted to other
routes as a precautionary measure, sources said.
Movement of roadways buses coming here from Gorakhpur,
Azamgarh and Ballia had also been suspended. Ten
companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and
two of the Rapid Action Force had been deployed in the
town where senior officials, drawn from neighbouring
districts were camping, they said. (The Hindu
18/10/05)

41. Ansari, BJP leader booked for inciting riots in
Mau (7)
MAU: Police on Tuesday lodged FIRs against
controversial independent MLA Mukhtar Ansari and BJP
Member of Legislative Council Ramji Singh for inciting
communal riots here even as an uneasy calm prevailed
in the curfew-bound town with Rapid Action Force and
Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) jawans patrolling
the streets. Mr Ansari, who was seen moving in an open
jeep escorted by armed guards during the riots, was
booked along with 100 others under various sections of
IPC on charges of inciting riots, murder and violation
of curfew, official sources said. Director-General of
State Police, Yashpal Singh, said raids were going on
to arrest Mr Ansari and action would be taken against
him soon. Mr Ansari on his part blamed the Hindu
Mahasabha for the communal tension and said he would
co-operate with the probe ordered by the State
Government on Monday into the riots. The district
administration also lodged an FIR against BJP member
of Legislative Council, Ramji Singh and some Hindu
Yuva Vahini activists for inciting riots, they said.
Curfew continued for the fifth consecutive day and
shoot-at-sight orders remained in force as jawans of
the Rapid Action Force, PAC and police personnel
patrolled the streets under supervision of senior
officials. Mr. Yashpal Singh, who was here along with
the Principal Secretary, Home, Alok Sinha to review
the situation, also assured that peace would be
restored in the town within a day or two. Seven people
were killed and 36 injured in the riots that erupted
on Thursday last over Dussehra celebrations leading to
imposition of curfew. (The Hindu 19/10/05)

42. City of Taj back to normal (7)
AGRA: A day after clashes broke out between members of
two communities here over allegations of misbehaviour
with a woman who had allegedly stolen clothes from a
store in Subhash Bazar on Sunday, normality returned
to this historic city of the Taj on Monday. For a
change, the bazaar - a hub of wholesale business in
clothes and shoes - remained open on Monday, normally
the weekly holiday. Though business was brisk, some
shopkeepers said customers from far-off areas were
still sceptical about coming all the way. "This is the
festive season and we cannot afford to lose out on
this annual opportunity," said one shopkeeper. All of
them had to down their shutters on Sunday after
violence broke out. One of the sales managers of
Rajkumar and Sons in Subhash Bazar - the point where
it all started - speaking on condition of anonymity
said one of their boys had noticed that a woman had
not paid for the clothes she had taken along with her.
He spotted her at some distance and asked her to pay
up. However, the woman allegedly told the people of
her community that the shop staff had molested her
while frisking her on the pretext of recovering
"stolen" clothes. Following the allegations, some men
from the nearby Mantola locality confronted the
staff. An argument broke out between them and led to
fisticuffs. More and more people joined in from both
sides and began hurling stones. (The Hindu 25/10/05)

43. Mau MLA close to media, far from cops (7)
Lucknow, October 23: SO NEAR, yet so far. It sums up
the cat-and-mouse game between the Uttar Pradesh
police and the Mau strongman, Mukhtar Ansari - the
local MLA - wanted for fanning communal fires during
the October 17 Mau riots. And the cops are cutting a
sorry figure. Readily available to the media, he is
proving slippery for the police, who raided four
places in Lucknow on Sunday. DGP Yash-pal Singh said,
"The arrest is not as easy as was considered." Jointly
addressing a press conference with the DGP, principal
secretary, home, Alok Sinha said efforts were on to
net Ansari. The police had filed an FIR against him
last week in connection with the murder of one Ram
Autar in Mau. But the don-turned-politician cocked a
snook at the STF team, which went to Mau on Thursday
to arrest him, and landed in Lucknow with supporters
in tow. Even the police witness, Jitendra Yadav, who
had slapped the murder charge on Ansari, turned
hostile and "retracted" the allegation. Strangely, the
government has not withdrawn security provided to
Ansari. The DGP said the constables deployed for his
security were also with the absconding MLAs. The Mau
SP has apparently sought the help of the Ghazipur and
the Lucknow police to nab Ansari. Though the DGP
refused to attribute any "political pressure" to the
delay in arresting him, sources said the government
gave the green signal only on Saturday night after a
meeting between chief minister Mu-layam Singh Yadav
and Governor T.V. Rajeswar. The Governor had been to
Mau on Saturday to take stock of the situation.
(Hindustan Times 24/10/05)

44. New twist in Ansari FIR, more violence in Mau:
School burnt (7)
ALLAHABAD OCTOBER 21 : FRESH incidents of arson in
parts of curfew-hit Mau- from where no violence was
reported during the recent riots-has unnerved local
officials even as Jitendra Yadav, who had named Mau
MLA Mukhtar Ansari in an FIR, accusing him of
murdering his brother, turned hostile today. The MLA
was charged with instigating crowds during the recent
riots in Mau. According to the police, three houses, a
shop and a convent school were burnt last night. This
is the first such incident in the riot-hit town after
Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav suspended five
senior officials for laxity in checking the outbreak
of violence. "We will look into the incidents. It is
surprising that such a thing has happened despite
deployment of policemen at all sensitive points," the
DM of Mau, Mukesh Meshram, told media persons. With
GovernorT VRajeshwar Rao scheduled to will Mau
tomorrow, district officials fear he might send an
indicting report to the Centre, like he had done
after visiting Gorakhpur following the outbreak of
Japanese Encephalitis. Meanwhile, Yadav, who was today
presented before the media by Ansari's brother Afzal
Ansari, said he was called to the Kotwali Police
Station on October 17 and asked about the role of
Mukhtar Ansari in the murder of his (Yadav's) brother
Ram Pratap Yadav in Mau on October 14. "Though I
stated clearly that one Haji Vakil Ahmed Simlawale was
responsible for the murder, the police said Mukhtar
Ansari was present on the spot at that time, and made
me sign a paper," he said. He added he was mentally
disturbed and signed the paper but came to know the
details through the media the next day. Yadav said he
met the chief minister this morning and told him what
had actually happened. (Indian Exp 22/10/05)

45. Muslim tea vendor was thrown out of coach in
Godhra (7)
AHMEDABAD: A passenger of the S-6 coach of the
Sabarmati Express told the G.T. Nanavati -K.G. Shah
judicial inquiry commission, probing the Godhra train
carnage and the post-Godhra communal riots in Gujarat,
here on Saturday that a Muslim tea vendor was "thrown"
out of the coach at the Godhra railway station by kar
sevaks travelling in the coach. Virpal Chedilal, who
was travelling in the train with his wife and
daughter-in-law, told the commission that he and some
other passengers were prevented by kar sevaks from
taking tea from the vendor just because he was a
Muslim. The vendor was "bundled out" of the coach by
the slogan-shouting kar sevaks which he believed could
have sparked off the disturbances. He said that when
the train had halted at the Godhra platform, he had
got down to buy some snacks and at that time
"everything looked normal" and there was no tension.
He said all through the journey up to Godhra, the kar
sevak's behaviour with other passengers and railway
officials was "very very bad and rude." Another
passenger, Ram Naresh Gupta, also told the commission
that though he had five confirmed berths in the
adjoining S-7 coach, he was rudely turned down by the
kar sevaks who had occupied them, and he and his
family had to travel sitting at the narrow passage
adjacent to the lavatory in S-6 coach. Both Mr. Virpal
Chedial and Mr. Gupta were late entrants on the list
of witnesses who were included at the request of the
State Government. Both of them claimed that they had
smelt heavy smoke "possibly emanating from burning
petrol-like substance," but both admitted to having
not seen anyone pouring inflammable fluid inside the
compartment. Neither of them had either seen the fire
till they managed to disembark from the coach nor had
any idea how the fire started. But both of them were
convinced that in the packed coach, carrying not less
than 250 passengers, it was not possible for anyone
to ignite a stove. Mr. Gupta said he heard some noise
which could be caused by breaking of some "glass
bottles" but had no idea from where they came and what
these contained. (The Hindu 23/10/05)

46. Communal clashes in Agra, PAC deployed (7)
AGRA, OCTOBER 23: Tension prevailed in Agra after
police fired in the air to disperse rioters following
clashes between Hindu shopkeepers and Muslim residents
here today that left several injured. Provincial Armed
Constabulary (PAC) personnel were finally deployed to
patrol trouble-torn areas in Mantola locality, where
the clashes broke out, as the district administration
described the situation as ''tense but under
control''. A near-curfew like situation prevailed in
the locality with police forcing residents to stay
indoors, official sources said. The trouble erupted
following an altercation between a Muslim woman and
the owner of a garment shop, police said.
Subsequently, some youths confronted the shopkeeper
while other traders rushed to his help, they added.
Soon, the situation acquired communal overtones as
members of the two communities traded blows and
indulged in stone-pelting, said police. (Indian Exp
24/10/05)

47.  108 riot accused set free (7)
Baroda, Oct. 25: A Baroda fast-tra court on Tuesday
acquitted 108 persons accused in the Makarpura rioting
and murder case. They were arrested by the Makarpura
police for killing Munna Khan Pathan and Sakir at
Laxminagar Turning, in the Tarsali area of Baroda
city, on March 13, 2002. Though fast-track court judge
P.N. Atodaria acquitted 108 accused persons, the
court questioned the role of the police and indicted
it for failing to prevent the violence. Judge P.N.
Atodaria acquitted the 108 accused persons because the
complainants failed to submit any concrete evidence
against them. Mr Atodaria said that Makarpura police
sub-inspector N.J. Vaneja, who was present at the
place, did not inform his superiors about the
incident, did not ask for any extra police personnel,
and encouraged rioting. Mr Atodaria gave the decision
after getting statements from 45 eyewitnesses and
people injured in the riot that day. However, the
police did not conduct any identity parade before
eye-witnesses in this,case. The court said that "in
srjite of policemen being present when the incident
occurred they could not identify the accused persons,
and that if they had taken enough precautions the
incident could have been prevented." The accused were
part of a crowd between 2,000 and 2,500 people who
also set on fire two motorcycles at the place and
damaged two Tempos carrying a few Muslim families by
throwing stones at them. The accused were also
carrying deadly weapons, like knives and swords. Five
or six people were injured in the stone-throwing.
(Asian Age 26/10/05)

48. Bill recommends riot-sensitive tag for areas,
unclear on authority (7)
NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 28: THE Communal Harmony Bill
cleared by the Union Cabinet calls for declaring an
area "communally sensitive" before the proposed act
comes into play but surprisingly, the Centre is yet to
decide who will declare an area "communally
disturbed". The note circulated to the Cabinet, which
The Indian Express has accessed, does not specify who
will be responsible for declaring an area "communally
sensitive". Moreover, the Centre has not been able to
decide on the parameters to be followed to declare an
area "communally sensitive". Though initially the Home
ministry had sought to empower itself to rush central
forces to "communally sensitive" areas and take charge
of the situation, these provisions do not figure in
the final draft sent to the Cabinet. In its present
shape, the act focuses more on "relief and
rehabilitation" for victims and "speedy justice". The
bill proposes the formation of "councils" at the
district, state and the central levels for monitoring
relief, rehabilitation and administration of the area
as long as it continues to be notified as "communally
sensitive". The act proposes more stringent penal
sentence against the guilty and trial by "special
courts". It also makes it mandatory for the police to
establish centres for recording of First Information
Reports (FIR) in the affected localities and also in
the relief camps whenever set up. The very declaration
of an area as "communally sensitive", however, is
likely to hit a hurdle. If states are granted the
power, it would defeat the very purpose of having such
a legislation. (Indian Express 29/11/05)

49. UP riots over cow slaughter (7)
Lucknow, Nov. 5: One person died and 13 were injured
in communal clashes in three villages in Barabanki
district on Friday evening. Twelve persons have been
arrested and additional forces have been deployed in
the villages. The station officer of Mohammadpur Khala
has been  suspended for dereliction of duty and the
circle officer has been transferred. District
magistrate Ashish Goyal said that the situation was
tense, but under control. The clashes were the fallout
of escalating communal tension in the area following
an incident of cow slaughter on Diwali. According to
reports, on the night of Diwali two local youths
Chakkane and Gufran, slaughtered a cow and were found
selling the meat. This led to verbal clashes and
tension between two communities, but local police
officials immediately swung into action and pacified
the two groups after promising action against the
offenders. Two days later, when one group found that
no action has been taken against Chakkane and Gufran
and the two were roaming freely in the village, it led
to a free-for-all in which about two dozen houses were
burnt down and two shops were gutted. As violence
spread to two adjoining villages, senior district
officials rushed in with additional forces and brought
the situation under control. A case for inciting
communal violence has been filed against 12 persons
and efforts are on to arrest the two youth responsible
for the clashes. (Asian Age 6/11/05)

50. Tension in Mau areas; night curfew continues (7)
Mau (U.P.): Tension gripped Sabzi Mandi and Hatti
Madari areas here on Tuesday following arson and
stone-pelting even as the night curfew continued in
the riot-torn town. Some people tried to set ablaze a
house in the Sabzi Mandi area but a police picket
reached the spot forcing them to flee, police said.
Stones were hurled at some houses in Hatti Madari
triggering tension, they said. Security personnel,
however, prevented the situation from going out of
control. Curfew was clamped in the town following
communal clashes during Dussehra festival in which 12
people were killed and 40 others injured. (The Hindu
16/11/05)

51. Mau probe indicts BJP MP (7)
Lucknow, November 20: A THREE-member probe panel led
by senior IPS officer VN. Rai, ADG (vigilance), set up
to probe last month's Mau riots has indicted BJP MP
Yogi Adityanath. It said the MP - with considerable
clout in eastern Uttar Pradesh - had a role in the
flare-up and "intervention of secular forces was
essential to stop communalism." The state would have
to show its will power, otherwise, several other Maus
can happen, the report inferred. According to the
report, Yogi functioned through different fronts like
the Hindu Yuva Vahani, Hindu Jagran Manch, Sri Ram
Shakti Prakoshtha, Gorakhnath, Purvanchal Vikas Manch,
Vishwa Hindu Mahasabha and the Hindu Mahasabha.
Accusing the district administration of failing to
control the riots, the report said it was the most
violent of all flare-ups. For the first time, rioters
organized themselves in "such a systematic manner",
the report added. The report also cited many firsts.
Schools and hospitals belonging to the minority
community were vandalized and religious places of a
particular community desecrated. Powerlooms - the
textile town's lifeline - were also destroyed.
However, not everything was lost, the report noted.
"There were saner elements, who risked their lives to
protect people." The report also took a dig at Mukhtar
Ansari -often dubbed the Mau strongman. "It is common
belief that the Mau district administration used to
dance to Ansari's tune and officers of his choice were
appointed in the district. Such an administration
might have been good for other things, but countering
communal riots was not possible for these officers.
That is why the riot continued," the report hit out.
(Hindustan Times 21/11/05)

52. Mulayam says no to judicial probe into Mau riots
(7)
LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh
Yadav on Wednesday rejected the Opposition demand for
a Central Bureau of Investigation or judicial probe
into the recent Mau communal riots. Protesting the
decision, the entire Opposition, including the
Bharatiya Janata Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and
the Congress, staged a noisy walkout from the
Assembly after a four-hour discussion. Mr. Yadav said
a three-member enquiry committee headed by the
chairperson, Revenue Board, and former Chief
Secretary, Neera Yadav, would be asked to give its
report at the earliest. "If the members were not
satisfied with the report the government would
consider a judicial probe." A sum of Rs. 5 crores
would be spent for reconstruction work in Mau town.
Denying allegations that the government stood a mute
spectator during the riots, he said it was its harsh
measures that resulted in the "instant controlling"
of violence. The Chief Minister gave a clean chit to
Mukhtar Ansari (Independent MLA from Mau) and said the
Hindu Vahini instigated communal violence. "The
government would be forced to take strict action
against the Vahini, an outfit of the B JP MP from
Gorakhpur Yogi Adityanath, if it did not give up its
evil design to divide society." The House witnessed
noisy scenes when Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey did not
allow the lone Hindu Mahasabha member Radha Mohan Das
Agrawal to participate in the discussion. Later, he
was allowed to speak at the intervention of the Chief
Minister. (The Hindu 24/11/05)

53. Cabinet approves communal violence bill (7)
NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 24: THERE shouldn't be another
Godhra, but the government will be better prepared in
that eventuality. As per the National Common Minimum
Programme, the UPA Cabinet today approved the
Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and
Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill, 2005. Briefing
mediapersons, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said
the Bill would be introduced in Parliament and the
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will put the draft
provisions of the Bill on its web-site so that a
widespread, informed debate can take place on the
same. Asked if the Bill included a provision that
allowed the  Centre to prevail over states, Mukherjee
replied in the affirmative. This is a significant
provision as law and order is a state subject.
According to the preamble to the Bill, it is in
exercise of the constitutional "duty of the Union to
protect States against external aggression and
internal disturbance". Though the exact provisions of
the Bill approved by the Cabinet today are not known
yet, an earlier draft finalised by the MHA, envisioned
giving the Centre unprecedented powers over states.
Moreover, it equipped the armed forces with draconian
powers of arrest, search and seizure and called for
special courts to try cases, even arming them with
the power to extern people "likely to commit a
scheduled offence". However, before the draft reached
the Cabinet, the Home Ministry version of the Bill was
studied by the Prime Minister's Office and the
National Advisory Council headed by Congress
president Sonia Gandhi. (Indian Express 25/11/0555)

54. Mau tense after lynching of youth (7)
Varanasi, November 26: THE SCARS of the recent riots
still fresh, Mail witnessed communal tension again on
Friday after a youth from the minority community was
lynched by a mob for sexually assaulting a minor girl.
Markets remained closed and demonstrations were held
on Saturday to protest the assault on the minor.
According to sources, the 13-year-old, a resident of
Mahrania under Kotwali police station, had left home
to dump some waste but did not return for a long time.
Her worried family members were told that some youth
had taken her inside a powerloom unit in Kyaritola
area. A mob accompanied the girl's family to the
powerloom unit and found the girl unconscious. The
furious mob then got hold of Mohammad Khursheed, a
youth present there, and beat him up. Khursheed, who
was critically injured, was taken to Varanasi for
treatment where he was declared brought dead. The news
spread like wildfire, bringing back communal tension
in the area. Additional police force had to be
deployed in several areas of the town to prevent
violence. (Hindustan Times 27/11/05)

55. Bihar MPs fight over killings in East Champaran
(7)
NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 13: Bihar's RJD members clashed
with JD(U) and BJP members of the state in the Lok
Sabha today forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House
for lunch 15 minutes before schedule. RJD members
targeted the newly elected Nitish Kumar government,
saying that fear psychosis has gripped the minority
community in Bihar following the killing of five
persons in broad daylight in east Champaran district.
Raising the issue during zero hour, Devendra Prasad
Yadav demanded that the Centre seek a report from the
JD(U)-BJP government immediately, and a committee
visit Bihar for an on-the-spot study of the situation.
Taking a dig at the Kumar government, Ram Kripal
Yadav, also of RJD, said that such incidents were
taking place in the regime of those who had promised
good governance. ''As soon as they came to power, such
attacks on minorities have started taking place. Such
a government should be dismissed,'' he said.
Countering the charge, Prabhunath Singh of JD(U), and
some BJP members, said that the killings were due to a
land dispute and minorities were not targeted. RJD
members, including Raghunath Jha, insisted of having
their say in spite of speaker Somnath Chatterjee
making it clear that only those who had given notices
would be allowed to speak. The members continued to
protest, and the Speaker adjourned the house. (Indian
Exp 14/12/05)

56. "Treat communal violence as genocide" (7)
NEW DELHI: Activists, lawyers, politicians, and
citizens concerned have urged the Government to change
the provisions of the Communal Violence (Prevention,
Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill to
incorporate the definition of genocide and criminalise
mass crimes committed with State complicity. The Bill
was tabled in the Rajya Sabha during the
just-concluded winter session. At a meeting here on
Saturday, Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP
Nilotpal Basu said there was a need to question the
assumption in the Bill that communalism was promoted
by the State Government and prevented by the Central
Government. Recommending that any law on communal
violence empower civil society organisations, he said
that Parliamentary debates on the Gujarat pogrom had
depended heavily on reports by the National Human
Rights Commission (NHRC) and civil society
organisations. Social activist and co-editor of
Communalism Combat Teesta Setalvad said that
state-sponsored violence needed special responses. She
said an alternative drafted by civil society
organisations had defined `genocide,' `crimes against
humanity,' and included a `chain of command
responsibility.' She said the NHRC should be given a
statutory role in preventing and controlling communal
violence and overseeing rehabilitation efforts. Nithya
Ramakrishnan, lawyer, said courts should have the
power to take cognisance of these crimes without
having to wait for the State Government to declare the
area `communally disturbed.'  Some felt that a
separate law was not needed. T.N. Misra, former
Director-General Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
said: "The need is of good officers who are committed
to the ideals enshrined in the Constitution. If
impartial, competent, honest officers are posted,
there is no need for another bill. The laws of the
land, as they exist today, are sufficient to prevent
communal violence."  (The Hindu 25/12/05)

57. Police avert communal clash near Anand  (7)
AHMEDABAD: About half-a-dozen auto rickshaws and shops
were damaged and set on fire in a communal clash at
Napadwanta village near Anand town in central Gujarat
on Thursday. Timely intervention by the police,
however, managed to avert a riot after a youth was
stabbed and seriously wounded by some members of the
rival community following quarrel over occupying a
seat in a State bus. (The Hindu 2/12/05)

58. Relative of Mau MLA surrenders (7)
LUCKNOW: One of the 10 accused in the sensational
killing of BJP legislator Krishnanand Rai on Thursday
surrendered in a Ghazipur court. Ejaj-ul-Haq, a
relative of controversial Mau Independent MLA Mukhtar
Ansari, surrendered before the Ghazipur Chief Judicial
Magistrate (CJM), who remanded him to 14-day judicial
custody. He was later sent to jail. Ansari, who is
also accused in the high-profile murder case, is
already lodged in jail in another case. Meanwhile,
resentment prevailed in east Uttar Pradesh districts
over the gruesome assassination of Mr Rai. His last
rites were performed amid stepped-up security at
Varanasi on Wednesday night. Even as the BJP protest
continued, party president Lal Krishna Advani is
slated to visit Ghazipur on December 6 to offer
condolences to the bereaved family. Mr Advani,
possibly with some senior national leaders, would
visit Mr Rai's native place, the State BJP spokesman
said here. A dharna to protest the daylight killing of
the MLA continued for the third day in Varanasi on
Thursday with the State BJP president, Keshari Nath
Tripathi, leading it. Senior party leaders Rajnath
Singh and Kalarj Mishra also sat on the dharna
demanding a CBI probe into the incident. According to
a report from Varanasi, Chief Minister Mulayam Singh
Yadav had telephoned Rajnath Singh and urged him to
discontinue the indefinite dharna. A report from
Ghazipur said an agitated mob had vandalised and set
afire the Tazpur railway station in the district. On
Wednesday night, Karimuddinpur railway station was
also damaged by a rampaging mob protesting the
killing. (The Hindu 2/12/05)

59. Civil society groups critkise Communal Violence
Bill (7)
NEW DELHI: Civil society groups and individuals across
the country have criticised the Communal Violence
(Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation Bill), which
the Central Government introduced in the Rajya Sabha
on December 5. Rejecting the Bill, they called upon
the Government to consult all stakeholders and civil
society groups and prepare a new law, which would
strengthen the hands of citizens to make the
Government accountable. In a statement, 42
organisations and individuals said the Government had
not consulted civil society groups or try to forge a
consensus on the Bill. Citing  the  Gujarat  instance
where the State Government was found to be
'complicit' in the violence against Muslims by many
independent investigations, the statement said that
instead of giving the Government more powers, the
law should concentrate on giving citizens the power to
hold the Government accountable and criminally liable
for their acts of omission and commission and failure
to protect or rehabilitate victims and failure to
punish the guilty. Emphasising that the Bill did not
provide for punishment against public servants who
failed to prevent communal violence, it said the Bill
required prior consent of the State Government to
prosecute public servants. The statement said the
existing power of the Central Government to intervene
in cases where the State Government had a hand in the
violence was negated by a provision, which required
the Centre to seek permission of the State
Governments for such an intervention.  (The Hindu
18/12/05)

60. Majnu row acquires communal colour (7)
Meerut : The Meerut controversy over police brutality
on couples in a park took a queer turn on Thursday
with Bajrang Dal volunteers behaving like moral police
in another park as the custodians of law stood around
like mute spectators. On their part, Samajwadi Party
activists have blamed the police of being communal as
most of the boys rounded up under Operation Majnu
belong to the minority community. Meanwhile, the
status of the Senior Superintendent of Police RR Verma
remained wrapped in mystery through the day. While the
city was agog with rumours of his transfer, his
seniors here, the Zonal Inspector General of Police
and Deputy Inspector General of Police, remained mum.
Secretary (Home) Alok Sinha told The Pioneer from
Lucknow that Verma was away on two day's leave.
Bajrang Dal activists attacked couples in Gandhi Park
giving Samajwadi Party activists an opportunity to
claim that they had targeted youths of the Muslim
community. The Shiv Sena and the Bajrang Dal took out
processions on Thursday and burnt effigies of Chief
Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. Then activists of these
outfits went to Gandhi Park on Thursday afternoon and
chased couples sitting there talking to each other.
These activists beat up the couples but policemen on
duty there refused to come to the aid of the hapless
youth. "We will not allow Muslim youth spoil the girls
of Hindu community," said Sanjay Bajpai, an
office-bearer of Bajrang Dal. Meanwhile in a
damage-control exercise, the Uttar Pradesh Government
has ordered a probe by a DIG into the beating up of
couples by police and Chief Minister Mulayam Singh
Yadav promised stern action against errant officials.
The Government also decided to conduct administrative
inquiry to "fix responsibility" on the officials
involved in 'Operation Majnu' which triggered a
nationwide outcry over moral policing. "I admit the
mistake committed by the police. I am totally with the
young couples. Action has been initiated against some
police officials connected in this matter," Mr Yadav
told reporters in Delhi. (Pionneer. 23/12/05)

============================================================
HR News is an electronic News Bulletin on Human Rights
Violations and related subjects freely transmitted by
the Human Rights and Law Unit (HRLU) of the Indian
Social Institute. It is a collection of previously
published news and views from the print as well as the
electronic media. HRLU neither claims to the veracity
of the facts in the news nor subscribes to the views
expressed. If you want to UNSUBSCRIBE, please,
contact: hru@unv.ernet.in




HUMAN RIGHTS & LAW  UNIT (hrlu)
INDIAN SOCIAL INSTITUTE
Centre for Reseach, Training and Action for
Socio-Economic Development and Human Rights
Lodhi Road, New Delhi - 110003 (INDIA)
Email: hru@unv.ernet.in, Phone:24622379/ 24625015
Web Site : http://www.isidelhi.com