THE COMMUNAL RIOTS BILL

The last few weeks saw high voltage drama surrounding the controversial women’s quota bill. Though the bill has been passed in the Rajya Sabha, it still has to pass the acid test in the Lok Sabha. But there is one other bill that is bound to create a huge debate if not less when it is introduced in the parliament. The much delayed bill which should have become a legislation much earlier- the ‘communal riots’ bill.

One of the basic foundations of the strong Indian republic has been its emphasis on secularism. But a country that is home to more than half a dozen religions of this world

has been battered by bloody communal riots after periodic intervals. Communal riots have been part of Indian history for centuries but even independent India has seen thousands of lives lost in communal riots between communities. Among the many the more impactful ones include the hindu-muslim riots post partition in 1947, hindu-sikh riots in 1984 post Indira Gandhi’s assassination, hindu-muslim riots in 1992-93 post the Babri mosque demolition, the Gujarat riots of 2002 & the Orissa riots in 2008-09.

Right wing groups like the RSS, Bajrang dal have described the latest move as a ‘minority appeasement’ policy of the Congress. But human right groups && NGOs are blaming the bill’s current content as anti- minority. The current bill does not hold the police machinery or politicians accountable for the riots between two communities. It is this contentious issue against which human right groups are voicing their concerns. The current bill could become a weapon in the hands of the state machinery to use it against the minorities.

They have a valid point as the bill does not hold the police & people in power accountable. The Ehsan Jaffri case during the 2002 Gujarat riots is a good example to illustrate this point. According to Jaffri’s widow they made innumerable telephone calls to the city police commissioner when a huge mob started gathering outside Jaffri’s house. But the police refused to help them. Eventually Jaffri and dozens were pulled out from the house and hacked to death. Similarly, the sexual crimes committed against the victims is also been treated as ‘rape’. It is imperative to realize that sexual violence is a lethal weapon used by rioters to terrorize the victims.

It is vital for the bill to hold the state administration, police & above all the state government accountable for the riots. It has been proved in all the riot cases that section of the police and the state government encourage rioting between communities. Technically they are bigger culprits as compared to the actual rioters. The bill should be brought in for public debates so that changes can be made intune with the ground reality.

This bill is not only crucial to preserve riot victims but also highly critical to keep the secular fabric of India intact. If the government does not make the necessary changes as voiced by various groups then the bill would be complete eyewash. And the likes of Tytlers, Sajjans & Modis would continue to haunt & rape the secular credentials of this nation for years to come.

26/11 & 6TH DECEMBER: TWO DATES, ONE REALITY

26/11 & 6th December are separate dates on the calendar, but they share one reality- Attack on the ‘Idea of India’. This term was used by Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram for the 26/11 attack, but it perfectly describes both the events in a nut shell.

The demolition of the Babri Mosque was the most shameful day for the Republic of India. The image of a nation that was built on the foundation of equality & secular credentials was shattered. The demolition of the mosque triggered a series of awful events that have battered us in the name of religion for 17 years. From the Hindu-Muslim riots in December 92’ which claimed 3000 lives to the first bloody bomb blast of Bombay on 12th March 93’ by Dawood Ibrahim in the name of Babri revenge which claimed 250 lives to the Godhra carnage in Feb 2002 to the Hindu-Muslims riots in Gujarat in March 2002 to the series of bomb blast in Mumbai including the devastating train blast of 2006 to the bomb blasts at temples in Varanasi, & Akshardham to the bomb blasts at mosques in Delhi & Hyderabad to the bomb blasts of Jaipur & Goa. They all have a connection and that is, ‘violence in the name of religion’. to the series of bomb blast in Mumbai including the devastating train blast of 2006 to the bomb blasts at temples in Varanasi, & Akshardham to the bomb blasts at mosques in Delhi & Hyderabad to the bomb blasts of Jaipur & Goa. They all have a connection and that is, ‘violence in the name of religion’.

The Liberhan commission which was set up in the aftermath of the Babri mosque demolition finally came out with its finding after 17 years. The report was much criticized by the political class & the media for the lack of fair assessment and indictment. While A.B. Vajpayee indictment came as surprise for many, it was the clean chit to then PM, Narasimha Rao that raised questions on the credibility of the report. The indictment of Advani, VHP, and RSS etc in the report was nothing new as everyone knew they were the principal culprits for the demolition. The biggest failure of both the report & the government was the refusal to take any action against the culprits. Advani still remains the leader of opposition; in fact this report almost gave him a chance to resurrect his political career. But the government’s refusal to take any direct action has left everyone high and dry. The end result- after 17 years, a 1000 page flawed report submitted with no action. The culprits remain where they were and everyone has forgotten or rather don’t care about justice! Politicians survive and politics wins over justice.

The first anniversary of 26/11 saw huge coverage across the media. The turn out of people for the memorials & 26/11 programmes was not overwhelming. Last year on 3rd December, India Gate saw a legion of celebrities, businessmen, youngsters & Mumbaikars crowding up to pay their tributes and they took an oath to change the system. 1 year after 26/11, what has changed? The Kasab case is still on and in all certainty he will be hanged sooner or later. But how does it change the vulnerability surrounding our security? The main culprits- the Hafiz Saeeds and Maulana Azhars are still roaming scot free. Zakiur Rehaman Lakhnavi is arrested but there are no signs of a speedy trial against him. Saeed continues to run his ‘Attack India’ factory, churning out more and more Kasabs. Pakistan continues to blame India for the lack of evidence against Hafiz Saeed. India has been pushing the U.S to pressurize Pakistan to act against the culprits but Obama’s top priority is Afghanistan and for that he needs Pakistan. Media investigations also exposed the embarrassing reaction of the top brass of the Mumbai police when they failed to take swift action on the night of 26/11. And to top it all- R.R. Patil the Home minister of Maharashtra at the time of the attack has been re-inducted into the government as a ‘Home Minister’ again!! Politicians & police win again. Who cares about accountability? Civil society continues to only talk. All the anger that was displayed last year has fizzled out.

26/11 was again an attack on the ‘Idea of India’. Taj Mahal hotel & Oberoi hotel were the two hospitality icons of the financial capital that represented the healthy India. CST station on the other hand where maximum number of people died is the lifeline for the ‘common man’ who travels by train. The Nariman house & Leopold café saw many foreigners, mostly tourists loosing their lives. All these 4 places represented the secular, plural & diverse India.

These two events are significant not only because they were tragic in nature but also because they jolted the ‘idea of India’. The only silver lining was that while India got divided into Hindus & Muslims on the 6th December 92’, it was the appalling 26/11 attack that bridged the divide. But the battle to preserve the ‘idea’ continues.