Madhya Pradesh NGOs advocate strong law to deal with communal violence

BHOPAL: On the 21st anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, various voluntary organizations called for a concrete law to deal with communal violence. They also discussed the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2011 and demanded that the Union government should introduce the bill in the Rajya Sabha for deliberations.

At a function held here on Friday at Gandhi Bhavan, the gathering paid tribute to Nelson Mandela and his constant fight against apartheid.

Speaking at the venue, L S Hardenia from National Secular Manch said, "Even before the bill is introduced in Parliament, it has been hinted that the bill would divide the society into minority and general categories. The negative publicity is being spearheaded by those who are involved in communal hatred."

Yogesh Dewan from People's Research Society said that the bill provides safety to all the religious and language minorities including dalits, tribals, etc, from communal and targeted violence and the bill should be discussed at length in the society before ratification.

"The Indian Constitution guarantees secularism and safety for all. Communalism is a national issue and past experiences have shown that the state cannot be entrusted with dealing with communal violence and bringing the errant to task. Hence, a central law is required in this regard," said Asha Misha from Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (BGVS).

Finally Javed Anis from New Socialist Initiative opined that communalism is a challenge for the largest democracy in the world. "The bill ensures proper compensation for both minorities and the general category in case of loss of life and property during any occurrence of communal violence," he said.

Besides, representatives from Nagarik Adhikar Manch also participated.