Communal Violence Bill inadequate

Our correspondent

NEW DELHI: A group of intellectuals on Sunday termed the Communal Violence (Prevention and Rehabilitation of Victims) bill 2009 as inadequate to check bloodshed in the country. They demanded necessary amendments in the Bill so that the law could prove as shield to the vulnerable section of the society. They were of the  view that unless the perpetrators of the communal violence is not dealt with strictly, the incident would continue to occur in different part of the country.

They were speaking at seminar organized by the All India Milli Council and the Institute of Objective Studies on the subject.

Noted economist and the socialist Abu Saleh Sharif said that more than fifty percent of the India’s population was poor and they became victim of violence during the communal riots hence they need special law to be protected from the killers.

Commenting on the incident of partiality in the judiciary, the former IPS officer the former vice chancellor of the Agara university, Manzor Ahmad said that how could we forget the killing of eleven inmate in Fatehagarh jail during Meerut riots in 1987. “They were all in judicial custody and were killed” he said.

He said that there need of political will in the government to punish responsible officials. “There should be no need to take permission from government to file cases against guilty officers” he said.

Christian leader and human right activist John Dayal said that there were five stages of the whole issue but the Bill was silent on four. He said that there is nothing in the bill to maintain communal harmony. Remembering kandhamal riots he said there was no law there for 40 day. He said that even the judges who are made to look into the cases are known for their communal biasness.

The IOS chairman Dr.Manzor Alam said that the aim of the debate was to highlight shortcoming in the bill and hoped that that government would take a recourse of it. Noted lawyer Hatim Muchala and other also spoke on the occasion.

Earlier All India Muslim Personal Law Board has also demanded recall of the Bill.