Occurrence of riots at regular interval reminds us that the thread of secularism has weakened and the call for a pledge to strengthen the foundation and the essence of secularism was expected and desired on the Independence Day from our Prime Minister while addressing the nation from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort. We have celebrated Independence Day amidst communal tension at various places in the country. Decades down the line, we became Independent but surely have not grown mature enough to feel and keep up the spirit of Unity in Diversity, which is the basic component of democracy and secularism.
However, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in his 30-minute speech, on the eve of Independence Day, touched the issue of communal rift within the country and cautioned that this would harm the democratic setup in the country. He categorically said there can be no place for narrow and sectarian ideologies in a modern, progressive and secular country as they divide society and weaken democracy.
The frequency of riots may differ from one year to another, and sometime it may go up or come down but can we imagine the possibility of a riot-free India in a decade or so. It sounds more like a wishful thinking and pragmatically impossible. Recently, riots in Nawada in Bihar and Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir or many other small communal incidents that could have been flared up by the perpetrators of the communal violence have either been diffused by timely action or people responding maturely to such provocations in two to three places in Uttar Pradesh and half a dozen in Bihar. As per available reports, Intelligence agencies have informed the government that the Kishtwar riot was fuelled by Bajarang Dal.
However, in a veiled attack, Nitish government has also said that the riots in Bihar could be the handiwork of communal forces or anti-social elements. The finger of suspicion has also been raised towards BJP and its affiliates. There are also reports that since the breakaway of BJP and JD-U there have been more than a dozen communal clashes in Bihar and that too in the JDU stronghold.
According to another report, as many as 104 cases of communal tension have been reported in Uttar Pradesh in 2012. Communal incidents took place in Faizabad, Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Bareilly, Pratapgarh, Mathura, Meerut, Allahabad and Lucknow, Bhadohi and Kanpur. Maharashtra was at second place with 83 cases, followed by Madhya Pradesh 78 cases and Karnataka 54 cases. In 2009, UP had registered 159 cases,121 cases in 2010 and 84 cases in 2011.
During 2012, according to a report released by the Home Ministry, there were 668 incidents of communal violence in India where 94 people were killed and 3,117 were injured as compared to 580 communal incidents which left 91 dead and injured 1,899 people in 2011. In 2010, the number of communal violence reported was 701 in which 116 people lost their life and 2138 were injured. In 2009, there were 719 incidents of communal violence that killed 117 people and 2298 people were injured. In 2008, the number of incidents of communal violence was 656 which killed 123 people and rendered 2272 people injured.
In 2007, the number of communal violence was 681 in which 96 people were killed and 2117 were injured. In 2006, out of 698 communal incidents the number of people killed was 133 and the number of people got injured was 2170. In 2005, the total number of communal incidents reported was 779, in which 124 people were killed and 2066 people were injured. In 2004, the total number of communal violence reported was 640, in which 129 people were killed and 2022 people were injured.
According to a report filed by Zeeshan Shaikh in Indian Express on 12 August, in the last two decades, the number of cases of rioting registered countrywide has fallen 28 percent from 1.04 lakh in 1992 to 74, 633 in 2012. In the early 1990s, Rajasthan, UP and Bihar consistently accounted for over 40percent of the total, but they have brought their numbers down. Rajasthan, in particular, has come down from a high percentage of a high total to a low share in a low total.
In 1992, it’s 18,424 cases accounted to 17.58 percent of the 1.04 lakh countrywide, and in 1998, its share rose to 23.66 percent i.e. 21, 379 out of 90,329. In 2012, it shows a mere 0.76 percent (573 of 74633). Bihar continues to account for a high proportion (14 percent) but its total is down from 15,067 to 10, 938 in 20 years, while UP’s share has fallen from 10 percent to under 8 percent. In the last six months of Akhilesh government half a dozen of communal violence was reported in the state.
As per figure available, in 1991 Muslims who constituted 12.4 percent of the total population the Muslim riot victims were 80 percent and the latest figure available suggests that Muslims constitute 90 percent of riots victims. According to a study of Dr. Vibhuti Nariain Rai, a police officer, mass violence has been mainly against religious minorities.
The religious minorities also suffer from the institutional bias at the hands of the police, bureaucracy and other state institutions. According to Gopal Singh Committee Report (1983) from 1971 to 1979 only 2 per cent Muslims were recruited in Indian Police Service. Sachar Committee Report reveals that the share of Muslims in these activities at the Central government level was only about 6 per cent.
However, the Communal Violence Bill,as hoped by many, could have in one way or the other helped control communal violence in some way.But Communal Violence Bill has got lost in its words and usage and also because of lackadaisical approach of the government.
The draft bill imposes duties on the Central and the State governments and their officers to exercise their powers in an impartial and non-discriminatory manner to prevent and control targeted violence, including mass violence, against religious or linguistic minorities, SCs and STs. So far Communal Violence Bill has been dumped many times for one reason or another.
