Pragna Bharati Press release on Memorandum to Governor of Andhra Pradesh on Communal Violence Bill 2011canvas for life

Pragna Bharati Press release on Memorandum to Governor of Andhra Pradesh on Communal Violence Bill 2011

Dt: 10/11/11

Pragna Bharathi, Andhra Pradesh :

Press Release:

Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and

Reparations) Bill 2011-Memorandum to the Governor of A.P .

Memorandum to His Excellency, the Governor of Andhra Pradesh.

Sarvasri Dr T.H.Chowdary of Pragna Bharathi, Js. S.Parvatha Rao, Gen ARK Reddy, Maj.Gen. A.B.Gorthi, former Directors General of Police Sri K. Aravinda Rao, Sri Roddam Prabhakara Rao and Prof. D. Manohara Rao, formerly of Osmania University met with His Excellency the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Sri ESL.Narasimhan at 1600 Hrs. on Thursday, 10-11-11 at the Raj Bhawan and submitted a Memorandum urging upon him to forward the Memorandum to the Prime Minister and the President of India.

2. The Memorandum says inter alia, that the above Bill is subversive of the federal nature of the Indian state in that even as the maintenance of law & order is the primary responsibility of the State, a Commission constituted under the above Bill comprising of five members of whom the Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary have to be from the minority communities could recommend the imposition of President’s rule by dismissing the State government of the state in which a communal riot takes place and is not immediately controlled. It bypasses the Governor of the state who recommends the imposition of President’s rule. The Bill presumes that the majority community, that is, Hindus are ever intent upon creating communal riots to eliminate the minorities and therefore every communal riot is always started only by Hindus.

[This flies in the face of the facts to the contrary. In her well researched book, “Politics of Communalism”, Zenab Banu, a Muslim scholar, had presented an analysis of 74 communal riots between 1953 and 1977. She came to the conclusion that nearly 75% of these communal riots were started by Muslims).

Another researcher Sri Ram Kumar Ohri, IPS (Retd) found that in the first four months of the calendar year 2006, there were six (6) communal riots, all on Fridays; 3-02-06 Dhar (MP; 10-02-2006 Leh (J&K);17-02-2006 Muzafarnagar (UP); 24-02-2006, Karwan locality of Hyderabad (A.P); 03-03-2006, Lucknow (UP); 10-030-2006 Bengaluru and 24-04-2006, Thane (MH)].

3. According to the Bill any person of a minority community can lodge an FIR at the nearest Police Station saying that so and so of the majority community made such and such a speech or spoke or sang so and so thing which offends the sentiments of the minority and is likely to lead to rioting. He need not give his name or address . The Police Station is obligated to register the complaint and arrest the person accused. It has to further periodically report to the complainant about the progress of prosecuting the offender.

4. Rioting between two minority communities namely Christians & Muslims is not a communal riot. Rioting between say Kamma/ Reddy/ Kapus is not a communal riot. Only if either Muslims or Christians are involved as one group it is a communal riot. If Sunnis & Shias fight with one another, it is not a communal riot. It is obvious that the Bill is aimed at silencing Hindus and make them submit to the minorities, especially when religious conversions are objected to or resisted by Hindus .

5. This Bill slanders and calumniates the majority community, that is Hindus. The Memorialists requested His Excellency the Governor to convey to the President and Prime Minister their apprehensions and their request that this Bill should not be proceeded with. They have also pointed out that the Bill was drafted by the National Advisory Council which constituted another Advisory group of over 20 people half of whom are from the minorities and the rest are known Hindu- baiters.