The Hindu : Sonia offers support for rehabilitation in Gujarat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 20, 2002

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National

Sonia offers support for rehabilitation in Gujarat
By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 19. The Opposition Leader, Sonia Gandhi, has written to the Prime Minister offering her party's support to relief and rehabilitation efforts in Gujarat, provided they were undertaken with sincerity.

Ms. Gandhi attached a background note about the situation in the State and the remedial measures needed to be taken. Stressing the need for an urgent action to restore confidence and a sense of security among the people, she called upon the Central and State Governments to move swiftly to alleviate the suffering of the people.

She hoped that there would be no discrimination and relief distribution would be done in a non-partisan manner. She stressed the need to make arrangements to provide for the orphaned children, and compensation to families who had lost their near and dear ones, and easy loans and access to grants to those whose business and property were destroyed.

Ms. Gandhi also emphasised the need to activate peace committees comprising respectable members of both communities to bring back communal harmony and trust. She highlighted the need to sensitise the police to handle their duties impartially.

In the background note forwarded to the Prime Minister, Ms. Gandhi underscored the need to take immediate steps to trace the large number of people who had gone missing because of the riots. She urged the Prime Minister to direct the Chief Secretary and the Home Secretary to instruct the police authorities to register complaints against the rioters and killers and immediate action against them.

Ms. Gandhi referred to the pitiable condition of the relief camps and suggested various measures that they should take. These included regular cleaning of the camps, visits by doctors and enough rations. Additional clothing is also needed, as some of the people in the camp only had the clothes they were wearing.

The Opposition Leader referred to the large number of women and orphans, and stressed the need for special assistance to them through the women and child welfare programmes. She called for legal help to the victims to help them bring to book those who engineered the riots, and the setting up of the special courts in the districts for the prompt disposal of the cases related to the riots. She asked the Government to take immediate steps to restore the religious places of minorities destroyed in the riots.

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