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Sonia writes to PM on mechanisms to deal with communal violence

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JUNE 27. The Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, today urged the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, to put in place mechanisms to deal with communal violence; both in terms of rehabilitation and legal recourse. Also, she has made out a case for the strict enforcement of the provisions of the Representation of the People Act which debar persons convicted of offences against communal harmony from contesting elections.

Identifying communal violence as one of the greatest threats to the unity and integrity of the nation, the Leader of the Opposition today sent a letter to Mr. Vajpayee in which she asserted that political will and a conducive administrative and legal environment were necessary to deal with any communal situation.

The issue was discussed in considerable detail at the recent conclave of the Congress Chief Ministers in Srinagar, Ms. Gandhi and Central backing for such initiatives would help the States deal with violence more effectively.

"The active backing of the Centre will not only increase the effectiveness of some of these initiatives but also give them the stature of a national programme. Furthermore, there are certain legislative initiatives that can only be undertaken by the Centre," she said.

Ms. Gandhi made three suggestions: national and State-level codification of measures to prevent communal riots as well as measures for the relief and rehabilitation of victims of such violence; mandatory setting up of Citizens' Peace Committees in every district and amending the existing legal and punitive provisions for offences relating to communal violence. All these, according to her, were "non-political in nature on which initiatives can be taken in the national interest on the basis of consensus between all the major political segments".

In the case of the legal and punitive provisions, Ms. Gandhi said that amendments in the Indian Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code should be considered to enhance the period of imprisonment for those convicted of offences against communal harmony. Also, she is in favour of setting up special courts for trying offences against communal harmony, and widening the National Security Act to allow preventive detention of a person perceived to be a threat to communal harmony.

As far as codification of relief and rehabilitation of measures are concerned, Ms. Gandhi advocated the institution of a mechanism for the disbursement of prompt and uniform compensation to riot victims and their families. Also, she has stressed the need for clear guidelines for action against officials who fail to control communal riots within a reasonable period of time.

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