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.

1. 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)].

2. 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.

3. 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 .

4. 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. 

Further Information: Dr T.H.Chowdary , M: 98 490 6 7359 , T: (40) 2784-3121