http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-successfully-testfires-underwater-missile/article4350553.ece?homepage=true

HYDERABAD, January 27, 2013

India successfully test-fires underwater missile

Y. MALLIKARJUN

T. S. SUBRAMANIAN

India on Sunday successfully test-fired the underwater ballistic missile, K-15 (code-named B05), off the Visakhapatnam coast, marking en end to a series of developmental trials.

In its twelfth flight trial, the 10-metre tall Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) lifted off from a pontoon, rose to an altitude of 20 km and reached a distance of about 700 km as it splashed down in the waters of the Bay of Bengal near the pre-designated target point.

According to scientific advisor to the Defence Minister V.K. Saraswat, the missile was tested for its full range of 700 km and the mission met all its objectives. He said the impact accuracy of the medium range strategic missile was in single digit.

With the completion of developmental trials, the process of integrating K-15 missile with INS Arihant, the indigenously-built nuclear submarine, will begin soon. As many as 12 nuclear-tipped missiles, each weighing six tonnes will be integrated with Arihant, which will be powered by an 80 MWt (thermal) reactor that uses enriched uranium as fuel and light water as coolant and moderator.

India is only the fifth country to have such a missile -- the other four are the United States, Russia, France and China.

Meanwhile the reactor has been integrated with the submarine and it was expected to go critical in May/ June 2013. Once that was done, the harbour trials will begin.

Besides Arihant, three other nuclear-powered submarines were being constructed -- one at Visakhapatnam and two at Vadodara. India is also developing K-4 missile with a range of 3,000 km.

Police Action against Ashis Nandy condemned :Statement BY PUCL & CFD

CITIZENS
FOR DEMOCRACY

D-7/2
Vasant Vihar, New Delhi-110057

President : Kuldip Nayar General Secretary :
N.D.Pancholi
(M) 9811099532

FOR FAVOUR OF
PUBLICATION PLEASE : 30th
January, 2013

Joint Statement
issued on behalf of the Citizens For Democracy (CFD)

And People's Union For Civil Liberties (PUCL)

POLICE ACTION AGAINST ASHIS NANDY
CONDEMNED

We deprecate strongly the police action being taken
against Ashis Nandy. The accusation that
Nandy has made derogatory casteist
remarks against dalits and OBCs are utterly baseless. Ashis Nandy has been
longstanding friend and guide of the OBC and dalit cause and his record for
such deprived sections of society
extending over three decades would show how false and motivated such
allegations are.

We condemn the action of the Rajasthan
Government for having initiated
proceedings against him. We demand that proceedings be immediately
withdrawn. The government and
the people who have leveled allegations
against him should take them back and express unqualified apology to him.

We also call upon the National Commission For SCs to discontinue
his inquiry which is totally uncalled for.

Justice
Rajinder Sachhar (Retd)
Kuldip Nayar

Mahipal Singh N.D.Pancholi

National Secretary,PUCL

On behalf of PUCL and Citizens For Democracy.

Scissors and scared scholars

http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/9ZA5N41xIWheDVDHMIMmbL/Scissors-and-scared-scholars.html?ref=dd

Scissors and scared scholars

Imagine the toll on India's intellectual life if scholars don't say
the unspeakable because it isn't worth the trouble

Salil Tripathi

     WED, JAN 30 2013. 04 39 PM IST

Updated: Wed, Jan 30 2013. 04 56 PM IST

In a country suffering from a chronic irony deficiency, it was no
surprise that academic Ashis Nandy's glib remark about corruption and
caste, made at the just-concluded Jaipur Literature Festival, morphed
into a gargantuan controversy, as though he had risen on a pulpit
calling for a caste war in India. Assuming the intimate setting of a
literature festival as something similar to the lawns of the India
International Centre in Delhi—he was after all chatting with people he
likely thinks of as friends, publisher Urvashi Butalia, journalists
Tarun Tejpal and Ashutosh, and British writers Patrick French and
Richard Sorabji—Nandy said, probably ironically, that some of India's
most disadvantaged groups were the most corrupt. He, of course, didn't
mean that quite so literally: Later he clarified that the corrupt from
the so-called lower castes are more likely to get caught, unlike the
corrupt among the elite, who have the means to cover their tracks.

Headline-seeking politicians such as Mayawati were quick to demand
that Nandy be jailed, without explaining why, as if holding a
controversial view was a criminal offence. The Rajasthan unit of the
People's Union for Civil Liberties had to issue a statement clarifying
that Nandy was not advocating hate—as though that wasn't evident. And
Rajasthan's finest, who seem to have nothing more important to do,
opened a formal inquiry. Novelist and poet Jeet Thayil, who read
publicly from Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses at last year's
festival (for which he, three other writers and the festival
organizers continue to face possible charges), and who was awarded the
DSC Prize this year, wrote this week how the Rajasthan Police deputed
a "minder" for Thayil throughout the festival, presumably to act in
case Thayil says something. Seeing him go from session to session
listening to other authors, the officer asked Thayil: "Is this what
you do? You talk all day about books?" Yes, Thayil said, and adds: "He
said nothing more, but his expression of disbelief mixed with pity
told me everything I needed to know."

Clearly, modern India is not the place for irony or satire, where
Jonathan Swift could have written his A Modest Proposal, in which he
suggested that the Irish poor should lift themselves out of poverty by
selling their children as food to the rich. (The essay actually mocked
the rich and the callous Irish policy of 1720s). Nor could Oscar Wilde
have survived in contemporary India for his 1891 essay, where he
provoked by saying that the poor weren't grateful, but were
"discontented, disobedient and rebellious". His point: to highlight
the absurdity of the ruling class. Whether Nandy intended irony is now
almost moot: the horses have left the barn; his supporters are
presenting tortuous defence on Nandy's behalf to his critics who want
him to atone for his words, and who can't tell apart real selves from
"possible or retrieved selves"; and on TV networks, where each of his
pauses and each nuance is being scrutinized, as if Nandy is suggesting
that India rewrite the Constitution and disenfranchise the socially
disadvantaged groups, or something similarly diabolical. Such is the
pathetic state we have reached, by continuing to bow to every thekedar
of a vote bank who wants "respect" for his group. And respect, in this
lexicon, means to say nothing that he or she thinks of as even mildly
critical.

This is now an epidemic, and it goes beyond academia. Even after the
movie Vishwaroopam was certified by the Central Board of Film
Certification, the Tamil Nadu government sought to ban it, asking
film-maker Kamal Hassan to edit his film again by clipping a large
chunk because some Muslim groups remain dissatisfied and have said
that the film is offensive to them. (Nobody is forcing those groups to
see the film, but their whole point is in preventing others from
seeing it). The Madras high court lifted the stay on the film, but its
opponents say they will go to the Supreme Court.

Then, there is the case of Sujata Patil, a police officer in Mumbai
who wrote a poem critical of Muslim demonstrators at Azad Maidan in
August last year. The poem is hardly a work of art, and as a serving
officer, Patil should appear impartial, even though her anger is
understandable. And by publishing her poem—albeit in an in-house
journal—she may have violated service norms. The journal's editors
have apologized. But surely police officers don't live in isolated
ivory towers; they are part of the society in which there was
justified, near-unanimous revulsion over the way the protesters
acted—damaging a national monument and allegedly molesting women
police officers. Patil's poem would have carried some weight had the
state done nothing. In each such case, the state empowers the
offended, undermining free expression.

Kowtowing has costs—people will begin to watch their words, swallowing
their real feelings. Imagine the toll on what remains of India's
intellectual life if scholars don't say the unspeakable because it
isn't worth the trouble.

Salil Tripathi is a writer based in London. Your comments are welcome
at salil@livemint.com. To read Salil Tripathi's previous columns, go
to www.livemint.com/saliltripathi

Plan panel recipe to bridge SC/ST fund crunch may cut funds

Dalits Media Watch

News Updates 31.01.13

 

Plan panel recipe to bridge SC/ST fund crunch may cut funds - Business Standard

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/plan-panel-recipe-to-bridge-scst-fund-crunch-may-cut-funds/500576/

Polls in sight, govt revives plan for SC/ST residential school - The Times Of India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Polls-in-sight-govt-revives-plan-for-SC/ST-residential-school/articleshow/18266239.cms

34 Vajpayee schools for Dalits, OBCs, minorities - The Hindu

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/karnataka/34-vajpayee-schools-for-dalits-obcs-minorities/article4361762.ece

Jind councilor, husband and son held for dalit's murder - The Times Of India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/Jind-councilor-husband-and-son-held-for-dalits-murder/articleshow/18266463.cms

Dalit outfits protest Ramadoss' visit - The Times Of India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/Dalit-outfits-protest-Ramadoss-visit/articleshow/18265630.cms

Dhasal held for illegal protest - Asian Age

http://www.asianage.com/mumbai/dhasal-held-illegal-protest-944

 

Business Standard

 

Plan panel recipe to bridge SC/ST fund crunch may cut funds

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/plan-panel-recipe-to-bridge-scst-fund-crunch-may-cut-funds/500576/

 

Sreelatha Menon / New Delhi Jan 31, 2013, 00:29 IST

 

 

It has been alleged the Planning Commission and the 12th five-year Plan would legitimise diversion of money meant for Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST).

 

In the 12th Plan document, the Planning Commission had come up with a proposal to bridge the shortfall in allocations for the SC/ST special component plans by various ministries. However, the proposal didn't suggest ways to bridge the shortfall of Rs 26,000 crore for the SC sub-plan; it suggested a mechanism to do away with the shortfall. The Plan document suggested the funds for SC/ST plans be linked with the consumption data of the two communities. Through this, the shortfall of Rs 26,000 crore in the SC sub-plan for 2012-13 is reduced to shortage of a mere Rs 3,641.84 crore. If this method is used, one also finds there is no shortage of allocations for the ST sub-plan. The commission credits a task force headed by member Narendra Jadhav for coming up with this formula.

 

ALLOCATION MATH

·                     Rs 26,000 crore previous estimate of shortfall in SC allocations in 2012-13 ·                     Rs 3,641.84 crore shortfall in SC allocations using Plan panel working group formula ·                     Rs 37,113.03 crore allocated in Budget 2012-13 for SC sub-plan  ·                     12% of country's consumption expenditure is accounted for by SCs

 

This new method of calculation effectively ensures the government isn't blamed of diverting funds meant for SC/ST categories to other segments; it also reduces the funds set aside for SC/ST categories. In Budget 2012-13, funds allocated for the SC sub-plan stood at Rs 37,113.03 crore. However, if this would have been calculated on the basis of the fact that about 16.2 per cent of the overall population are SCs (allocations towards SCs/STs are aligned with their population, which is about 16.2 per cent of the overall population), it would have stood at Rs 63,346.37 crore (16.2 per cent of the general Budget support).

 

According to National Sample Survey Organisation data, 12 per cent of the country's consumption expenditure is accounted for by SCs. So, 12 per cent of the consumption expenditure, 12 per cent of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme allocation and 12 per cent of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana expenditure adds up to Rs 22,591.50 crore. Therefore, the shortfall stood at just Rs 3,641.84 crore, the commission concluded. Initially, the shortfall stood at about nine times this amount.

 

Though Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Kumari Selja had raised the issue of reduced funding for SC/ST special component plans with the Planning Commission in December, the document remains unchanged. Officials in the ministry said they had received an assurance the commission would look into the matter. However, they weren't aware of any changes yet, said a ministry official.

 

Planning Commission member Narendra Jadhav said the Plan document was being revised. But he refused to comment on whether the proposal on a shortfall in the special component plan would be dropped or altered. "Wait for ten days," he said.

 

The National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights ( NCDHR), which has released annual reports on the diversion of funds meant for SC/ST categories by various ministries, has condemned the proposal in the Plan document. NCDHR's Paul Divakar says, "If this proposal is carried out, all the diversion by ministries over the last 25 years would be justified. It would also nullify the very existence of the special component plan, thus going back to the 70s, when none existed."

 

The SC/ST special component plans were brought out in the 70s, after the government and the Planning Commission felt development funds weren't helping the SC/ST categories. Then, it was decided 7.5 per cent of the government spending would be set aside for SCs/STs, said activists of the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability.

The Times Of India

 

Polls in sight, govt revives plan for SC/ST residential school

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Polls-in-sight-govt-revives-plan-for-SC/ST-residential-school/articleshow/18266239.cms

 

By Naziya Alvi Rahman, TNN | Jan 31, 2013, 06.25 AM IST

 

NEW DELHI: Keeping an eye on the 2013 assembly polls, Delhi government is all set to revive its proposal of building a first of its kind residential school for SC/ST/OBC/minorities' students.

 

According to a source, 50% seats will be reserved for SC students, 25% for OBC and 25% for minority students. The proposal had got shelved last year and is likely to be put up for clearance before the cabinet on Thursday evening. The residential school would come up in Ishapur in Najafgargh in southwest Delhi by the department of welfare of SC/ST/OBC/ minorities, in association with Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) in Bhubaneswar.

 

The city government, said a source, will provide the requisite infrastructure and has already identified an existing school premises at Ishapur for renovation by the PWD. The renovation specifications will be provided by KISS — which would also manage the school. At present, KISS runs the biggest residential institute for tribal children in South Asia.

 

Meanwhile, the cabinet is likely to clear a proposal to install fire fighting equipments in 440 government schools.

 

The Hindu

 

34 Vajpayee schools for Dalits, OBCs, minorities

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/karnataka/34-vajpayee-schools-for-dalits-obcs-minorities/article4361762.ece

 

T. S. Ranganna

The Department of Social Welfare will set up 34 Atal Bihari Vajpayee Modern Residential English-medium Schools for children in classes 6 to 12 from the next academic year. These are completely funded by the State government.

 

The two years of pre-university classes will have only science subjects for boosting the morale of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs and minorities to take up professional courses such as medicine and engineering.

 

Speaking to The Hindu, Principal Secretary E. Venkataiah said that the government wants to run these schools on the lines of the Navodaya model schools.

 

While Scheduled Castes will get 50 per cent reservation, it will be 25 for Scheduled Tribes. OBCs and minorities will get 12.5 per cent each. The departments of Social Welfare, Backward Classes and Minority Affairs are funding the schools.

 

Students in Morarji Desai Residential Schools for boys and Kittur Rani Channamma Schools for girls in the State, funded by the Union government, are taught both in English and Kannada mediums. There are 542 of them — 268 Scheduled Castes, 60 Scheduled Tribes, 53 minorities and 161 OBCs. Students who complete SSLC here are admitted to pre-university courses set up in the district headquarters.

 

He said that school complexes would be built on an area of 15-20 acres spending Rs. 128 crore in all. The deputy commissioners had been asked to allot land and if it was not available, they would acquire it.

 

In addition to the 20 schools approved to be set up in six districts of Gulbarga division, it was decided to add eight more. Two schools each would be started in three divisions, including Mysore and Bangalore, in the coming academic year. Each school would have two sections of 40 students each.

 

The Times Of India

 

Jind councilor, husband and son held for dalit's murder

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/Jind-councilor-husband-and-son-held-for-dalits-murder/articleshow/18266463.cms

 

TNN | Jan 31, 2013, 06.53 AM IST

 

ROHTAK: Police have arrested Jind municipal councilor Ram Ratti, her husband Darshan and their son Bhupinder in the murder case of a dalit woman over a land dispute.

 

The accused had attacked Mahlo Devi and her husband Tara Chand after barging into their house on Sunday evening. The two parties had a long running dispute over property.

 

Mahlo's son alleged that the accused wanted the family to evacuate the plot on which they were living. IGP, Hisar, had suspended the Narwana city SHO and investigation officer in the case and formed a special investigation team to look into the matter.

 

The Times Of India

 

Dalit outfits protest Ramadoss' visit

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/Dalit-outfits-protest-Ramadoss-visit/articleshow/18265630.cms

 

TNN | Jan 31, 2013, 05.02 AM IST

 

TUTICORIN: A functionary of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) tried to immolate himself in protest against the visit of PMK founder S Ramadoss to Tuticorin on Wednesday.

 

The VCK functionary along with several others were arrested for staging a protest. In Tirunelveli too, more than 190 people affiliated to various dalit organisations were arrested for staging a protest against Ramadoss.

 

Ramadoss had visited Tuticorin and Tirunelveli to participate in a meeting of 'anaithu samuthaya kutamaippu,' a federation of various intermediate caste groups, that was primarily floated with the agenda of opposing inter-caste marriage. VCK, as well as various other dalit outfits, including Athi Tamilar Peravai, Tamil Puligal and Devendra Kula Mahajana Sangam had demanded that Ramadoss should not be allowed to enter the districts. They also threatened to stage protests if he visits.

 

Anticipating trouble, a large posse of police was deployed in the two towns. In Tirunelveli, the protestors burnt the PMK flag in front of a hotel where Ramadoss was staying. Meanwhile, a group of protestors attempted to barge into the hotel. Another group of agitators staged a black flag protest near the bus stand. All the protestors were held.

 

In Tuticorin, Tamil Pari, the Tiruchendur union secretary of VCK doused kerosene on him and attempted to immolate self, but was prevented by the police. Some of the shops were also closed during the protests but were opened later.

 

Asian Age

 

Dhasal held for illegal protest

http://www.asianage.com/mumbai/dhasal-held-illegal-protest-944

 

Jan 31, 2013 |

Age Correspondent, Mumbai

 

Noted poet, writer and founder of Dalit Panther, Namdev Dhasal was arrested on Wednesday after he "unlawfully" protested outside the state's secretariat Mantralaya.
The Dalit leader, along with dozens of his supporters, protested and demanded the immediate arrest of author Ashis Nandy, whose recent statement on backward communities raised a nationwide controversy. Twenty supporters were also arrested by the Marine Drive police.

 

Acording to the police, on Wednesday afternoon, Dhasal and his supporters gathered outside Mantralaya's uut gate with placards and started shouting slogans. "Dhasal and his supporters were demanding Mr Nandy's immediate arrest. Soon, they tried to burn effigies, so we took them into custody and brought them to the police station. They were booked for unlawful assembly and shouting slogans and then placed under arrest," said Rajendra Patil, inspector, Marine Drive police station.

 

Author and socialist Ashis Nandy had recently made a controversial statement at Jaipur Literary Festival and said "most corrupt people come from the OBC, SC and ST communities".

-- 
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of "Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC")
...................................................................
Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and  intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC.

Dhule Violence: Changing Anatomy of Communal Violence Ram Puniyani

Dhule Violence: Changing Anatomy of Communal Violence

Ram Puniyani

 

The violence in Dhule Maharashtra seems to be the new face of communal violence in India. As per the report of a major national daily (Jan 26, 2013), the evidence with the newspaper shows the evidence of police looting and destroying the property. The video clips in possession of the civil society groups also show one police official exhorting the rioting mob to move on. So far even if it was there it was not so blatantly clear. One sensed the partisan nature of police as discerned through different inquiry commission reports, but this type of role of police is a new and downhill chapter in the history of communal violence in India.

 

Communal violence has been a major menace to our nation, from last more than a century, and more particularly from last three decades. Rise in communal violence can be correlated with the British policy of 'divide and rule'. This policy was achieved by them by introducing the communal view of history through different books by British authorities. The communal version of history was taken up by the Muslim and Hindu communalists to suit their political agenda of opposing the political, social and economic changes which aimed at Liberty Equality and Fraternity. The communal forces spread hatred against the 'other' community, the result being that the communal perceptions started being part of the 'social common sense', hatred for 'other' community became the foundation on which the communal violence took place or was orchestrated. This in turn strengthened the communal forces in different areas, and increased the levels of misconception for the 'other community'. This parallel and opposite process went on till the tragedy of Partition, which was the biggest act of communal politics, the outcome of British policy of 'divide and rule'.

 

During British rule the communal violence was a communal riot. In this both Hindus and Muslims were pitched against each other in an inhuman way, regarding; perceiving as if they are doing something for their religion. The political agenda of retrograde forces wore the cloak of religion. While communal forces made merry, the innocents suffered and the police took a neutral stance. They were trying to balance out without taking any sides while controlling these acts of violence. This neutrality of police started changing after Independence, when gradually the communalization of section of police force started taking place and its overall neutrality started getting eroded by the day, to the extent that later a section of police started helping violence in a pro active way. And over a period of time, those who are supposed and are duty bound to protect the innocent citizens, became partisan. Shooting the minority community members and throwing them in canals (Meerut Malyana 1987), or burying them in the field and growing cabbage over them (Bhagalpur 1989) was painfully observed.

 

A whole 'Riot mechanism' gradually came up in which the communal forces instigated, the so called secular forces looked on or subtly helped and the police took sides with majority community. At the same time the political leadership, bureaucracy, and police who are supposed to protect the innocent citizens, failed to do their assigned job and still got away without getting any punishment. This impunity gave a signal to them all that they can carry on with this game of marginalizing the minority community and reap the harvest of communal politics on the electoral arena.

 

This ghastly situation is taking a further turn for the worst. And now it seems the communal forces and the communal foot soldiers are having an easy time as sections of police force are blatantly communalized. Police not only has become the active player in the game, police is shamelessly providing a cover to those indulging in violence. This painful fact comes to surface in the recent violence in Dhule, 6 January 2013, where over 40 people from the minority were shot above knee, in abdomen chest, neck face and back, out of which six died, three had to undergo amputation and remaining one's are recuperating with serious injuries. The citizen's inquiry committee which went to Dhule for fact finding was shocked out of its wits to find as to how the event which required a simple intervention from the police grew into the tragic incident. The mater was too trivial; the victim came to police chowkie to complain and with a request to intervene. Police constables on duty, apparently told the victim to go and settle the issue himself. The victim a Muslim auto rickshaw driver came with few more youth, the youth from other side also collected and stone throwing began. The clips, taken on video; show that the police acted as a cover for the Hindu mob which charged towards the Muslims. The police force also seemed to have begun to violate the police manual in letter and spirit. The mandatory loud speaker announcement, use of tear gas, lathi charge to be resorted before firing was done away with and a straight firing was resorted to. The police training says the firing should be to disperse the mob, begin with firing in the air and then below the knee. In Dhulia the police thought it is a redundant exercise, so the firing was a targeted one, above the knee, above the waist, in abdomen, chest, face, neck and back.

 

The victims who fell to the police bullet were left to be taken to hospital by friends and relatives. Police claims they were attacked seriously, acid was thrown on them. The civil hospital record shows that all the injuries suffered by police were minor. Some of them were admitted to hospital wards to show that they have been attacked seriously. No case of serious acid attack on the police, no case of serious injury, which requires hospitalization! The mob burns the houses; mostly those of Muslims, few Hindu households are also burnt. Police did not entertain any FIR of the victims. Next day morning the area is washed clean to wipe out some remaining evidence. Those wanting the FIRs to be filed were told that since they are themselves culprits of violence, filing FIR will go against them. A rumor was floated that combing operation will be done in Muslim areas. The victims in Hospitals take early discharge fearing that they will be charged as being the rioters in the violence.

 

The civic administration did not set up any relief camp for those whose houses are burnt. Ration was distributed knowing fully-well that those whose houses are burnt cannot cook as all cooking vessels and utensils are burnt. The political leadership, Chief Minster and co. is apathetic and it takes them 10 days before driving down a distance of few hours to assess the situation, to address the woes of victims and to announce the much needed compensation. The compensation announced is meager for reasons best known to the Chief Minster.

 

What trust the victims will have in such state machinery? A feeling of utter neglect and helplessness is prevailing amongst the victims. Some relief has been provided by the community organizations. That does not help the matters beyond a point.

 

The violence in Dhulia comes in the backdrop of violence in Akot, Raver and other places in the region, over a short span of time. There is an urgent need for better relief, setting up of Police-Civic society Mohalla committee, sensitization of police in communal matters and to counter the misconceptions widely prevalent about the minority community. Who will undertake all these? Can Government think out of the box and take initiative in this direction? Who will get justice to the victims? And will the Central Government muster courage to bring in the Communal Violence Prevention Bill, which was presented in National Integration council. The draft bill can be modified by standing committee before finalizing. This bill should at least ensure that the section of political leadership, bureaucracy and police will not be spared for their acts of commission and omission due to which violence occurs and keeps simmering.