Communal riots : causes must go

By H L Kapoor

Cmmunal disturbances and their ugly manifestations pose a seri-ous threat to our secular polity and national unity. The monster of communalism cuts at the very roots of secularism and democracy. As a result of communal hatred a large number of persons are affected and riots erupt as and when trouble makers get a chance. They would exploit even the most innocuous looking incident for vested interests at the cost of precious human lives being lost. Most often these interests are political, religious or both. Gujarat is the latest example of the social explosion caused by sectorial hatred.

It is essential to know the reasons behind communal disturbances which these vested interests try to sweep under the carpet. To check communal disturbances, the police ought to know the reasons, which cause them. Factors responsible for communal riots/disturbances may inter alia include disputes between landlords and tenants involving different communities, eve-teasing, objectionable speeches, writings, dispute over places of worship, their desecration, clashing of the time of prayers by different communities, sexual offences, attacks on religious processions, kidnapping and abduction involving members of different communities, ordinary quarrels etc.

An ordinary dispute between the landlord and the tenant belonging to different communities may cause a communal flare-up, as the incident, though innocuous looking, is sometimes exploited by vested interests. Police officers, irrespective of the rank, should take such disputes seriously and try to nip the trouble in the bud. Wherever necessary, security measures should be initiated and the magistrate asked to take punitive action with heavy sureties. Timely action initiated would avert a serious situation. Needless to mention, politicians and other vested interests lose no time in capitalising such situations in order to gain cheap popularity and support.

Eve-teasing is another factor, which may escalate communal tension. Anyone indulging in unseemly behaviour or trying to outrage the modesty of a girl belonging to another community is likely to be assaulted by people from her side and vice versa. In localities with a mixed population, this is bound to happen. The street Romeos responsible for causing trouble must be taken to task, for these minor incidents are potentially dangerous. It would be advisable for the police (apart from taking action under law) to summon the elders from both communities and the concerned families and make them understand the serious implications of such acts and blowing them out of proportion. They should be asked and be morally bound to keep the youngsters under control.

Often objectionable speeches are made by leaders of communal parties. These speeces do arouse the communal passions of the respective communities. After scrutiny, legal action should be taken wherever necessary. Even otherwise, if a leader of a particular community provokes, abets or spreads hatred, where prima facie an offence has been committed, a case may be registered and investigated.

Communal riots usually occur in places where neither of the communities has a preponderance in number. The population of Hindus and Muslims in a few cities, which have witnessed serious communal riots, is as under:

Hindus Muslims

1. Meerut 55.4% 40.9%

2. Hyderabad 37.5% 59.3%

3. Bhiwandi 41.2% 52.4%

4. Moradabad 51.2% 47.4%

5. Nalanda 61% 38.7%

6. Aligarh 63.7% 34.4%

7. Kalyan 73.1% 17.9%

It would be seen that population in the above towns except Kalyan is more or less evenly divided.

Often the writings in periodicals/dailies hurt the feelings of one community or the other. Whereas factual reporting with suggestions to prevent riots or restore normalcy would be welcome, the authorities must take immediate action on provocative writings. If suspected to be the main cause of communal flare-up, such articles may be thoroughly examined and immediate legal action taken, including the arrest of the editor/writer concerned. Legal cells in sensitive districts can be set up to examine carefully all objectionable writings and pamphlets put into circulation against any community. Penal action may be taken after an investigation to bring the culprits to book.

Dispute over places of worship are very common. Such matters may be dealt with on the basis of land/property records or historical evidence and traditional belief. In case it is not possible to sort out the matter through talks/deliberations etc, the best course is to refer the matter to the judiciary whose verdict should be final and binding.

Serious matters must be brought to the notice of high-ups through the normal chain of command and they may be kept fully informed about day-to-day developments, which are likely to mount tension. Special care needs to be taken and elaborate arrangements made during religious processions/functions - may it be a Dushehra or Moharram procession or Guruparv: police and volunteers must watch out for mischief mongers whose mindless action could cause a large-scale conflagration. Both roof and route arrangements as also traffic regulations may be made for smooth flow of processions.

Further, there should be a complete rapport between the top-ranking officers and those down the line. Riots in 1979 in Aligarh occurred due to lack of rapport between the Senior Superintendent of Police and his officers. Though the officer himself was described as upright and efficient, the communication gap proved disastrous.

The Police/District Magistrate must take prompt, preventive steps, including promulgation of prohibitory orders, should a situation warrant. If despite the precautions taken, communal disturbances occur, sterm and decisive action must be taken. Restoration of law and order is of paramount importance. In quelling a riot, the role of the police is an important factor. The force by its performance must be impartial and honest. Instances are not lacking where the police were accused of adopting a partisan attitude.

Excesses are bound to be committed by the lower staff in such cases. These need to be brought under check at all costs by the officers commanding such forces. Investigations into such charges and legal action against the erring officials can go a long way in setting a right example. The force used to quell a riot should not be excessive and firing should be resorted to according to the needs of the situation.

Proper education is necessary to understand each other. Lack of education among the fundamentalists has been a major factor in escalating tensions. Educative programmes on television may be shown. Secular-minded intellectuals and liberal religious leaders should be invited to speak at meetings and seminars on communal harmony.

The community with higher numerical strength in the affected area has a moral responsibility to ensure that they do not precipitate a situation and provoke the members of the other community, which is in minority. Tolerance and non-violence are the basic tenets of all religions. Religious tolerance is a must for communal amity.- CNF

Dwindling economy

By Sain Dass Sumbria

Aperson having even an ele-mentary knowledge in Eco-nomics and Financial matters can easily and explicitly spell out inter relation between the Demand Production, Labour Market, Supply, Price Fluctuations and Inflation Rate etc. It is fundamental law in economics that shortfall in production viz-a-viz high velocity demand have adverse impact on supplies in market thereby causing spurt in prices evidently hike whole-sale consumers price index (WCPI) and blatant slide in inflation rate. This trend however travels backward in the case of growth in production and surplus supplies in the market. This principle has not stood upright in the present day economic scenario in India. Despite supply of all commodities in the market in abundance, the prices of these commodities excepting a few luxurious items are soaring.

It is very astonishing syndrome that inflation rate is falling down very rapidly, yet the prices at all level especially those of essential goods are rising with the same speed. The whole sale price Index (WPI), (base year 1993-94 = 100 points), has arisen to 167.4 points, the week ending August 20th this year against 161.6 points a year's ago. The rate of inflation touched 3.59 percent during the week ending August, 20th, this year which is still lower than 5.14 percent in the corresponding period last year. The rise in whole-sale consumers price Index has been mainly attributed due to upsurge in the prices of food and non-food items, cereals, manufactured products, Sugar, Gur, Ghee, Hydrogenated Vanaspati and Textiles etc. The decline in inflation rate generally represents slide in the consumers price Index and availability of all commodities at cheaper rates. Is it so? To what extent? If not why? The position is quite contrary. The consumers price Index Industrial worker (CPI-1W) that was 457 points ending June, 2001 (base year 1981-82 = 100 points) has now raised to the level of 476 points by the week ending June, 2002. Likewise the whole-sale price Index (WCPI) base year 1993-94 has arisen to 167.4 the week ending August, 20th, 2002 as against 166.6 points a year's ago. There is thus not an iota of truth in the claim of the Government that prices of all commodities have, not only, stablized rather clandestinetly declined in the backdrop of desired economic growth in products to the policy of liberalization, or free market or globalisation. These have undoubtedly increased manifold in past one decade and economic conditions of the country significantly deteriorated. It is also an indication of the success of measures undertaken by the Government for improvement of collection recovery of revenue receipts, affective control over "unproductive and avoidable wasteful non-plan expenditures", fair spending of plan funds on developmental schemes and steps to narrow down the budgetary gap or fiscal deficit. How for the Government of India (GOI) has succeeded on this front? The fiscal deficit for 2000-01 that was anticipated rupees, 1,16,314 crores (B.E. 2000-01) 4.5% of goods domestic product (G.D.P) shouted up to Rs. 136.211 crores (5.9% of G.D.P) of that year. The reasons for the widening gap has been mainly ascribed to the poor revenue collections and high spending during 2001-02. Despite several measures undertaken by the Government such as steps for improvement of revenue realization, downsizing the expenditure, and dis-investments of Public Sector Undertakings (P.S.Us) etc. during the fiscal year to narrow down the budgetary gap, the fiscal deficit has widened. According to the data available from the Governments of India own source, an amount of Rs. 152797.98 crores of direct and indirect taxes was locked up in litigation in various courts as on 31.3.2002. Besides 1,10,000 crores involvement in cases are pending recovery, before debt recovery Tribunals, rupees 25080 crores locked up nationwide before the Commissioner of Income - Tax (Appeals rupees 7569 crores on account of indirect taxes before various other forum indirect taxes.

Tax evasion now-a-days, has become, the order of the day such phenomenon, besides shortfall in the revenue receipts, causes widening of the budgetary gap, thus forcing the Government to issue extra currency to that extent thereby leading to upward slide in inflation rate, that ultimately generate black money, which plays a vital role of "Parallel Economy" at National level. Every year instead of recovery of huge outstanding arrears of revenue and loans, heavy taxation is levied by fresh taxes, withdraw of course, gradually. The direct subsidies available to farmers and rural poor, i.e. subsidy on fertilizers, food grains, sugar, cooking gas, kerosene oil and fuel etc. to bridge the budgetary gap. The common man is awfully burdened with the load of direct/indirect taxes. This process has significantly contributed in rapid decline of the purchasing power of the people. Frequent issue of currency notes in excess of the value of gold reserves held by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) an unabated black money generations play an important role in the fluctuation of inflation rate that has direct bearings with the real value of currency (Rupee in India) that increases or decreases with the fluctuation in price Index on each occasion. The rupee value that was Rs. 38.71 for U.S Dollar by the week ending September 5th 1998 has weakend by Rs. 9.80 compared to US Dollar and is now Rs. 48.51 per US $ by the week ending August 20th this year. Whereas the shortfall in the value of rupee, both at the National and International levels necessarily have adverse impact on the growth of our economy, it also disturbs our "Foreign Exchange Resources and balance of payments as also proportionately increase the quantum of our loan liability and interests thereon. It also compels the business community to sell goods in the International market at cheaper rates to sustain competition, but at the same time, at higher rates to the consumers within the country to overcome the losses at international level. The goods manufactured for sale within the country of the same quality or even inferior quality thus become dearer and beyond the reaches of common man, who in the process ultimately loses the purchasing power. One of the factors for recession in the market or sluggish demand of goods is the loss in purchasing power of the common people, who are the bulk consumers of the commodities especially for essential nature.

Another factor for the anxiety of the Government was increasing trend in non-performing Assets (NPA) and Bad Debts in the Nationalized/Scheduled Banks. The amount of rupees 1,10,000 crores taken as loans by the business community, big business houses and corporate sector from the Nationalized Banks and other Public Financial Institutions was locked in default as on 31.3.2002 exclusive of interest due has now become irrecoverable and thus classified as bad debts. In case the interest due on these loans is also added, the amount of liability may cross Rs. 1,75,000 crores market. The position of NP. As with the banks is also not different. It has also touched to 10.7 percent of their capital. In order to provide an additional liquidity of Rs. 3500 - 4000 crores to the banking sector, the Apex Bank, reduced in cash credit ratio by 1/2 percent to five percent w.e.f. 15.6.2002.

According to the Miaro-economic survey report, the growth rate of 5.7 percent in Agriculture sector and 3.3% in Industrial sector as against 5% and 6.2% stated for 2001 - 02 was achieved. The overall growth rate was however claimed Rs. 5.4% . On the basis of their data, the growth rate for 2002-03 was slated at 6-6.5%. In the monsoon session of the Parliament, the Union Finance Minister scaled down the growth rate to 5.5%. Some micro-economic organisations have however projected even lower growth rate with the "Centre for monitoring Indian Economy/CMIE) forecasting 3% growth rate. A few analysts, however, place the growth rate between 4% to 5% depending on Agriculture production.

All claims of improvement in economy are thus false, fabricated and unfounded. This is most disgusting.