. Since 1961, when the first major post-Independence communal conflict erupted, in state after state and in riot after riot, the police has given evidence of deep-rooted anti-minority bias. This fact has invited adverse comment from virtually every judicial commission officially-appointed to probe into the riots. .Perpetrators of mass killings, including high-profile politicians on occasion, have gone scot free.

. The riots followed by bomb blasts in Bombay (1992-1993) and in Coimbatore (1997-1998) are grim signals to a disturbing pattern that we cannot afford to ignore. These incidents clearly indicate that having lost faith in the state’s commitment to protecting the life and property of all its citizens, small groups from an angry and alienated minority community have started resorting to retaliatory terrorist acts.

. Highly experienced and widely respected officers from the bureaucracy and the police force who spoke to CC, shared our concern and apprehension. In different ways they all stressed that unless we send out positive signals to the country’s minorities that the Indian state stands committed to protecting their life, property, and identity, their sense of despair and alienation will only grow. And, the result of that could well render society increasingly vulnerable to more mindless acts of terrorist violence?

The officers we spoke to included: B.G. Deshmukh (former Cabinet Secretary), K.F. Rustamji (former DGP, BSF and Padma Vibhushan awardee), Julio Ribeiro (former DGP, Punjab), Shankar Sen (chairman, National Human Rights Commission), Satish Sahney (former commissioner of police, Bombay), Padma Rosha (former DGP), V.N. Rai (IG, BSF).

Based on our analysis of the situation we urged that political parties, other organisations and groups, even individuals, needed to urgently get together and campaign for fresh legislation based on the concrete recommendations of earlier commissions of inquiry and suggestions made by highly experienced police officers.

Some of these are: . Payment of adequate compensation to all victims of communal violence because of the state’s failure in its primary duty, the protection of the life and property of citizens.

. Strict and prompt punitive measures against policemen and other government servants found guilty of negligence or biased behaviour.

. Adequate representation of all minorities within the Law and Order Machinery. . Swift punishment to the perpetrators of violence, irrespective of whether they be ordinary citizens or highly-placed politicians.