NAC headed Sonia Gandhi working on Prevention of Communal Violence Bill

Pressbrief

Sonia Gandhi, the Congress President & UPA Chairperson is head of the National Advisory Council which is presently working on the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence Bill. The main intention behind this bill is to protect the minority communities from violence and mass murder in the event of communal flare up. The Bill is likely to become law in future. It is too early to say how much this bill will be effective in practical terms.

Before the bill is given shape it is very essential to discuss the reasons which fail the existing laws in delivering their results and make them fruitless in preventing civilians’ lives during violence, pogrom and genocide. Although we have a slew of laws that are meant to deal with the menace of communal violence, they have time and again proved to be ineffective since criminals have been exploiting many loopholes in them. Therefore, the proposed legislation that purports to makes the executive more accountable and the judiciary prompt will act as a strong deterrent for those thriving on fomenting communal violence, particularly in the name of religion, caste and language.India’s central government will be able to intervene in cases of communal violence, or attacks against specific social or ethnic groups, by invoking Article 355 of the Indian Constitution,As per Article 355, “It shall be the duty of the Union to protect every state against external aggression and internal disturbance and ensure the government of every state is carried on in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.”The bill would set up a national authority and adjunct state level authorities to oversee the implementation of the legislation. The seven-member national authority would be a minority-dominated body with four members from minority groups, half of them women.Federal and State bodies will have the power to investigate, call for evidence, search and seize as well as monitor the actions of public servants as well as their postings or transfers in places where communal violence has occurred or where it is anticipated.District collectors, police commissioners as well the Union and State home ministries will share all advisories related to communal violence to the authority created under the bill. “If it is passed by parliament and becomes the law of the land, it will have far-reaching consequences against those who abet, aid and indulge in communal violence, which has been the bane of independent India.What is now needed is the political will to ensure its implementation. In no way, should it be allowed to become another toothless tiger. At least finally it will bring a hope that communal violence will at least be curbed, specially the State-sponsored ones in the country. No doubt whilst there will remain certain questions and shortcoming in the now NAC-approved Communal Violence bill on the whole it needs to be welcomed by one and all.

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