By Mumtaz Alam, India Tomorrow,
New Delhi, 14 Dec 2013: “Justice should be central to any form of governance in the country,” eminent Human Rights lawyer Vrinda Grover says emphatically when asked why it takes years and decades for a riot victim to get justice. In an exclusive interview with this scribe, Grover talks in details about why culprits of communal riot go scot-free, what are the lacunas in the system and what is the way out.
“We need to very clearly assert to political powers that justice is central to any governance, there can be no model of governance in this country where justice is not central, whether it is justice for women, or it is justice for minorities or justice for caste victims. Justice should be central to any form of governance that will be acceptable to the people of this country,” says Grover.
As an effective measure to check communal violence, she suggests communal violence bill, with harsher provisions, should be passed before the end of this Congress-led United Progressive Alliance regime at the centre.
“It is important for UPA if it all has secular credentials to pass that law because that law will send the deterrents to every SP, every DM, and every minister that if you do not do your work and if you do not perform your statutory duty and exercise your power to protect citizens you will be held criminally responsible. We must ask for the passage of communal violence bill before the term of this government is over,” Vrinda Grover said.
For the Muzaffarnagar riot, she directly holds the state government and local administration responsible particularly because they allowed things going worse from bad. On the reported large-scale gang rapes, she says the community of victim women should stand with them until they get justice.
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