By Mumtaz Alam, India Tomorrow,
New Delhi, 28 Dec 2013: When Gujarat was burning in 2002 chief minister Narendra Modi turned a Nelson’s eye to the cries of riot victims — forcing the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to ask Modi to follow Raj Dharma. Now when Muzaffarnagar riot victims in relief camps are crying for help and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav seems to be overlooking their problems, leader of India’s largest organized socio-religious organization has asked Yadav to follow Raj Dharma.
Even four months after the September 2013 riot, thousands of victims are in relief camps – scores of them have succumbed to cruel winter – but the state government of Samajwadi Party has not yet taken any concrete step to rehabilitate the victims at their native place.
“It is of great concern that even four months after the riot, relief camps exist, people are not returning to homes for fear of attack, and children are succumbing to cruel chilly winter in relief camps,” said Mr. Nusrat Ali, Secretary General, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind in a letter to UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.
“The recent communal riot in Muzaffarnagar has also created an unpleasant atmosphere in the state which is a cause of concern for all sensitive and peace-loving people. Four months have passed since the Muzaffarnagar riot but instead of any positive change, situation is getting worse day by day,” Mr. Ali further said and made 10 suggestions to the chief minister to keep the situation from turning into a human crisis.
Mr. Ali asked Akhilesh to ensure justice to Muzaffarnagar riot victims, punishment to the culprits and safe return of the victims to their original places. He has also asked him to take the grim situation in relief camps very seriously as it may create human crisis.
He suggested the CM to order a thorough survey of the people killed in the riot and award reasonable compensation to their family and a survey of the damaged houses, fields and lost cattle to award proper compensation to their owners.
Jamaat leader strongly criticized the government move to deprive victims of their native homes and lands forever in lieu of Rs 5 lakh as compensation. He asked the state government to immediately halt the scheme.
“The government should immediately halt the scheme by which victims are being given Rs 5 lakh by the administration and asked to forgo their right on their homes and land. To deprive the victims of their homes forever will set a bad precedent. It will encourage communal elements and disturb the atmosphere of communal harmony in villages and also create major problems in future,” he said in the letter.
He demanded legal action against the conspirators of the riot, rioters and those against whom FIR has been lodged.
Jamaat leader emphasized efforts to normalize the situation and restore goodwill and communal harmony among people in the affected areas.
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