Mumbai: A conference on Communal Violence Bill was organized by AMUAAM (Aligarh Muslim University Alumni Association of Maharashtra) in collaboration with All India Secular Forum at Tunga Hotel on Sunday, June 10, 2012, Vashi (W), Navi Mumbai
AMUAAM and All India Secular Forum organized a conference on Communal Violence Bill to raise public awareness about its necessity. If passed by parliament, this bill will help in prevention and controlling of riots in India. More than 70 persons participated in the conference. The speakers were Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer, renowned social reformer and Islamic scholar and Irfan Engineer, well known social activist.
Communal violence has been recurrent features of Indian society from pre independence period because of British policy of divide and rule and internal socio-economic and political dynamics. Even after independence of the country communal violence did not stop and it occurs quite frequently in different parts of the country. Scholars working in this field are of the opinion that one of factors for the killing of innocent human beings belonging to minorities in communal riots is the existence of nexus between politician and administrative officials whose work is to maintain law and order in the society.
For instance Mumbai riots of 1992, Gujarat riots of 2002, Kandhamal riots of 2008 all show complicity between politician and administrative structure of the country In all these cases a particular community was targeted and killed by communal elements and when law and order mechanism broke down the administrative officials did not respond effectively for controlling the riotous situations. They looked other way when innocent human beings were killed. It has been observed by scholars that if the agencies who are responsible for maintaining law and order in the society strictly implement the provisions of Indian constitutions and various administrative rules regarding the controlling of riotous mobs that are bent jupon killing innocent human beings then most of the riots that occur quite frequently will stop.
Secondly this is also a fact that if administrative officials want to control riots then it can be controlled within 24 hours. The conference on Communal Violence Bill has been organized to raise public awareness why this bill is important for preventing communal riots in the country. This bill fills the gap in the administrative structure of India by fixing responsibility on administrative officials for their inaction during communal riot by making them liable for punishment for inaction during communal riots. The bill has not been introduced in the parliament despite being there for so many months. The congress government due to the criticism of BJP is feeling hesitant in introducing this bill in parliament for discussions.
The chief guest in this conference was Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer and Irfan Engineer. Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer spoke about reforming the administrative structures of the country. Besides discussing other factors responsible for occurrence of communal riots in the country he was of the opinion that if administrative officials simply implement already existent rules and regulations of government of India regarding the breakdown of law and order in the aftermaths of riots then most of the communal riots can be prevented and hence the killing of innocent human beings. He spoke at length about the reasons and consequences of communal riots in India and also gave suggestions about how to prevent it His speech was thought provoking.
Irfan Engineer said that in communal riots not only innocent human beings are killed but women are also targeted, their honour violated and it is this section of society that suffers most in communal riots. So there is a need to prevent riots in the country. He also claimed that rightist forces in the country are spreading rumors that the Communal Violence Bill is against Hindus which are incorrect. He was of the opinion that the passing of this bill by the parliament will help in preventing communal riots in the country. Tanweer Alam, president, AMUAAM spoke about formation of AMUAAM as a body representing old students of Aligarh Muslim University living in Maharashtra and Mumbai and how it is essential to activate them for social activities and in the exercise of building public opinion and awareness about different important issues facing country and society. Parvez Khan, president Navi Mumbai branch, AMUAAM, also spoke about the need for activating old boys of AMU in Navi Mumbai on different, social and political issues which society and country are facing.
In this conference a book titled as, Jihad in the Contemporary Period, written by Anwar Hussain was released. The book is about removing confusion and misunderstanding form the minds of people that jihad is a holy war and it is through jihad that Islam spread in the world. The book emphasizes that in the Quran the word jihad has come in the meaning of utmost struggle for achievement of any goal in life of a person. It has not come in the sense of holy war if it has come in the Quran in reference to holy war then it is specific to the time and place. This book also emphasizes that Islamic extremists in the contemporary period have distorted the teachings of the Quran for drawing the meaning of jihad as a holy war.
Resolution of the Conference
After the meeting the guest speakers AMUAAM ,president, Tanweer Alam, president AMUAAM, Navi Mumbai, Parvez Khan and audience were unanimous in passing the resolution about the necessity of passing of Communal Violence Bill by the parliament for prevention of communal riots in India. They were of the opinion that if there is differences about some provisions then parliament is the right forum to discuss about this. But not introducing this kill in the parliament is not the right step in the direction of resolution of the matter regarding prevention of communal riots in the country.
