People's Democracy

Implement SriKrishna Commission Report

Hannan Mollah, chairman, committee on Papers Laid on the Table (Lok Sabha) and Central Committee member of CPI(M) has sent the following letter to Dr. Manmohan Singh, prime minister on July 30, 2007, demanding immediate implementation of Srikrishna commission report on Mumbai riots of 1993.

The text of the letter is as follows:

WITH deepest concern, I like to draw your kind attention to the above-mentioned incident and the exhaustive and well-established factual analysis of Srikrishna commission report and recommendations regarding the 1993 riots. On August 6, nine years will be completed since the tabling of the SriKrishna commission's report. The report was the product of five years of intensive fact-findings by the Honourable commission that could identify the criminals and made specific recommendations for bringing them to book. But unfortunately, the report gathered dust and the Congress led government of Maharashtra slept over the report without feeling any bite on their conscience.

Following the Mumbai riots, there was unprecedented bomb blasts killing a large number of people. The TADA court justifiably took up the matter and it took more than five years but finally they were able to punish the perpetrators of the crimes. I am happy that at last for one heinous crime the criminals are brought to book. The Justice was delayed but not denied.

In this context can any civilised, sensitive and honest human being forget all those barbaric communal riots of Mumbai in 1993 killing three times more people than the bomb blasts and still the criminals are moving freely without any sense of fear of being punished? This incident should get equal attention, if not, more, in the interest of justice. Otherwise justice will appear to be discriminatory.

The cause and effect relationship between Mumbai riots following the demolition of Babri Masjid in December, 1992 and the blasts that took place in March 1993 was established more than adequately by Srikrishna commission report. The commission eloquently and unambiguously opined " from January 8, 1993 there is no doubt that Shiv Sena took the lead in organising attacks on Muslims and their properties under the guidance of several leaders from the Sakha Pramukh to Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackerey who like a veteran general commanded the loyal Shiv Sainiks to retaliate by organising attacks against Muslims". The commission specifically mentioned a series of names of the leaders of Shiv Sena and BJP and even Congress.

The commission specifically mentioned the names of 31 police Officers of different ranks for killing Muslims directly or helping Shiv Sainiks and other criminals to kill Muslims, their children and women during those dark days of Mumbai riots. But instead of punishing the culprit police, the Congress government has promoted at least ten of those policemen. The Congress-NCP government's chief minister Shri Vilasrao Desmukh said that no culprit would be spared. But did his act commensurate with his words when he rushed to Shiv Sena patriarch to profusely express gratitude after presidential elections or prove his honesty in taking action against the perpetrators of Mumbai riots?

We strongly feel, if no action is initiated to implement Srikrishna commission report in letter and spirit in right earnest, it will send a very wrong signal not only to the Minority community but also to the well-meaning citizens of our country.

You were right to take correct stand against the communal barbarity committed in different times in our country. You were also right to compensate the damage done to the Sikh Community in 1984 anti Sikh riots. You were also kind enough to express equal concern for the thousands of riot victims of Gujarat. But if you do not express equal concern and if you do not take a speedy action to implement Srikrishna commission report, it will not assuage the feelings of Minority community and it will not generate feelings in their mind about the impartiality in punishing the organisers of the communal riots and also will not re-establish a sense of security among the minorities. Already many well meaning people have raised the demand for equal punishment to the organisers of Mumbai riots as it has been done to those who committed Mumbai blasts. It is high time that that you and your government and the state government led by your Party listen to the voice of sanity and come clean by initiating immediate action for proper implementation of Srikrishna commission report. Already almost a decade has passed and any further delay will only create doubts in the minds of Minority community about the intention of your government in this regard. I will also request you to guard any effort to sabotage the attempt against any action, as it was done in the past because those who committed this crime directly or indirectly are powerful people and have the power to derail any attempt to bring them to book. For that it is doubly necessary to take conscious, comprehensive and determined measures to implement the Srikrishna commission report in its totality.

I hope you will accept our united expression of concern and take such action, which though delayed but will prove that justice is not denied to the victims of one of the worst communal riots in the history of our country. (INN)