ASIA/INDIA-Law on violence against minorities is under review of the civil society; in Parliament in July

New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) - The human rights organizations, religious communities, Christian and Muslim associations, NGOs in the Indian civil society have one week (until June 4) to read, consider and propose amendments to the " Communal Violence Bill, a bill that aims to combat violence against ethnic and religious minorities. The law, passed recently by the National Advisory Council (NAC), will be discussed later in the summer session of Parliament proceeding, in July.
The law, sources in the civil society refer to Fides has generated a lively public debate in India: on the one hand the opposition parties, led by the Hindu nationalist "Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have launched a virulent campaign against the law, calling it "draconian law", which takes away the sovereignty of national states in favor of the central government, which "will create imbalance and tension" between the different religious communities in India, which "can easily be abused." The Federal Minister for Human Resource Development, Kapil Sibal has answered by saying that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), government coalition, is determined to approve the law, despite the complaints of the opposition: "We want the governments of several Indian states or individuals to be prosecuted for the kind of episodes that occurred in the past, " he said, referring to the massacres against Muslims in Gujarat in 2002 or against Christians in Orissa in 2008.
The measure was welcomed by Christian and Muslim organizations, NGOs and the civil society in India. In Mumbai, members of the “All India Secular Forum " will meet on May 30 to draft proposals for change, while Christians have begun an exchange of views on the ecumenical level, and then meet in Delhi in early June, to send their comments to the NAC.
"The law is a good start for the protection of minorities" said Joseph Dias to Fides, leader of the Catholic Secular Forum, who is participating in the ongoing consultations. "The draft law has been amended several times and amended in recent years and now is a good version. The central government should have power to intervene in cases of widespread violence, as has hitherto been found disabled and powerless to stop incidents of serious violence, such as in Orissa, Gujarat and Karnataka. The BJP, on the other hand, opposes the law because it has so far had a free hand to cover the Hindu extremist groups, perpetrators of violence, in various states where the government exists. In any case the National Authority, established by the law, will be fundamental, and will ensure implementation, " concludes Dias. "Although the population of this country for centuries has been waiting for a legislation on the ancient question of inter-community violence, the bill gives new hope to the nation", underlines Fr. Anand Muttungal to Fides, spokesman for the Church in Madhya Pradesh. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 27/05/2011)