Book of Integration Council New - Ministry of Home Affairs

now it seems to me that the net is being spread over many muslims areas, in the name of
finding out, pursuing the terrorists. A wide net is being spread, in the name of finding
out who are responsible for the various blasts, an entire community, the youth of the
community, the educated members of the community are being targeted and in fact the
media and the police whose job it is to find out the criminals and to prosecute them at
least, bring them up before the courts, they are resorting to media trials. I think this
should be checked, I do not wish to go into the whole question of the encounters that
have taken place but I would like to suggest that if at all you want to end the regime of
fear, of alienation that has spread amongst various sections of the community, it will be
necessary to hold at least some Judicial Inquiry. I do not wish to challenge or to doubt
those who have been martyred for the causes of fighting terrorism. I do not wish to
raise that issue but I think that the whole issue of the encounter that took place in Batala
House, needs to be investigated. That would be one thing that would bring at least
some comfort to the muslim community, in very large sections of the community. I think
that it is also necessary, Sir, to warn the police that they cannot go on arresting people
at random. Many of our people in Azamgarh and elsewhere have been arrested? What
was their fault. The only fault is that there names are muslims. The only fault is that
some of them are qualified. The only fault is that some of them have been highly
educated. That seems to be now the new target. This has got to end. Therefore, I
really suggest that the whole question of Judicial Inquiry must be ordered because
many issues have been raised about those encounters. That should be ordered. That
will be a big contribution towards bringing back that community to the national
mainstream. My second point, Sir, is that article 356 is not the remedy on every
occasion. It is many times very counterproductive. It leads to much more confrontation
and with elections very nearby, we should not talk in terms of Article 356 so
loosely. But then there are several other articles in our Constitution. Attacks have
taken place against the Christians in Kandhmal targeting the Churches, targeting the
orphanages, targeting the Christian missionary schools. Many of us have been educated
in missionary schools. Sir I must say that I have been educated in a Christian
missionary school and I consider that was a very good school. I had gone to Karachi a
year back. I visited the school where Mr. L.K. Advani was educated. It too is an
excellent mission school. Never for a moment was there any attempt at religious
conversion in our mission school. I have noted that the Chief Minister of Orissa has
said that he is being targeted. No Sir, I do not want Orissa to be targeted like that. But
then if for more than a month, things continue as they are, something has to be done.
Mere advisories are of no use. They are only scraps of paper. There is an Article
known as Article 355. Why can’t the Government use that article in order specifically
to tell some of the State Governments, that they have to run their governments according
to the rules of the Constitution according to the provisions of the Constitution. This
should be done because after all the Centre has certain responsibility, when things are
happening in any part of the country. State Governments are responsible for law
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