Book of Integration Council New - Ministry of Home Affairs

We cannot afford to ignore anymore the vital issue, as towards which direction
the country is heading? If we fail to eliminate the virus of violence from our society at
this stage, I am afraid; the history of this great nation will not forgive us. Although, the
reasons for violence may be different such as class animosity, caste hatred, separatist
ambitions or regional parochialism, however, the most powerful reasons can be traced
to religious prejudice and hatred.
Recently, we have made an effort to oversee the progress of various schemes of
the Central Government as well as various State Governments aimed at improvement of
socio-economic conditions of minorities in the country. Unfortunately, the States having
large proportions of minority population have still not responded to our requisition for
report. Furthermore the information received from various State Governments and Central
Ministries is either insufficient or non-representative or the information has not been
furnished at all. In the given circumstances, it is premature to arrive at any conclusion as
to what extent these schemes have been successful in achieving their objectives. It is,
however, clear that the desired objectives are yet to be achieved and a lot of efforts are
still required to be undertaken in this regard.
It is, however, surprising to note that the noise of “Muslim appeasement” is still
heard from the mouth of various prominent political personalities of the country. I can
say it with conviction that there exists a political class in this country which cannot
digest even a slightest effort by any State Government or the Central Government for
educational upliftment and socio-economic progress of minorities, especially the Muslims.
This political class definitely feels that by raising the bogey of “minority appeasement or
Muslim appeasement” they can demonise not only the minorities but also the Government
and administration devising such schemes and score political supremacy over their rivals.
Now, the allegations are focused on what is ostensibly known as “security
concerns”. Undoubtedly, anyone guilty of terrorist activity must be brought to
book without any hindrance and no religious reference can lend legitimacy to the
terrorist violence. However, in any democratic dispensation, the violence has to be
tackled under the due process of law. The terrorist violence must be crushed with a
firm hand. At the same time this has to be borne in mind that we are not a police
state and our law enforcing agencies specially the police is not supposed to violate
the instructions enshrined in our criminal laws and the instructions issued by the
Hon’ble Courts of Law from time to time in this regard. There is definitely something
wrong with the modus operandi adopted by police forces which makes their antiterrorist
operations dubious and questionable. There are instances when innocent
boys have also suffered greatly at the hands of police and law enforcing agencies,
purely on the basis of baseless suspicions and their careers and social lives
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