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Minister seeks relief for riot victims
IRRIGATION MINISTER Munna Singh Chauhan demanded that the Union Government compensate each victim of the Gujarat riots in the same manner as the 1984 riot victims.
IRRIGATION MINISTER Munna Singh Chauhan demanded that the Union Government compensate each victim of the Gujarat riots in the same manner as the 1984 riot victims.
He said the President of India and judges of various courts had condemned the Gujarat riots, which was “the most unpleasant incident in the country after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi”, but no step was taken against the then Gujarat Government.
He lambasted the Union Government for not imposing President’s Rule in Gujarat after the riots. He said after the post-Godhra riots, the law and order situation in Gujarat was worse than that in Bihar.
Chauhan was talking to mediapersons at Kalpipara Field Hostel on Sunday morning. The minister said there was a need to constitute a permanent high-powered commission to inquire into communal riots.
He further said the commission should be strong like the Election Commission so that it could punish the guilty and order compensation for the victims.
A private member’s Bill was tabled in this connection in the year 2004, he said, adding that it was still pending. He asked the government to pass the Bill so that the commission could be constituted.
Rashtriya Yuva Lok Dal president Jayant Chaudhari, who was also present, said employment was the basic issue that concerned the youth. He bemoaned lack of infrastructure and low standard of education in rural areas.
Since there were virtually no industrial units in these areas, villagers could either take up farming, or weaving, said Jayant Chaudhary.
He further said that the ‘Gaon Jagao Desh Bachao’ yatra was launched by the Rashtriya Lok Dal with the aim to make farmers aware of their power and to mobilise people against the WTO.
