The 7th Lok Sabha, 1980-1984, had the highest number of Muslim members in the post-independence history. The period also saw a steep rise in communal violence in India. Moradabad, Meerut, Aligarh, Delhi and several other north Indian towns witnessed Hindu Muslim violence where the latter community suffered more. The opposition often accused that more than Hindus in general these were the police violence against Muslims.
On 5 November 1982, 44 Muslim Members of Parliament (MPs), Jamiat-i-Ulema and other prominent Muslims presented a memorandum to the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi urging her to check the anti-Muslim violence. The movement was called Mulk-o-Millat Bachao Tehreek (Save the country and nation movement) with a Congress (I) MP from Meerut, General Shah Nawaz as its Amir (President).
The memorandum declared, “The recent communal disturbances in Meerut and other places have once again brought to the fore some basic questions regarding the future of the secular order, the rule of law, the role of the law and order machinery, the responsibility of the mass media, and the duty of the government towards the citizens. People all over the country ask us: How long shall we live this recurrent nightmare?”
These MPs accused, “The nationwide campaign of vicious propaganda against the Muslim community by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, has corroded the foundations of the secular order and widened the gulf between the Hindus and the Muslims. Today chauvinism is on the offensive with the slogan of ‘Hinduism in danger’. Its object is to generate hatred and distrust against the Muslim community and to force it into cultural assimilation and thus turn secular India into Hindu Rashtra. Irresponsible talk about the wave of Islamic fundamentalism and the banal references to ‘foreign hand’ and ‘foreign money’, not only poison the atmosphere but serve to create a fear psychosis in the Hindu community, to check its generous and tolerant impulses. Today political parties compromise with communalism and maintain silence on atrocities against the minorities. Today the administration, specially the armed constabularies, like the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) in UP and Bihar Military Police (BMP) in Bihar, act in a blatantly partisan and communal manner. Today communal violence is turning more and more into police action against the Muslim minority. Today the victim is being projected as the aggressor, as a rebel, and as a traitor. Today Muslims are arrested in hundreds and tortured, their limbs are broken, the privacy of their homes is violated, their property is destroyed, their places of business are put to flames, and their places of worship are desecrated, all with the connivance and support of the so-called guardians of law and order. Consequently, the Muslim minority is losing faith in the neutrality of the administration, and the credibility of the government as the protector of the weaker sections is being corroded.”
The demands made were, “1.) The defence and protection of the minorities against violence should become the responsibility of the Central government and be treated as a national issue, and not simply as a law and order problem in the same manner as atrocities against Harijans are, through a constitutional amendment, if necessary. 2.) The police force and the intelligence machinery must be purged of communal elements and restructured to provide due and effective representation to all sections of our people. The ethos of the force should be changed through proper training aimed at imparting secular and professional values. As promised in your manifesto and on the floor of Parliament, special anti-riot task forces should be constituted, both at Central and state levels for exclusive deployment in riot situations. Until such forces are raised, the CRPF and BSF should alone be deployed and not state armed constabularies. 3.) The record of senior police and executive officers should be screened for communal bias and for performance during communal disturbances and anyone suspected of communal bias or found wanting should not be posted to sensitive districts. In such districts, there should be a proper mix of officers to generate all-round confidence. Officials against whom there are specific charges of committing atrocities or of using force with communal bias should be denied the protection of the state, and they should face the legal consequences of their action as common criminals, through an amendment of the criminal law, if necessary. 4.) If communal disturbances do not stop within twenty-four hours of the first loss of life, the chief minister must personally rush to and camp in the area till normalcy is restored. The OM and SSP should be held responsible and immediately suspended and replaced by a pre-selected team of officers known and tested for their efficiency, integrity, and secularism and for commanding the confidence of the weaker sections, as in Bihar Sharif in May 1981. 5.) The victims of violence should be appropriately compensated for loss of life and limb in accordance with uniformly prescribed scale. All property, movable or immovable, lost or damaged, should be replaced or reconstructed at state expense. Compensation so paid should be recovered by imposing a punitive fine on the two communities in inverse proportion to the loss suffered. 6.) The criminal cases arising out of communal disturbances should be expeditiously investigated by Central intelligence agencies and tried by special courts, to restore the faith of the people in the rule of law and in the judicial process. 7.) All para-military or extremist organizations preaching communal hatred such as Vishwa Hindu Parishad and RSS should be banned and, to begin with, their public activities should be restrained. 8.) During the riot period, all newspapers and periodicals should be screened for rumours and misreporting, and malicious and mischievous writings should be dealt with in accordance with law. Rumours or wrong information should be officially contradicted on a daily basis. Detailed information about casualties, including names of those killed, hospitalized, and arrested should be published in daily bulletins, in order to scotch misinformation and to apprise the nation of the truth, -the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. 9.) To impart a secular outlook to our younger generation, all textbooks of history and languages should be screened expeditiously to purge objectionable matters and the educational system should be reviewed.”
The Indira Gandhi led government was in majority and since most of these MPs belonged to her party, the government did not react to this memorandum very seriously. At this time, General Shah Nawaz released a pamphlet in February 1983, which was already posted to the Prime Minister in January, and threatened a Civil Disobedience Movement if the demands of Mulk-o-Millat Bachao Tehreek were not met. In a pamphlet signed by him and other Muslim MPs and sent to Indira Gandhi, Shah Nawaz said, “In case no satisfactory response is received before 21 February 1983, we shall be constrained to launch a civil disobedience movement in collaboration with other like-minded secular forces.”
The pamphlet said, “Moradabad, Meerut, and Baroda are gaping wounds on its body calling for serious thinking and determined action. The active involvement of some sections of the government machinery in these patently anti-Muslim actions, the indifference of a large section of society, the failure of political leadership, and the apparent helplessness of secular forces have caused frustration and dismay all around, particularly among the Muslims who are victims of this ruthless violence….. Madam, you know it very well that Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, from its very inception, has constituted an integral flank of the army of freedom fighters, and its founders and early leaders were among those who developed and fostered the ideas of composite nationalism and united endeavour for better life on a secular basis. Naturally, the Jamiat cannot remain a silent spectator to the erosion of those values…… within a few months of your coming back to power occurred the tragic happening in Moradabad where the festival of Id had been drenched in the blood of innocents by the PAC. Speaking from the Red Fort on 15 August 1980 you had announced that you would see to it that those responsible for Moradabad tragedy would be given exemplary punishment. What happened? No culprit was apprehended. None was punished. Anti-Muslim tirade continued. The communal elements amongst the general population and within the police got emboldened. The tragedy was repeated in Bihar Sharif, in Meerut, in Baroda, and now in Trivandrum.”
In this pamphlet cum letter 8 demands were put forward. These were:
“1.) The district authorities and intelligence services should be held responsible for outbreak of communal disturbances. If they fail in controlling disturbances they should be suspended forthwith and if they are proved guilty they should be strictly dealt with. 2.) The intelligence services should be entrusted with the responsibility of tracing out persons suspected of communal riots and special courts should be set up for the disposal of cases and matters relating to communal riots. 3.) Those suffering loss of life and property during communal disturbances should be fully compensated or paid at least Rs. 100,000 per person dead. Those wounded and those who suffer financial loss should be fully compensated and riot protection compulsory insurance scheme on nominal premium should be enforced. 4.) In security forces like PAC and BMP there should be 33 per cent reservation for Muslims and 33 per cent reservation for other minorities. A code of conduct and training programme should be evolved for such forces so that they may be morally and mentally equipped for shouldering their responsibilities in a secular and democratic set-up. Till the remoulding and restructuring of these security forces is completed, they should not be deployed in riot affected areas; in such areas Central security forces should be posted. 5.) Semi-military drills of RSS and other communal organizations, should be banned and the government should arrange for physical training of all children and youth, irrespective of their caste, community, and religion. 6.) All departments, agencies, and organizations of the government should be purged of persons connected with RSS and other such fascist organizations. 7.) The clause relating to the uniform civil code should be deleted from the Constitution of the country. 8.) Permanent arrangements should be made for the protection of mosques, graveyards, and Auqaf of Muslims, and immediate effective action should be taken to free them from adverse illegal possession wherever it has taken place.”
Indira Gandhi acted after the threat of a Civil Disobedience Movement led by Jamiat-i-Ulema. The government replied on 24 February 1983, “I appreciate the concern expressed in the memorandum regarding the need to maintain the secular ethos of our country and note the various suggestions made in this regard….. I would like to assure you that we are making all possible efforts to see that the virus of communalism is contained and that prompt action is taken by all concerned to prevent and control communal incidents. It is also our intention to continue our vigil in this direction even in future and provide reinforcement, as and when called for, to contain this evil.”
Indira Gandhi replied to General Shah Nawaz on 21 January 1983, “I have received your letter in your capacity as Amir, Mulk-o-Millat Bachao Tehrik. You already know of my deep concern for the welfare of minorities and of my distress at communal disturbance and violence.”
Indira wrote, “State governments have also been advised to prohibit RSS shakhas in public places. Reservation for Muslims and other minorities in security forces has come up against constitutional impediments. However, we are doing whatever is possible. I have spoken publicly and privately to employing agencies. We have already raised three CRP battalions as a special peace-keeping force which are posted in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Durgapur. These battalions have considerable minority representation…… We discourage proliferation of RSS sympathizers in any government organization and have given instructions that shakhas should not be allowed. You will agree that under the rules, it is not easy to dismiss people. In new appointments, such attitudes are kept in mind. If you can cite any specific instances of religious places under adverse possession, the government will take action under the law. It is true that much more can be done to improve the living conditions of Muslims. The government and our party must indeed be more active. I am urging all state governments to do their part. Initiative also has to come from the community itself like availing of better educational facilities. But confrontation and the spreading of an atmosphere of desperation are likely to be more damaging to the minorities themselves by arousing reaction in other communities.”
On 12 May 1983, Indira Gandhi communicated a Fifteen Point Scheme Plan to all the ministries to ensure better representation of minorities in jobs. She wrote, “The increase of communalism in recent months and the large number of attacks on the lives and properties of minorities is cause for deep sorrow. These incidents are a blot on the good name of our country.….. From my earliest childhood I have been committed to the secular ideal. In India of our dreams Muslims and other minorities can live in absolute safety and confidence…… I have decided that immediate action should be taken as indicated below:
- Communal riots
1.) The state governments are being advised that in the areas which have been identified as communally sensitive and riot prone, district and police officials of the highest known efficiency, impartiality, and secular record must be posted. In such areas and even elsewhere, the prevention of communal tension should be one of the primary duties of DM and SP. Their performances in this regard should be an important factor in determining their promotion prospects. 2.) Good work done in this regard by district and police officials should be rewarded. 3.) Severe action should be taken against all those who incite communal tensions or take part in violence. 4.) Special courts or courts specially earmarked to try communal offences should be set up so that offences are brought to book speedily. 5.) Victims of communal riots should be given immediate relief and provided prompt and adequate financial assistance for their rehabilitation. 6.) Radio and TV must also help in restoring confidence, communal harmony, and peace in such affected areas. 7.) It is unfortunate that certain sections of the press sometimes indulge in tendentious reporting and publication of objectionable and inflammatory material which may incite communal tension. I hope that editors, printers, publishers, and others concerned will cooperate in finding a way to avoid publication of such material.
- Recruitment to State and Central services
1.) In the recruitment of police personnel, state governments should be advised to give special consideration to minorities. For this purpose, the composition of selection committees should be representative. 2.) The Central government should take similar action in the recruitment of personnel to the Central police forces. 3.) Large-scale employment opportunities are provided by the railways, nationalized banks, and public sector· enterprises. In these cases also, the departments concerned should ensure that special consideration is given to recruitment from minority communities. 4.) In many areas, recruitment is done through competitive examinations. Often minority groups have been handicapped in taking advantage of the educational system to compete on equal terms in such examinations. To help them to overcome these handicaps, steps should be taken to encourage the starting of coaching classes in minority educational institutions to train persons to compete successfully in these examinations. 5.) The acquisition of technical skills by those minorities which are today lagging behind would also help in national development. Arrangements should be made to set up ITIs and polytechnics by government or private agencies in predominantly minority areas so as to encourage admission in such institutions of adequate number of persons belonging to these communities.
III. Other measures
1.) In various development programmes, including the twenty-point programme, care should be taken to see that minorities secure, in a fair and adequate measure, the benefits flowing therefrom. In the various committees which are set up to oversee the implementation of such programmes, members of these communities should be actively involved. 2.) Apart from the general issues to which I have referred, there are various local problems which develop into needless irritants to minorities. For instance, encroachment of wakf properties and of graveyards has led to protests and grievances in some places. Suitable steps should be taken to deal with such problems on an expeditious and satisfactory basis. 3.) Problems relating to minorities need to be attended to on a continuing basis so that apprehensions are allayed and genuine grievances redressed. To facilitate this, a special cell will be created in the ministry of home affairs to deal with matters relating to minorities. Some other measures are also under consideration. Decisions on them will be announced as early as possible. I am sure that the measures that I have indicated above and others which will be announced shortly will facilitate the full participation of Muslims and other minority groups in all aspects of national life and thus promote the cause of national integration. I would like to receive from you a special report every quarter on the results of action taken to implement the above decisions.”
(Ideas expressed are personal to the author)
