Jammu riots blamed on govt laxity
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Jan 12 — Mr Balraj Puri, convener, People's Union for Civil Liberties and vice-chairman Regional Autonomy Committee, today took the lid off a Pandora's box when he released copies of portions of the Ansari Commission report.

The Ansari Commission had been set up to probe the anti-Sikh riots in Jammu on January 13, 1989 in which 15 Sikhs were killed, several wounded and property worth several crores damaged in arson.

Explaining the reason for releasing a part of the commission report Mr Puri said that for the last several years he had been pleading with the government to release the report so that people learnt the truth but for reasons known to the state authorities the report was not made public.

He said that he was ready to face any action from the government for releasing a portion of the report of the commission headed by Justice M.R.A. Ansari.

The commission in its report blamed the state government for not having taken adequate measures for preventing possible riots when the Central Government had issued orders to all state authorities that in the wake of the execution of Kehar Singh and Satwant Singh, alleged to have been involved in the assassination of Mrs Indira Gandhi, special precautionary measures were to be taken to "avoid untoward incidents". As per the report, evidence before the commission revealed that the "usual police bandobast" had been made to regulate "conduct of the procession" in connection with Gurpurab.

"Not only were no effective measures taken to deal with any provocative acts by some mischievous elements in the Sikh procession but also with the possible reaction from the Hindus following such provocative acts of the processionists or to prevent confrontation between the Hindus and the processionists."

It accused the government of not having initiated measures for protecting the processionists running in panic after imposition of curfew restrictions and the use of teargas against them.

The report said that no measures were taken to protect the property of Sikhs damaged in arson and looting. At the same time the report appreciated the police for having given shelter to some Sikhs, who were later escorted to their houses safely. It said that had special security measures been taken in advance killings, injuries and destruction of property could have been averted. It held intelligence agencies responsible for their failure to assess the situation and pass on the information in advance to the state government.

The report criticised Sikh processionists for displaying placards with provocative slogans and pictures of Kehar Singh and Satwant Singh and shouting slogans in their support. But at the same time these acts did not justify Hindus' acts of obstructing the procession and indulging in heavy stone throwing. It said the acts of violence had been pre-planned by a section of Hindus and Sikhs. Despite the provocative slogans raised by some Sikhs Hindus had given shelter to Sikhs.

The Commission has accepted the evidence of the then district magistrate and not the then senior superintendent police, who had said that the police had been deployed on rooftops along the route of the procession. The district magistrate had deposed before the commission that no such deployment had been made and the Ansari Commission has come to the conclusion that had it been done the processionists would have been hit by stones and hot water bottles which caused "utter confusion".

The commission justified the orders of the district magistrate imposing curfew restrictions and use of teargas on the processionists. It said that since the procession had been taken out with permission from the state authorities it was the duty of the state government to ensure the safety of the processionists.

The commission recommended revamping of the police and the intelligence agencies so that in future no untoward incidents were allowed to endanger communal amity and peace. Anyone found guilty of failure to check riots should be dealt with as per law and mere transfer of such authorities would not serve the purpose. It recommended imposition of punitive tax on the people of the area in which such riots took place.

The commission has also recommended that Rs one lakh be paid as ex-gratia relief to the dependents of those killed in the 1989 riots. It said that payment of Rs 25,000 and five per cent of the loss of property suffered were too meagre. It has suggested to the government to pay full compensation to those whose property was damaged in the arson and looting.