The Delhi Police’s report on the series of attacks on churches and the Christian community to the home ministry appears to be factual, indicating that there was no direct or even indirect involvement of people or groups prepared to whip up a communal frenzy.
The overwhelming evidence is that no particular community can be blamed. Miscreants are everywhere and they often take advantage of the prevailing political atmosphere which emboldens them to carry out mischief, which is subsequently politicised by vested groups.
Having served in the police force for more than a quarter century, I am certain that the investigators have done a professional job, although there are niggling suspicions that an angle here or a theory there might not have been probed thoroughly enough.
While I certainly don’t believe any particular political party or religious sect instigated these attacks, what I do staunchly believe is that the problem should be taken seriously. What is condemnable is that the after-shocks of the attacks were accompanied by a kind of licence which was exploited politically, unwittingly giving rise to hate speeches.
The issue has become one of pitting Christians against the rest. Many people have furnished statistics to argue that it is not just churches but also temples and mosques that have been attacked. But when you talk of these numbers being lesser or greater than the other, of one community’s violence being more or less than the other, then what you are essentially doing is playing one against the other. Statistics can be coloured any which way by any social, religious or political grouping to buttress their own claims.
The need of the hour is to address grievances. But along with his line of inquiry, the government must also find out who is targeting the minority community and with what objective. Christians, who constitute a mere 2% of the population, are generally a peace loving community, and surely do not pose a threat to any political group. This is a weakness which anti-social elements have successfully exploited.
The police’s findings should not, however, lead to any complacence because vigilance should be the buzzword. Since there is an understandable degree of fear among Christians, it should be the government’s duty to allay those misgivings, which can be achieved by constant monitoring of the law and order situation and keeping a watch on anti-social elements.
Besides, the police must now move to prosecute and seek punishment for the arrested culprits, a step which will instill a sense of confidence among Christians while also deter others from targeting members of the community or their institutions.
Even though the attacks on Christians were not religiously motivated, there have been instances in the past when temples and other shrines of other religious denominations have been targeted, causing hurting of sentiments. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made reassuring statements, which gives rise to hopes among Christians that his words will be as good as his actions.
While putting the ugly episodes behind, the rallying cry of the government now should be economic development that is inclusive. The larger objective should be to eschew a divisive agenda, if any, and focus on growth that benefits all categories of people. Any deviation from that course would embolden the lunatic fringe with the ruling party or its affiliate organisations that look for precisely such situations to exploit to their advantage.
As told to Urmi Bhattacheryya.
(Maxwell Pereira is a former police officer with 35 years of experience in the elite Indian Police Service (IPS). He was also Joint Commissioner of Police)
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