There are three aspects of the communal problems; the administrative problem, the political problem and the socio-economic problem. The socio-economic problems also have their own place in these communal troubles. I would first invite your attention to the administrative aspect. The best way and the best time to stop communal trouble, is to stop it, before it starts. It is very difficult to stop communal trouble when it once starts. The only right time when you can stop it is before it starts. You can stop it, only if the administration has a better organisation of intelligence...(interruptions). What happened to Aligarh There was only one incident. A procession took place in which certain provocation slogans were raised. Certainly it has contributed to that, but there was hostility gradually being built between the Hindus and Muslims, in the minds, of Hindu youngmen and in the minds of Muslim youngmen. But in Aligarh what we find is that it is the Muslims who have become the sole target of the trouble. After the incident has taken place, many people rush there and make their own reports. We have by now got history of every State. Normally, Hindu Muslim riots take place in areas of urban conglomerations. These take place very rarely in the rural areas; sometimes, they do take place, I think, taking the history of the last thirty, fifty or eighty years, we have got the history of most the important towns where the communal trouble takes place. Has the State administration at any time considered this aspect when they post somebody as Deputy Commissioner or Collector or Commissioner of a particular area, whether he will be competent to take care of that area?
Prof. Samar Guha : I have suggested a special Inspector general of Police. (interruptions).
Shri Y. B. Chavan : I would say that the most important person in the police investigation and intelligence in these matters is not the I.G., but the head constable; he is more important because he sits in the police station and he knows who is what, and knows what anti-social element is there. Sometimes, unfortunately, they are hand in gloves with them...(interruptions).
We are a democratic country and there are bound to be Governments of different parties in different States and we have to accept this reality, but we must accept one point that when a communal riot is about to start or has started, no political person or persons who hold office must take any partisan attitude. Unfortunately, in the case of Aligarh, we have found that even the Ministers have taken a partisan attitude. This has to be stopped.
