By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Kochi: Communal clashes began in the state’s northern-most district of Kasargod after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, informed the Kerala government in the state High Court. Educational backwardness, economic imbalance, deep religious belief, etc become reasons for communal problems, stated Chief Secretary Neela Gangadharan in the report submitted in the HC. The report also reportedly says that there was no evidence for smuggling, expansion of fraud currency and terrorist activities having links with communal clashes.
The HC had asked the Chief Secretary to inform the measures taken to keep communal harmony in the district when considering a bail application in connection with a case of communal clash in Kasargod. The Court had directed the government to take measures to keep communal harmony in Kasargod while considering another bail application in September. The chief Secretary was asked to report the measures taken according to the order.
Here are other details said in the Chief Secretary’s report: A group of about 500 had tried to attack the Sree Kurumba Bhagavathi Temple on the day of the strike called following the demolition of the Babri Masjid. One person named Abobaker was killed in the police firing on the day. As the Hindu-Muslim enmity became intense, even small incidents began to be communalised. Kasargod lies near to Dakshin Kannada, Koorg and Mangalore in Karnataka where communal clashes occur very often. The problems in those places would have their repercussions in Kasargod also.
The government had announced measures to keep communal harmony and to prevent clashes. The draft solution announced by the government on July 25, 2005 is still in practive. The central government too had announced certain directives, which have been handed out to the DGP, district Collectors and district Superintendents of Police. The district administration frequently holds peace talks including representative of political parties, police-revenue officials an representatives of the local self-governments. The ‘Janamaithri’ system of the police is supposed to help nip the bud of communalism in the beginning itself.