By TCN News
New Delhi: A three-member team of the National Commission of Minorities, comprising of Chairperson Naseem Ahmed and members TN Shanoo and Farida Abdullah Khan visited the village of Bisahda in Uttar Pradesh which witnessed the gruesome killing of Mohammed Akhlaq to assess the situation in the village and the progress made on investigating the incidents.
The team has released a report based on its interactions with the district authorities and family and neighbours of the deceased, Mohammed Akhlaq.
In its report, Ahmed expressed anguish over the delay in submission of a report by the district authorities. The authorities, on their part, said they were taking several steps to protect the minorities in the village, ensuring safety and medical care of victims and a quick conclusion of the investigations. They also promised to restore peace and communal harmony in the village as well as surrounding areas, the report said.
Ahmed also advised the authorities that “providing security to the Muslim families in the village was paramount and also that all efforts have to be made to expedite the police investigations so that the guilty are brought to book quickly.”
The team also met the family of Akhlaq, who told them that the attack was sudden and vicious and that the men were brutally targeted while women were also assaulted in the attacks.
The team in its recommendations said that “without waiting for such activities to happen again at other places, sensitization of people of various communities through inter-faith dialogue is required to be put in place by activating peace committees.” It also recommended that “Social media are being extensively used to flare up communal passions. Some form of vigilance and curb on such hateful attempts is the need of the hour.” The team also believes that all political organisations need to counsel their cadres and sympathisers to desist from making irresponsible statements.