Question : Communal Violence

(a) whether incidents of riots/communal violence are on the rise in the country and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(b) the total number of riots/communal violence reported, civilian/security personnel killed/injured, guilty arrested/ convicted and the action taken agaisnt them, damages to property in the country separately during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise;

(c) whether the Union Government has conducted any inquiry and directed the States to conduct investigation in each case;

(d) if so, whether the Government has received inquiry report from the States and if so, the details and the outcome thereof, State-wise;

(e) whether the Government has formulated compensation policy for the victims of riots and communal violence, if so, the details thereof along with total compensation paid for rehabilitation of such victims during the said period, community and State-wise including muslims;

(f) whether the Government has issued advisories to the States in this regard and if so, the details thereof along with the follow up action taken by the States on such advisories; and

(g) the other corrective steps taken by the Union Government to check the recurrence of such incidents in future?
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MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a) to (d): As per the available information, the State-wise details of communal incidents, persons killed/injured therein during the last three years i.e. 2013, 2014 and 2015 and during January, 2016 are enclosed at Annexure.

“Public Order” and “Police” being State subjects as per the provisions of the Constitution of India, the responsibility of dealing with communal violence, investigation, providing compensation, rehabilitation and maintaining relevant data in this regard rests primarily with the respective State Governments. Details like extent of damages to property, persons arrested or convicted and action taken against them, compensation paid etc. are not maintained centrally.

(e): An amount of Rs. 3.00 lakh is given to the affected family for each death or permanent incapacitation as covered by the guidelines under a Central Scheme called “Central Scheme for Assistance to Civilian Victims of Terrorist, Communal and Naxal Violence”.
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The amount is initially paid by the respective State Government, which maintain the relevant records. It is reimbursed by the Central Government on receipt of such request after due verification.

Apart from that, National Foundation for Communal Harmony(NFCH), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Home Affairs, under its project ‘Assist’, provides financial assistance to children, who become orphan or destitute due to death or permanent incapacitation of either both the parents or the main bread earner in the family in communal and other forms of societal violence.

The details of total amount spent on financial assistance under the Project “Assist” during 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 are as under –

Year Amount Spent
2012-13 Rs. 5,09,93,250
2013-14 Rs. 5,29,18,450
2014-15 Rs. 5,09,26,500
2015-16 (Upto February) Rs. 4,08,86,750


(f): The Union Government issues advisories to the State
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Governments/Union Territory Administrations, on receiving inputs of communal incidents. Advisories are also issued ahead of important festivals and events, on the basis of intelligence inputs. It helps in their immediate sensitization, and provides them with suitable intelligence to prevent, check and deal with the communal situation.

(g): To maintain communal harmony in the country, the Central Government assists the State Governments/Union Territories Administrations in a variety of ways like sharing of information, sending alert messages, sending advisories, sending Central Armed Police Forces including the composite Rapid Action Force created specially to deal with communal situations, to the concerned State Governments on specific requests and in the modernisation of the State Police Forces. The Central Government has circulated revised Guidelines to promote communal harmony to the States and Union Territories in 2008.
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