1. Jan Jagruti
2 1/6, Salt PanRoad, Vijayanagar,Bharani Naka,AntopHill,Mumbai-37 Phone-022-22947309
Date – 26/10/2010
To,
The Governor
State of Maharashtra,
Rajbhavan
Mumbai,
Subject - Regarding Equal treatment to all the victims of Religious riots.
Sir,
Equality before law, and equal protection of the laws, is the most basic and one of the
strongest foundations of constitutional democracy and rule of law in India. The
responsibility to ensure that each and every citizen, irrespective of any kind of
denomination or identity background or socio-economic status has access to the rule of law,
is one of the foremost and bounden duties of the State. And when it is the State itself which,
through its agents, plays a stellar role in taking away the life and liberty of the very citizens it
is supposed to protect, then this responsibility becomes all the more onerous and
imperative.
It is but trite that what happened in Bombay (now Mumbai) in the aftermath of the
demolition of the Babri Masjid on 6 December 1992 was unprecedented in the annals of
history for two reasons- the sheer scale of violence, and second- the complicity of the State,
especially the police, in the massacre that followed.
The Report of the Justice B.N. Srikrishna Commission bears
ample testimony to the fact that in 1992, over a period of 5 days, from December 6- 10, and
15 days in January (6-20) 1993, 575 Muslims and 275 Hindus fell prey to marauding mobs
and the violence unleashed by them. 200 people, who were reported missing, till remain
untraced, and they need to be put down to the list of the deceased by now. However,
justice has remained a mere illusion for all these victims, because apart from the pittance of
an amount paid by the State Government of Maharashtra, they have not received any
compensation, reparation or other mode of redress which would mitigate the harm and loss
suffered, even to a miniscule extent. The miserly amount of compensation doled out to the
victims is like an insult upon injury, and even now, there are scores of people who in spite of
having lost everything have been denied even this small amount by the State.
A mere ex-gratia compensation amounts to no mitigation of the harm suffered. What is the
crucial need of the hour is a complete rehabilitation and resettlement package, besides just

2. Jan Jagruti
2 1/6, Salt PanRoad, Vijayanagar,Bharani Naka,AntopHill,Mumbai-37 Phone-022-22947309
and reasonable compensation, which will enable the victims to move on in life. Only then
would the cardinal principles of restitution and restorative justice would be adhered to, in
both letter and sprit.
At the same time, in 2007, a compensation scheme has been announced by the Central
Government, and has already started getting implemented, for the victims of the 1984 riots
in Delhi and elsewhere. The details of the same are borne out in Notification no. U
13018/46/2005 – Delhi –I (NC), which is attached herewith. While it is really commendable
on the part of the Central Government, and we all sincerely appreciate the fact that justice,
or a likelihood of it, is finally being done after a long hiatus of thirteen years it is undeniable
that thousands of innocent people who were victims of the orgies of communal riots in
Gujarat, Bhagalpur, Kanpur, Bombay and elsewhere, continue to languish in total darkness
and the throes of injustice and neglect.
Nothing rankles the human heart more than a brooding
sense of injustice, and total apathy towards a large number of victims of instances other
than the 1984 riots is nothing short of the gravest injustice.
We, the conscientitious citizens of Mumbai, would entreat you to utilize your august office
and take all necessary and appropriate steps so that the inequality being perpetrated
among the victims of communal violence, especially those whose lives were devastated in
1992-93 Bombay, is brought to a swift and effective end.
Thanking you.
Yours truly .
Adv.Reena Sharma.
(Jan Jagruti Trust)

3. Jan Jagruti
2 1/6, Salt PanRoad, Vijayanagar,Bharani Naka,AntopHill,Mumbai-37 Phone-022-22947309
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