Don’t resort to violence
The violence witnessed in different parts of the country on Saturday, most notably Maharashtra, ostensibly to protest against the recent Bodo-Muslim clashes in Assam, is condemnable. There appears every hallmark of planned attacks on people from the Northeast. Otherwise, it is hard to see how trouble can simultaneously break out in Mumbai, Pune and some places in the south. Provocative posters reportedly came out in Kolkata and SMSes began to be circulated to express sympathy and solidarity with Muslims in Assam. None of this indicates spontaneity. The Central government has therefore done well to alert the law and order authorities to keep an eye out for mischief-makers. In case acts such as those just seen are not nipped in the bud, unscrupulous elements may seek to exploit religious feelings and seek to provoke violence wherever they can in the country. That would be an intolerable situation.
In Mumbai the police acted promptly and Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan seemed aware of his political responsibilities. Swiftly containing the violence was given priority. The leadership in Maharashtra needs to be alive to the operations of extremist elements who have engaged in terrorist activities in the past.
It is plain to see that the reaction of protesters to events in Assam has been of a purely communal nature. If people showed the maturity to protest against violence, call for peace and ask for troublemakers to be speedily arrested and proceeded against, we would applaud them. But not only has this not happened, the protesters on Saturday let violence do the talking for them. This is strictly off limits. Assam has grown much too complex for others to practise violence as sport.
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