Sectarian Violence Be Dealt with Stern Action, Says Indian American Muslim Council
Indian American Muslim Council (http://www.iamc.com), an advocacy group dedicated to safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos, has strongly condemned the violence in Indian Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh) and areas of Assam, and appealed to members of each community to respect life and the rule of law.
The violence in Assam has claimed more than 44 lives and displaced over 200,000 people from 400 villages. The conflagration has led to the largest exodus of people in the state’s recent history.
In Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly city, curfew remains in force in the wake of fresh incidents of violence. The police’s indecisive and weak response to the unrest contributed to the spread of violence to different parts of the city. Imran, a local zari worker died of his gunshot wounds on Monday, which was also the first day of Ramadan.
IAMC has called upon the state administrations of Uttar Pradesh and Assam to take all necessary measures to restore peace in the affected areas and to provide adequate relief to the multitudes that have been displaced or rendered homeless.
“The scale of violence and destruction and the magnitude of the human tragedy that is currently unfolding require swift and decisive action from the government to enforce law and order”, noted Mr. Shaheen Khateeb, President of IAMC. Eye witness accounts report that police are having trouble in enforcing curfew in the affected areas, with rioters continuing sporadic attacks and burning houses and properties. “The government should also ensure that relief camps are equipped with adequate food, water, medicines and sanitary facilities for the displaced people”, added Mr. Khateeb.
Indian American Muslim Council is the largest advocacy organization of Indian Muslims in the United States with 13 chapters across the nation.
For more information please visit www.iamc.com.
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