According to a former IPS officer of West Bengal cadre, Nazrul Islam, in West Bengal which has nearly 30 per cent minority population Muslims do not have enough representation in the police forces. It has resulted in a trust deficit between the community and the administration. Nazrul Islam shares the same perception that a report by three DGPs – Sanjeev Dayal of Maharashtra, Deoraj Nagar of Uttar Pradesh and K Ramanujam of Tamil Nadu has put forth. “At present, Bengal has 30 per cent minority population, which is pretty high in terms of the all India scenario and in terms of other states. However, we do not see any reflection of this population ratio in the police force of the state. Starting from the rank of constables to the IPS cadre, there are a handful of people in the force who belong to the Muslim community,” Islam who retired as an ADG said.
SANGH TO PUSH ‘SAFFRONISATION’ OF EDUCATION
Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas, an organisation affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has set up Bharatiya Shiksha Niti Aayog (Indian Education Policy Commission), the first commission of its kind in the non-governmental sector, to study “the present education system and suggest corrective steps to make it Bharat-centric”. It is likely to be headed by Dinanath Batra. This panel is being seen as RSS’ effort to put pressure on the Narendra Modi-led government to implement the Sangh agenda of “saffronisation” of education. Though the commission was formed a few months ahead of the swearing-in of the Modi government on May 26, RSS gave its go-ahead for the panel at a recent Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal meeting in Madhya Pradesh.
JUSTICE SONIA GOKANI RECUSES TO HEAR ABDUL QAVI’S BAIL PLEA
Justice Sonia Gokani of Gujarat High Court on 25 July recused herself from hearing a bail application filed by Mohammad Abdul Qavi, who was arrested in the 2003 in a conspiracy case. Justice Gokani presided over Pota cases including this case for a few years, when she was designated as a Pota judge. Gokani said that the bail application should be placed before a bench, in which she is not a member. As per the present business allotted by the Chief Justice, the bail plea came up for hearing before the bench of Justice Anant Dave and Justice Gokani. Qavi has moved the HC for bail after a special Pota court refused bail to Qavi earlier this month.
Qavi has sought bail on the ground that he was falsely implicated in the case as there is no evidence against him. Gujarat police had slapped terror conspiracy charges against nearly 100 persons for allegedly inciting and taking Muslim youths to Pakistan for arms training to avenge the 2002 riots and to target members of the Hindu right wing.
BJP MINISTER SUGGESTS ‘2002 GUJARAT-RIOT MODEL’ FOR ENTIRE INDIA
BJP’s national executive member and general secretary of the party’s Karnataka unit, C.T. Ravi has blown up a controversy by “tweeting” inflammatory comments on 27 July over the Saharanpur riots in Uttar Pradesh. C.T. Ravi tweeted: “Only the Gujarat model that worked from 2002 in containing their rioting elements can work. Apply across Bharat.” The tweet was subsequently deleted from his Twitter account. A petition was filed by Delhi-based lawyer and activist Shehzad Poonawalla to National Human Rights Commission saying that Rao is using social media to stroke communal passions.