A seven-member National Authority for Communal Harmony, Justice and Reparation and similar authorities at the state-level with sweeping powers have been proposed by the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) on May 21 in its revised communal violence Bill. The full NAC will discuss the Bill in its next meeting and pass it on to the Home and Law Ministries for the Centre to take a final view.
As per the 64-page draft, the Bill, now called Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2011, shall not just cover victims of communal riots but of sectarian violence, too. It proposes to cover both isolated incidents and mass crime against people based on religious, caste, linguistic, regional and other identities. Also, under its ambit are offences targeted against SC/ST communities. The Bill is in the public domain to allow public feedback by June 4, 2011.