145;Same relief as for Sikh riots146;

In an interim report, the Justice N N Singh Inquiry Commission on Tuesday recommended that victims of the 1989-90 Bhagalpur communal riots be treated at par with those of the 1984 Sikh riots and handed over a similar compensation package.

In an interim report, the Justice N N Singh Inquiry Commission on Tuesday recommended that victims of the 1989-90 Bhagalpur communal riots be treated at par with those of the 1984 Sikh riots and handed over a similar compensation package.

8220;Looking into various aspects and looking at all the materials, the commission has suggested that there is no valid reason for discrimination of Bhagalpur riot victims vis-a-vis victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot. As such, the Commission has suggested that the state Government should take up the matter with the Central Government to grant similar package for the victims of the Bhagalpur riots as it had done for the victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots,8221; Justice N N Singh said in his report.

The Nitish Kumar Government had constituted the one-member commission last year to conduct a re-probe into the riots. But till recently, the commission was crying for basic infrastructure to start its work.

The Nitish Government had decided on the re-probe in an apparent attempt to woo the Muslim voters, who constitute about 14 per cent of the state8217;s total electorate, away from the RJD. Now, amidst talks of an early general election, the interim report has given the JDU a potent weapon to take on its rivals at the Centre.

A visibly upbeat CM remarked: 8220;The earlier Government only shed crocodile tears for the riot victims. Now we are moving to impart justice to them.8221; Kumar said the Home Commissioner would leave for New Delhi on Wednesday with a letter from him urging the Prime Minister to start the compensation process. The CM said the report has given credence to his long-standing demands in this regard.

Kumar said his Government had accepted the report and was ready to bear the state8217;s share and give a pension of Rs 2,500 to the family members of the riot victims. The Centre had announced a similar compensation for the Gujarat riot victims, the CM said, adding that he was hopeful that it would not discriminate against those in Bhagalpur. The Centre now has to pay Rs 3.5 lakh more to the victims here.

However, the commission has not yet identified the exact number of people killed, injured or the extent of property damaged. For that it depends on the earlier probe report done under the RJD regime. It just says, 8220;nearly 1,000 people were killed and many more injured. Thousands of houses including shops were burnt and demolished affecting about 50,000 people.8221;