That Surat remained peaceful, except for stray incidents, while the rest of Gujarat was burning is no coincidence. The credit for it goes to Surat police which formed mohalla committees — along the lines of those in Mumbai — in all 14 police station areas of the city. Members of both communities along with prominent Parsis and Christians were appointed to the committees. Police inspectors organised daily meetings of the committees and members were entrusted with the responsibility of curbing violence. Mohalla committee members were also asked to furnish details of anti-social elements capable of instigating communal tension in their areas. Restore peace: Naidu HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has expressed serious concern over the continuing violence in Gujarat even after the Prime Minister’s visit to the strife-torn state. Speaking to newsmen here on Saturday after a meeting of the TDP politburo, Naidu said that the responsibility of restoring peace lay with the Centre as well as the Gujarat state government. ‘‘The immediate priority of the Centre and the state should be to provide relief and rehabilitation to victims of the communal violence,’’ he said. (ENS) The committees were set up after March 7, a trifle late but effective nonetheless. Surat, incidentally, remained peaceful for the first few days after the Godhra attack. However, on March 2, the city witnessed sporadic incidents of violence which left eight persons dead. Following this, police started working towards restoring channels of communication between the two communities by holding committee meetings. Chowk Bazaar police took the lead in forming over 32 mohalla committees in different localities. Police say that only the first couple of meetings were organised by them while residents themselves took the initiative later and extended invitations to the local inspector. Explained Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) Range-I Mohan Jha, ‘‘The meetings are a confidence-building measure so that communities can co-exist peacefully. Feelings of distrust and suspicion only facilitate the work of anti-social elements.’’ Jha added, ‘‘Surat is an economically prosperous city. People from various religious have come here for a better economic life and they have actively cooperated with police. We are thankful to all members of the committees for their real input in strengthening our democratic process. The result is there for everyone to see.’’ Inspector of Chowk Bazaar police station J.M. Suthar said, ‘‘There was a fear and tension among residents here. But once they were brought face-to-face, all there fears disappeared. The members of the committees declared that the names of those indulging in spreading tension and violence would be disclosed to police.’’ Suthar added, ‘‘There was no political interference and all meetings were attended by residents of the respective areas and societies. Now we can say that despite large-scale violence in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Bharuch, Ankleshwar, Surat has remained peaceful.’’
