Letter and spirit

Shindes point may be valid,given the substantive inequality of minority communities. In many states,the Muslim presence in prison is disproportionate to their share in the population. This is not just in terror cases,but also for a range of other smaller crimes either because of the reflexive suspicion of law enforcers,or because deprivation and crime are linked. And when it comes to terror investigations,there is a strong sense in the community that Muslims are targeted by police and ATS forces across states. This has been borne out by impartial observers. In Uttar Pradesh,the R.D. Nimesh commission revealed holes in the states special task force investigations on serial blasts in Faizabad,Barabanki and Lucknow. In 2006,Imran Kirmani was held for a 9/11-type plot in Delhi,until freed four years later by the court,which commented on the callous and inferior quality of investigation. Hundreds of Muslims were arrested without proof after the 2006 Mumbai attacks,when the ATS and Mumbai Police could not reconcile their stories. Nine Muslim men were imprisoned for the Malegaon blasts,and freed after five years when they were found to be innocent. In other words,the problem is real - social prejudice,unexamined biases within police and judiciary,the official stakes in quick answers and the special laws that operate in terror cases make for a bad combination.

But Shindes directive to chief ministers reeks of tokenism. It is all too easy to write a letter,airing the UPAs concerns for minorities,even as Muslims face genuine threats to their lives and property in places like Muzaffarnagar. It is a gesture that addresses them at the most superficial level. Muslims do not need special favours,they want what they are owed as citizens due investigative and legal process,access to schools,jobs,housing and material opportunities,freedom from discrimination. The UPA,which has failed to live up to expectations in each of these aspects,should know better than to salt the wound with insincere letters.