The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has slammed the Maharashtra government for failing to protect migrants in the state from the hate campaign launched by Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
The NHRC ordered the state government to pay Rs5 lakh each to the next of kin of the two persons who lost their lives in separate incidents of MNS-led mob violence in Mumbai and Nashik in February 2008.
In a unanimous decision of its full bench, the NHRC asked the Maharashtra government to pay the compensation to the families of Vinod Singh, a security guard of a private company in Nashik, and Amba Das, an employee of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
Both men, originally from Bihar, were attacked by MNS activists and died of their injuries. The NHRC had taken suo motu cognisance of the matter following media reports.
In a stinging criticism of the state government, the NHRC observed that “a campaign of hatred had been launched against non-Maharashtrians in the region and it was the constitutional duty of the state government to safeguard the lives of migrant people.
"It is unfortunate that the state government did not muster the political will to rein in the divisive forces and failed to take timely action for the protection of citizens," the commission said in its order.
"The persons who lost their lives were poor labourers. Their families have lost bread earners and the government cannot evade its liability to give appropriate relief on the grounds of financial constraints.”
The state government had told the commission that it would be unable to pay compensation to the families. It had claimed that financial assistance to victims of famine, communal riots, or terrorist attacks is given in accordance with policies which don’t allow compensation in excess of Rs1 lakh. It also pleaded that the state was in no position to provide monetary relief of Rs5 lakh as proposed by the NHRC.
But the NHRC found no merit in the plea of the state and instructed the government to release the money to the victims' families by April 26 and submit a compliance report with proof of payment.
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