West Bengal seeks effective measures to maintain communal harmony

Condemning the recent communal incidents in different parts of the country, West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra on Monday sought effective measures to maintain inter-community relations and protect the rights of minorities.

"Of late, a few very disturbing incidents of communal strife have occurred in the country. These incidents and their perpetrators deserve our strongest condemnation," he said at the meeting of the National Integration Council here.

Claiming that harmony and peaceful coexistence among different communities existed in his state, Mitra said, "In addition to taking effective steps to quell any communal violence before it escalates into a bigger crisis, exposing and bringing the perpetrators to face the delivery of justice should also be our major objective."

Suggesting effective implementation of laws and quick justice delivery system, Mitra said the communal riots in Assam had led to an influx of the affected people in certain border districts of Bengal. But the communal situation in the state "remained largely unaffected."

In his address, Mitra said a two-pronged battle had to be fought to combat communal discrimination — on the legal front as well as on the economic front. He listed out various measures taken by the state government in this regard.

Mitra also spoke about the schemes undertaken by the state government for the welfare of scheduled castes and tribes and those to check gender discrimination.