Violence against Minorities

We, retired civil servants belonging to different services and batches, wish to register our deep concern at the continuing incidents of mindless violence in the country, especially those targeting the minorities, and the lackadaisical res­ponse of the law enforcement machinery to these attacks.

The killing of Mohammed Afrazul, a migrant worker from West Bengal in Rajsamand, Rajasthan, on the 25th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid has deeply shaken each of us. The recording of the brutal act on video and the circulation of the justification for the killing over the internet, cuts at the roots of an inclusive and pluralistic society which draws its inspiration from the teachings of Buddha, Mahavira, Ashoka, Akbar, the Sikh gurus, Hindu sages and Mahatma Gandhi. The violent incidents in Udaipur in support of the alleged killer are a pointer to how deep the sectarian poison has spread among the population of this country.