Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Steps to guard against communal riots mooted

Special Correspondent

`Religious instruction should not be imparted in educational institutions'

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Thomas P. Joseph Commission which had inquired into the riots at Marad in January 2002 and May 2003 has recommended a set of ideological, political and legal measures to guard against the recurrence of such communal incidents in the State in future.

The Commission, in its report tabled in the State Assembly by Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on Wednesday, said the Government, with the consensus of religious groups and without violating the fundamental rights of any sections of the people, should ensure that religious instruction was not imparted in educational institutions. In cases where religious instruction is permitted under the law, it should be done only after school hours. The Commission also recommended that moral values, secularist ideals, communal amity and religious tolerance should be taught in schools. Such topics should form part of the curriculum for teacher's training courses.

The Government should further ensure by consensus among various religious groups that persons engaged in giving religious instruction were equipped with modern education so that they did not fan the embers of religious fundamentalism and terrorism among the youth. And any fundamental right to propagate religion should be made subject to public safety and order.

The Commission said religion should be separated from State matters, politics and education. There should be, if necessary, a special enactment to achieve this. The Government and political parties should desist from appeasing or aligning with communal forces. Parties promoting or helping in any manner riots and religious hatred should be stripped of their registrations. The Commission recommended that the Government should conduct a thorough study into the causative, developmental, control and preventive aspects of communal clashes, the growth of fundamentalist groups in the State and take steps to stop their activities.

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