Stressing on maintenance of communal harmony in the society at any cost and take action against the forces working to disturb it, Chief Minister Hemant Soren has called for an inter-State coordination and mutual understanding to handle this.
Speaking on the 16th meeting of National Integration Council on Monday in Delhi, the CM also counted the strategy on priority for Jharkhand.
“Maintaining communal harmony has been the priority of Jharkhand Government. We are working on a policy for zero-tolerance against such issues. There is no scope of political interference in police administration in the State. We have made the administration sensitive to such acts,” Soren said in his maiden speech at the council meeting, being held in the backdrop of communal tension in Muzaffarnagar of Uttar Pradesh, in which more than 50 lives were lost.
The NIC comprises Union Ministers, leaders of the Opposition in the lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, Chief Ministers of all States and Union Territories. They deliberated upon the measures taken to promote communal harmony, role of social networking sites in promoting national integration and ways of tackling hate propaganda.
The CM also maintained about the existence of citizens’ committees for conducting festivals in a peaceful and harmonious manner and role of intelligence agencies in this regard.
Underlining the role of social media, which had allegedly played a key role in provoking Muzaffarnagar violence, Soren said, “Developed communication system has provided us a better opportunity to understand the world in a better manner but sometimes this also becomes a curse.”
“I am not in favour of banning the system but think that monitoring and keeping control over it is necessary. We should also make efforts to spread awareness among young generation and alert them against any misguidance and provocation,” added the CM.
He also called the Centre to make a policy that can insure democratic rights while checking misuses of the social media.
He also expressed his anguish against growing sexual abuses against women and children and called for infusing fear of law in the minds of criminals. “Our Government is seriously working to make educational institutions safe for women. Such acts of exploitation and harassment have come down after my becoming Chief Minister. We have issued directions to women police stations and DCs to provide safe atmosphere for women and all sections of the society.”
He mentioned about eight anti-trafficking units and appointments of 455 child welfare officers besides formation of special juvenile unit in the State. The CM also sought for central assistance in the field of tribal sub-plan keeping in mind the considerable tribal population in Jharkhand. He also attracted attention of the Prime Minister to make the Inter-State Migration Act more effective and also proposed Domestic Workers (Training, Registration and Welfare) Act for the State.
The CM also used the occasion to press the demand for compensation against 24,000 acres of land taken by the Coal India limited and also better royalty against the minerals. “I would like to request the Prime Minister to direct the PSUs for preparing a proactive recruitment policy for employing locals in the units,” said Hemant Soren.
The CM while praising the cultural and social fabric in the country demanded to identify and take stern action against those working to disturb this. He also underlined some of the welfare schemes run in the State to provide assistance to weaker sections of the society and providing them education and health care facilities.