Bengaluru: In a significant move towards rectifying past injustices, the Karnataka government has issued orders to provide compensation to the families of victims who lost their lives in communal incidents in the Dakshina Kannada district over the past five years.
The decision comes after three Muslim families, who had previously been denied compensation during the BJP term in power, will now receive Rs 25 lakh each.
The Chief Minister's relief fund will release the compensation for the affected families, which include Mohammed Masood of Bellare, Mohammed Fazil of Surathkal, Abdul Jaleel of Katipalla, and Deepak Rao of Katipalla. These individuals tragically lost their lives due to communal violence.
One such case involved Mohammed Fazil, who was brutally murdered outside a clothing store on July 28, 2022. The incident occurred amidst heightened tensions following the murder of BJP Yuva Morcha member Praveen Nettaru, for which members of the banned organization Popular Front of India (PFI) were responsible.
The PFI members claimed that Praveen's murder was in retaliation for the killing of Mohammed Masood, who had been attacked by members of the Bajrang Dal on July 19, 2022.
Abdul Jaleel of Katipalla fell victim to a hate crime on December 24, 2022, while Deepak Rao of Katipalla lost his life on January 3, 2018. Deepak Rao was described as an active volunteer of the Bajrang Dal and BJP by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at the time.
The previous BJP government faced criticism for denying compensation to Muslim families affected by communal violence. This issue gained renewed attention in March 2023 when a media investigation revealed that compensation had been provided to the families of Hindu victims, including Praveen Nettaru, Deepak Rao, and Harsha Jingade, a Bajrang Dal worker who was murdered in Shivamogga in February 2022.
Activists raised concerns that these actions by the state government disregarded Article 14 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees equality.
The investigation also shed light on the disparate treatment of Muslim and Hindu perpetrators. While Muslim individuals accused of involvement in communal violence were probed for terror links and charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Hindu perpetrators were often treated as ordinary criminals, with little investigation into their ideology or organizational affiliations.
The Karnataka government's recent decision to provide compensation to the families of Muslim victims is seen as a step towards addressing these concerns and rectifying past biases. The move is aimed at fostering a more inclusive and equitable society, where every citizen can seek justice and find solace irrespective of their religious background.