National Advisory Council member and social activist Aruna Roy has allayed apprehensions about the proposed Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence Bill 2011 claiming that it was aimed at shifting the onus to the government.
There was no controversy in the Bill, except for one or two clauses which some might feel troublesome. “We don't read the law. One has to read the law before drawing conclusions,” Ms. Roy who is a member in the drafting committee of the Bill said. She was here on Sunday to deliver the first S.R. Sankaran Memorial Lecture.
She expressed concern that civil society was remaining passive spectator to efforts that were being made in the form of various legislations that were aimed at taking away the benefits from the poor. “Horrendous laws are scheduled for introduction in the winter session of the Parliament. Are we going to remain oblivious to these legislations,” she asked.
Ms. Roy told The Hindu t hat there were 31 such legislations including the Seeds Bill and the one for constitution of Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India in the pipeline.
“The Bill on the Special Economic Zones was passed in two days along with the Right To Information Bill. But none of us looked at it. Legislations like these are making us non-citizens in our own country,” she said.
Delivering the lecture earlier, she criticised the government for following the United States' model of economy which was not the ultimate form of economic development. Administrative Staff College former principal T.L. Shankar recalled his association with S.R. Sankaran.
Former Chief Secretary K. Madhava Rao said that the State government had agreed to install a statue of Sankaran on the premises of Samkshema Bhavan housing the offices of welfare departments.
