NEW DELHI, April 8: India’s commission for minorities has joined the chorus of indictment of the Gujarat state government for its inept handling of the recent bout of communal violence in the state, and has asked it to take immediate steps to restore the confidence of the minorities.

In its preliminary report made at a meeting with the state’s senior officials the other day, the commission’s chairman, Justice M.Shamim, told newsmen that “we are not satisfied with whatever measures the government has taken so far.” The chairman also said that there was still a sense of insecurity among the people.

After a visit to the riot-hit areas of the state, the commission has come up with a number of confidence-building steps which the state government should take to instil among the people the faith that it is guided by a sense of impartiality.

It called for the cancellation of transfer orders of police officials who had successfully controlled the riots. It also wanted the state government to post officials from the minority communities in the areas prone to conflict.

If not enough officials were available, they could be summoned from other states on probation, the commission said.

The human rights commission says it has found sufficient evidence after a visit to the riot-hit areas to come to the conclusion that there had been enough to proved the state government had been guilty of gross dereliction of duty, and called for the resignation of the state government.

Apparently to avoid an unpleasant situation of either having to concede the overwhelming demand for the dismissal of Gujarat Chief Minister Modi or to invite public wrath, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee avoided a visit to the riot- affected areas in spite of the urgency of the need to do so.

The opposition as well as the general public expected Vajpayee to condemn Modi for the manner in which he and the administration had handled the situation.

Indeed, he expressed his anguish at the happenings in eloquent terms, but he did so without apportioning any blame on Modi.

For fear of annoying the RSS and the VHP cadres, Vajpayee apparently adopted a rather pedantic approach to Modi when the public opinion was in favour of a more direct upbraiding of the chief minister.

Vajpayee’s half-heartedness appears to have been prompted by elements in the RSS and VHP that condemnation of Modi would result in furthering the communal divide. These elements could not accept Vajpayee’s statement that he was ashamed of what had happened and was worried about how he would face international opinion during his proposed visit abroad.