Kerala government\'s tough stance helped the state remain peaceful post-Kochi blasts

Thiruvananthapuram: The case filed by Kochi police against Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar for allegedly spreading communal hate in the aftermath of Kochi explosion has led to a bitter political slugfest between the two parties that has now reached the national capital.

The Kochi central police registered the case under section IPC 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups). In response to the case, Rajeev Chandrasekhar accused Congress and CPM of jointly filing a case against him.

He also referred to a recent episode in Kerala where a former chief of Hamas addressed a solidarity meeting online. The chief minister has stated that appropriate action would be taken by the police on the issue.

Attempts to link explosion to Israel - Palestine conflict

What irked the chief minister was Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s accusation that the bomb explosion took place because of the LDF government's soft approach towards radical elements and failure as home minister.  Pinarayi hit back accusing Chandrashekhar of spewing deadly communal poison.

The ruling front viewed the statements of Chandrasekhar and other BJP leaders as a deliberate attempt to single out a particular community and fan communal passions in the state. The BJP leaders even linked the incident with the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, portraying it as a possible retaliatory attack by a particular community against the Christians.

State government's tough stand against fake news

Against this backdrop, the LDF Government decided to deal sternly with people who try to disrupt communal harmony.  Immediately after the bomb explosion, the state government machinery was quick to respond, with the police issuing strong warnings to people spreading rumours or fake news on social media.

The cyber cell of the state police kept a close watch on social media posts to ensure that attempts to spread hatred were nipped in the bud. A couple of cases were also registered in connection with fake news in some districts. The government functionaries say the case against the minister is to send out a strong message that nobody, irrespective of their high position, would be spared if they make communally provocative remarks.

Regional media acted responsibly

Unlike some national channels that ran unsubstantiated and speculative stories regarding the Kalamassery blast even linking the incident with pro-Palestianeian outfits, the regional Malayalam media maintained restraint in their coverage.

Most TV channels in Kerala cautioned people against attempts to create a communal divide and spread communal hatred. As a result, there were no emotionally charged reactions in the state based on speculations and rumours. It helped to maintain peace. There was no mad rush in the regional media during the four to five hours prior to Dominic Martin's confession about the blast, to run speculative stories for grabbing eyeballs.

Various religious and social groups also acted responsibly, pledging their support to the government and law enforcement agencies to maintain peace. An all-party meeting held the day after the blast created a political consensus on dealing with the situation.

Many believe that the Kerala model of dealing with such sensitive issues is worth emulating for other states to prevent the communal backlash that is often witnessed in the aftermath of such incidents.