| Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned that the possibility of a return to massive sectarian violence in Gujarat must be forestalled with prompt action by government authorities. In a report released on Thursday, the watchdog group said recent anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat have left six dead and have coincided with violence in Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir, where militant groups massacred at least 35 Hindus on April 30 and May 1. It urged the Indian government, the state governments of Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir, and the Pakistan government to take all steps possible to protect religious minorities in the two regions. "These incidents show the extreme vulnerability of religious minorities in different parts of India," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Instead of allowing this violence to deepen religious hatred, the authorities should launch an immediate, thorough and transparent investigation to ensure that those responsible are prosecuted and punished." HRW said police and prosecutors at the national and state levels should launch criminal investigations and initiate appropriate prosecutions against the perpetrators and organisers of the attacks in Gujarat. |