Sikkim:Governor inaugurates seminar on Social Violence and Police


Gangtok: “A relatively stable society has less chaos and more order while a society in transition experiences breakdown of transitional norms, and customary checks and balances on human behaviors, and hence greater incidence of unruly behavior. Causes of violence as well as the means to deal with them, must be sought in the totality of human environment – Physical, economic, political, socio-cultural and technological”. This is said by Governor of Sikkim, Mr. Balmiki Prasad Singh.

The Governor was speaking as chief guest at the inauguration of an international seminar on Tuesday, March 9, organized by Sikkim University in collaboration with Centre for Public Affairs, New Delhi, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi Groupe Europeen de Recherche sur les Normativites, Paris. Theme of the two-day seminar is Social violence and Police: Cross-national experiences”. Inaugurated by the Governor at a local hotel, the day’s programme was presided by Mr Ved Marwah, Chairman, Centre for Public Affairs and former governor of Jharkhand and Manipur.

Governor Mr. Singh said that social violence is an inevitable aspect of almost all societies. However, its nature and extent varies across societies and cultures.

Violence is a complex phenomenon because of its multiple causes. Various theories have tried to explain the causes of violence, ranging from political, economic, socio-cultural, ethnic, developmental and so on. He said, “we are living in an era of political, social and religious turbulence”.

The police including the paramilitary units, Mr. Singh said, are the principal agents of the State’s internal sovereignty. “Should the police retain its old structure or make a transition and device new structures congruent with democratic polity with economic and scientific advancement, or there is any need to divide police functions into sub categories like law and order maintenance and crime investigations”, the Governor asked. On the occasion the Governor released an annual report of Sikkim University.

Mr. Marwah, Prof. Ajay Mehra, Director, Centre for Public Affairs, Prof. Rene Levy Director, Groupe European de Recherche sur les Normatives (GREN), Paris, and Prof. Mahendra P. Lama, Vice Chancellor , Sikkim University, also deliberated on the seminar topic.

The programme was attended by Mr. S.M Limboo, Dy. Chairman of Planning Commission of Sikkim, Mr. Sonam Tshering Bhutia, Member of the Commission, delegates from France, Delhi and other parts of the country, members of Non Government Organizations, Professors and Lecturers, officials and staff of Sikkim University.

SOURCE:SIKKIM REPORTER