Murshidabad riots report, then what?

A Calcutta High Court-appointed probe committee investigating the recent communal violence in Murshidabad over the Waqf (Amendment) Act has flagged serious administrative failures - including glaring police inaction and the alleged role of a TMC leader in orchestrating the violence. While the panel's effort to establish a timeline and name key perpetrators is a welcome step forward, the real test begins now. What matters is not just what the report says, but what the West Bengal government chooses to do with it. Accountability must follow, or the report will join a long list of inquiries that led nowhere.

In the aftermath of violence, perspectives inevitably diverge - each community interprets events through its own lens. This case is no different. But in an age of advanced tech, CCTV surveillance, mobile data and improved forensic tools, identifying culprits and pursuing justice should not be insurmountable. The tools exist - what's often lacking is the institutional resolve to use them fairly and fearlessly.

For justice to be delivered, a neutral and competent authority, the state police, is essential. Yet, the track record in Bengal, as in much of India, is deeply troubling. Failures extend beyond poor training, staffing shortages or inadequate evidence collection. A more corrosive issue lies at the heart of the problem: a lack of political will. This is often worsened by undue interference from ruling parties, which erodes both impartiality and accountability. Despite several recommendations and reminders from the Supreme Court, efforts to depoliticise the police have made little headway - mainly because no state has the incentive to relinquish control. Unless police forces are insulated from political pressure while retaining proper executive oversight, even the most comprehensive investigations will fail to bring meaningful outcomes - and public trust in justice will remain broken.