New Delhi, 1 April

Existing regulatory mechanisms, such as the National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission of Minorities, have become inadequate to deal with hate-based speeches and actions in the country, Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha said in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Expressing concerns over the rising instances of hate speeches and actions causing enmity among various communities, Jha said such things are bringing fame to low-profile people and hatred has been normalised.

The RJD MP referring to a former United Nations Secretary General's comment that the tradition of hate created the Gas Chamber (referring to the Holocaust in Germany).

Naming countries such as Bosnia, Cambodia and Rwanda, which had seen civil unrest in the past, Jha said, "I do not want to see my country in this list."

The reality today is that people want peaceful passage of festivals without any tragedy, the MP said, adding that visiting the pages of history and fighting over it has become normal.

He concluded the statement by reciting an Urdu couplet that highlighted how, despite being close, people are stuck at a distance due to their self-imposed restrictions.