After the riots

Restoring trust in state institutions is vital

The swift shutdown of West Delhi by scared citizens and the mobilisation of vigilante squads on Sunday on rumours of fresh rioting reveal the depths of mistrust embedded in denizens of Delhi for each other and for state security institutions. This febrile suspicion will be the enduring legacy of the three-day riot in East Delhi over February 22-24, unless steps are taken to restore faith in state institutions. This includes the Delhi police, whose conspicuous absence and then active cooperation with rioting mobs are now well established, and the Union government, whose writ extends to the police, the political leadership,