RIOTS UNDER VARIOUS RULES (POST INDEPENDENCE)

Talking about the riots and the rule, the first thing that comes to mind of Indians is BJP ( Bhartiy Janta Party), referring to the Gujarat’s Godra massacre on Feb, 2002, which is no doubt one of the worst massacres in the history of the country.

But the fact is that we have had many riots post-independence under various rules. Below is the list of the riots that took place under the rule of the Congress and other parties. I am against the killing of the innocent civilians, be it under the rule of any.

No party has been successful in stopping these riots that emerged during their rule.

Following are the riots that took place :

1)      16^th August, 1946 - Communal riots in Bengal

Direct Action Day, also known as the Great Calcutta Killings was a day of widespread slaughtering and killing, between the Hindus and Muslims in the city.

4,000 people were dead and nearly 100,000 were injured in the riot.

2)      March, 1964 - Communal riots in Jamshedpur

Violent killing of Muslims and Hindus took place. This violence had however benefitted the Rashtriy Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). As soon after these riots, the BJS (Bhartiy Jan Sangh) showed up for the first time in Jamshedpur and won.

Nearly 2,000 people were killed, mostly Muslims.

3)      22^nd August, 1967 - Communal riots in Ranchi

Also known as the Hatia riots, 184 people were killed.

4)      September-October, 1969 -  Communal riots in Ahmedabad

According to the reports, more than 600 people were killed and more than 1000 people were injured. Out of the 512 deaths reported in the police complaints, 430 were that of Muslims.

Unofficial reports say that nearly 2000 people were killed.

5)      7^th May, 1970 – Communal riots in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra

Anti-Muslim violence that took place in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra on the 7^th and 8^th May of the year had been a pre-planned attempt by the Shiv-Sena. More than 250 people were killed, mostly Muslims.

6)      April, 1979 - Communal riots in Jamshedpur, West Bengal

The riots of April, 1979 took the lives of more than 100 people. Violent killing of Hindus and Muslims took place.

Indian National Congress was in power during the time of the riot.

7)      August –November, 1980 - Communal riots in Moradabad

Unofficial reports have estimated that around 2500 had been killed. These riots were triggered by the Muslims at the Idgah, where they found a pig which is considered haraam and asked the on-duty policeman to chase the pig away. The violence erupted when he refused to do so and the throwing of stones was started by the Muslims.

8)      February, 1983 - Communal riots in Nellie, Assam.

The Nellie massacre lasted for just 6 hours and it took the lives of nearly 2,000 people. The unofficial reports claim that the number of people killed were more than 5,000.

It is considered to be one of the worst riots after World War II.

9)      May, 1984 - Communal riots in Bhiwandi

The riot took place in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra killing 278 and leaving more than 1,100 injured.

10)   October, 1984 - Communal riots in Delhi

A series of violence and killing against the Sikh community had taken place, this took place when Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of the country had been assassinated by her Sikh bodyguard. This violence left behind 8,000 deaths with 3,000 alone in Delhi.

It was followed by a controversial statement passed by the son of the Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, who was sworn in as the Prime Minister soon after her death saying ‘When a big tree falls, the earth shakes’.

11)   April, 1985 - Communal riots in Ahmedabad

Also called as the Dabgarwad massacre, was involved with the burning down of the house of a single Mother, Maniben’s home in Ahmedabad which led to the killing of 8 Hindus.

275 were killed as per the estimates. The violence lasted for an year.

12)   May, 1987 - Communal riots in Meerut, UP

Hashimpura massacre took place in the city of Meerut, UP. After the communal riots had ended the Central Government opened Babri Masjid/Ayodhya Mandir for the Hindu worshippers after several decades.

13)   October, 1989 – Communal riots in Bhagalpur, Bihar

It is considered as one of the worst violence after the independence, more than 1,000 people were killed, out of which nearly 900 were Muslims.

It surpassed the 1969 Gujarat riots.

The tension between the Hindus and Muslims had escalated in August that year during the Muharram and Bisher Puja festivities. The political rivalries in the area also fumed the the violence in the area.

14)   December, 1990 – Communal riots in Hyderabad, AP

This riot left around 300 people killed. It is said that Congress MP, Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy had engineered the violence in the old city of Hyderabad in order to get Chief Minister Marri Channa Reddy replaced.

15)   December, 1992 – Communal riots in Surat, Gujarat

More than 150 people were killed in the riots and in the communal tension due to the Babri Masjid demolition.

16)   Dec ember,  1992 – January, 1993 – Communal riots in Mumbai, Maharashtra

Riots broke out in the city of Mumbai killing nearly 900 people, more than 500 of them were Muslims. The riots were followed by a retaliatory bombings by the ganglord Daud Ibrahim and his D-Company on 12^th March, 1993.

17)   April, 2006 – Communal riots in Aligarh, UP

Around 5 to 6 people were killed in the clash between the Hindus and the Muslims and 13 were injured.

18)   27^th August, 2013 – Communal riots in Muzaffarnagar, UP

Clashes between Hindus and Muslims killed 43 people and injured 93. By 17^th September, the curfew was removed and the Army was withdrawn from the affected areas.