The Author.
New Delhi/Jalandhar, August 1, 2013: BJP’s Public Policy Research Centre (PPRC) has prepared an occasional paper `Communal Riots in India’ with some facts and figures, a copy of which is in possession of City Air News.
Introduction of this paper reads; “India has a long history of communal strife between various communities. Before Independence, the country had witnessed worst communal violence. One of the first major communal riots took place in August 1893 in Mumbai in which about a hundred people were killed and 800 injured. The period between 1921 and 1940 marked a particularly difficult phase.
Independent India witnessed its worst communal riots in 1948 after the partition. Post-Partition the scale of communal violence had come down considerably in the first decade. But during the 1960s, the politics of vote bank and appeasement changed this relative peace into a violent phase. A long-term study of communal violence in independent India would show that they became a permanent phenomenon after the 1960s. The graph remained high since the Jabalpur Riots, 1961. In 1964, there were 1,070 incidents — in 1960 there were only 26.
This short note is a compilation of some hard facts related to major riots in India. It has been observed that the entire focus of left oriented intellectuals, Congress party propaganda machinery & so called human right activists is, almost exclusively and singularly, focussed on demonizing 2002 riots in Gujarat. This is while ignoring any call for justice to the victims of other major riots such as 1983 Nellie massacre, 1984 Delhi Sikh pogrom, 1985 Ahmedabad riot, 1989 Bhagalpur riot and the recent Kokrajhar violence.
Riot After Riot
• About 58 major communal riots in 47 places since 1967.
• Ten in South India, 12 in East, 16 in West, 20 in North India
• Ahmedabad has seen five major riots; Hyderabad, four; Calcutta, none since ’64*
• The 1990s saw the most riots in the last five decades: 23
• The 1970s saw seven riots, the 1980s, 14; the 2000s have seen 13
• Total toll: 12,828 (South 597, West 3,426, East 3,581, North 5,224).
* In ’64, a wave of rioting in Calcutta, Jamshedpur and Rourkela killed 2,500. Note: Only riots with a toll of five or more included; deaths due to bomb blasts not included Data: Alka Gupta, Outlook (March 5, 2012)
Riots & Politics:
Who ruled the state when more than 100 people died in riots -1967 onwards
Of the 18 riots mentioned,
o 10 took place under Congress/Allies rule
o 3 under President’s Rule,
o 4 under other parties and
o 1 under BJP rule.
President’s rule includes Kanpur and Bhopal, after BJP ruled Uttar Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh state governments were dismissed aftermath of the events of 6 December 1992.
During JL Nehru’s rule (From 1950 to 19 64) - 243 communal violence incidences were documented in 16 states. (Varshney-Wilkinson Dataset on Hindu-Muslim Violence in India, 1950-1995, Version 2)
During Indira Gandhi’s rule (1966-77 & 1980-84) - 337 communal violence incidences were documented in 15 states, including the Nielli Massacre of 1983. (Varshney-Wilkinson Dataset on Hindu-Muslim Violence in India, 1950-1995, Version 2)
Indira by far takes the shield for being the worst administrator of India when it comes to domestic security of its citizens
During Rajiv Gandhi’s rule (1984-89) - 291 communal violence incidences documented in 16 states, including the barbaric Sikh Pogrom of 1984. (Varshney-Wilkinson Dataset on Hindu-Muslim Violence in India, 1950-1995, Version 2)
There were 1,194 communal communal violence incidences documented in India from 1950-1995. Out of these 871 or 72.95% were during Nehru, Indira & Rajiv’s PM-ship! (Varshney-Wilkinson Dataset on Hindu-Muslim Violence in India, 1950-1995, Version 2)
Communal incidents during UPA rule
The Sonia – Manmohan led UPA regime witnessed 5,921 Communal Incidents casing 943 deaths.
The Congress ruled Assam witnessed bloodiest violence in Bodoland territorial districts in July-August 2012. The local bodos clashed with illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. An estimated 97 people have lost their lives; nearly 500,000 people were being forced to take shelter in 273 temporary refugee camps around 500 villages were burnt down in less than a month.
The Congress' alliance partner Samajwadi Party ruled Uttar Pradesh witnessed 27 incidents of communal violence since the Samajwadi Party (SP) formed government in the state. Among them three incidents were big — which occurred at Mathura, Bareilly and Faizabad.
GUJARAT
Gujarat reported 244 communal violence incidences since 1950 till 1995 with a casualty of 1601. (Varshney-Wilkinson Dataset on Hindu-Muslim Violence in India, 1950-1995, Version 2)
The city of Ahmedabad, reported 71 Communal Violence incidences with a total casualty of 1071 since 1950 till 1995. (Varshney-Wilkinson Dataset on Hindu-Muslim Violence in India, 1950-1995, Version 2)
Some of Major Riots:
o Sept-Oct 1969 Ahmedabad - More than 512 Killed in the city. 3000 to 15000 range in the entire state, Riots for 6 months, Ruling party happened to be Congress
o April 1985 Ahmedabad - At least 300 Killed, Ruling party Congress
o July 1986 Ahmedabad - 59 Killed, Ruling party Congress
o Dec 1992 Surat - At least 175 killed, Ruling party Congress.
The above facts and figures show that communal riots were also happened before 2002. On the background of such communal history, Sabarmati Express was torched by miscreants near Godhra railway station on the morning of 27 February 2002, in which 59 people including 25 women and 15 children were burnt to death.
The news spread instantly through television channels and telephones.
The first incidents of retaliatory mob violence were reported on February 28. They continued in full intensity on 1st and 2nd March. By 3rd March situation was brought under control firmly.
The entire police force of 6000 is deployed in sensitive areas of Gujarat on the very first day, Feb 27, 2002.
Army is called and the first aircraft carrying army personnel lands at Ahmedabad by midnight of 28th February. 13 Columns of Army deployed to assist the State Civil administration.
Curfew was imposed in Godhra and other potential trouble spots from Feb 27, 2012. Shoot- at- Sight order was issued on 1stMarch, that is, within a day after the riots broke out on 28th February.
The Defence Minister personally supervised the deployment of the army which commenced on the morning of 1st.
During the riots, police fired 103,559 rounds of bullets. More than half fired in the first 72 hours;
Through the period of disturbances, in all 66,268 Hindus and 10,861 Muslims were taken into custody under preventive detention laws.
Statements by Shri Narendra Modi just after the incidents.
Feb 27, 2002: …This government will not allow anyone involved to go scot-free and is taking fool-proof steps… The Government will not be lacking in discharging duty...No efforts will be spared in ensuring law and order.
Feb 28, 2002: …Come, let us serve Gujarat through peace and self-control,and let us strengthen the arms of law … It is our responsibility that the lives of innocent are not put at stake…Ver verthi shamtu nathi (Hatred is never won over by hatred)…
Mar 1, 2002: Kriya pratikriya ki chain chal rahi hai. Hum chhahate hain ki na kriya ho aur na pratikriya (A chain of action-reaction has set in. We wish to see an end to both action and reaction) (Zee TV Interview with Sudhir Chowdhary, Gandhinagar. SIT Investigation established that Zee TV deleted the last line to give the impression that Modi was justifying “reaction” by way of mob violence to avenge the killings of Godhra.)
Mar 2, 2002: State Government is committed to pacify the wide spread anger amongst the people and restore law and order with strong political will.
Mar 3, 2002: Government cannot shy away from its moral duty of maintaining law and order in the state…all sections of the society too have a role to play in restoring peace quickly… I appeal to people to cooperate with the security staff in order to maintain law and order and in performance of their duties…
(Source: Madhu Kishwar’s Modinama at www.manushi.in)
2002 Riot & Others
To Sum up
The defining qualities of Indian ‘secularism’ in the last 10 years has been holier-than-thou drum beating in the name minority rights and safeguarding Muslim rights in Gujarat. The Gujarat riots of 2002 were discussed, debated and named like it was the first such incidence. The discourse takes only one side view, ignoring the fact that the curfew was declared instantly, army airlifted on second day and riots were controlled in 4 days! Also ignored the subsequent enquiries conducted by Supreme Court monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT), the convictions made thereafter! The demonizing of Gujarat goes on by conveniently avoiding even the mention of such incidents happened under the Congress’ rule.
Gujarat riots were India’s first ‘Televised Riot’! Had there been news channels in 1980s, the fact that around 6,000 people lost their lives in 3 worst riots of Nellie, Delhi and Bhagalpur, couldn’t have gone unnoticed from our ‘vibrant’ media, human right activists and civil society!"