SOCOLOGICAL STUDY OF

COMMUNAL RIOT IN INDIA

AFTER 1947
COMMUNAL RIOTS
These power politicians are not good Hindus nor good Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Parsis
or Buddhists. • They can be viewed as dangerous political ‘scum’. • For them, God and
religion are merely instruments to be used to live luxuriously as the ‘kind parasites’ of
society and to attain the political goals.

The dangerous outcome of the communalism is communal riots.

Communal riots have become a distinct feature of communalism. Whenever Conflicting

groups from two different religions, which are self conscious communities, clash, it
results in a communal riot.

 Communal riots are nothing but clashes between two or more communities owing to
clashes of communal interests.
 Paul Brass defines riot as a “violent disturbance of peace by an assembly or body of
persons” and a programme as “an organized massacre”
 Communal riots are an indicator of socio-cultural difference existing between the
communities

An event is identified as a communal riot if:

1. There is a violence.

2. Two or more communally different groups confront each other or members of the
group at some point during the violence.

The reason for such a clash could be superficial and trivial, though underlying them are
deeper considerations of political representations, control of and access to resources and
power.
COMMUNAL RIOTS IN INDIA

Communal riots have become a distinct feature of communalism in India. Whenever

conflicting groups from two different religions, which are self –conscious communities,
clash, it results in a communal riot. An event is identified as a communal riot if (a) there
is violence, and (b) two or more communally identified groups confront each other or
members of the other group at some point during the violence.The reason for such a
clash could be superficial and trivial, though underlying them are deeper considerations
of political representation, control of and access to resources and power. There have
been many incidents of riots recorded during the course of British rule and even before
that. For example: In Ahmedabad there were riots in 1714, 1715, 1716 and 1750. But
according to Bipan Chandra, in his book “Communalism in Modern India”, communal
tension and riots began to occur only in the last quarter of the 19th century, but they did
not occur in India on any significant scale till 1946-47 . Before that, the maximum
communal rioting took place during 1923-26. A clear relationship between communal
riots and politics was established for the first time in 1946, when the Muslim League
gave its direct action call on August 16, 1946.

Communal riots that took place from the 1960s to the 1980s follow a particular pattern.
They have mostly occurred in urban towns which are either industrial belts or trading
centers with the economy largely based on a particular occupation. Most of these places
had a considerable percentage of Muslim population whose political or economic
interests clashed with those of the

Hindus. Moreover, the major riots occurred when the Congress was in power in these
states or during the short and uncertain phase of the Janata Party coalition rule at the
Centre. Riots in this phase might have occurred in the villages or rural areas like the
Biharsharif riots, but they have often remained unreported. Therefore it is important to
distinguish this phase from the 1990s during which the BJP and its sister organizations
have been active in instigating communal riots. Communal violence since 1990s needs
to be seen in the light of the changing political equations in the country. The decline of
the Congress and the emergence of the BJP as a strong political force resulted in shifting
patterns of communal riots. Communal violence in the last two decades is a result of the
manipulation of the religious sentiments of people by the Hindu right-wing
organizations for political gains. The politicization of the Mandir-Masjid issue and the
subsequent demolition of the Mosque gave the BJP the opportunity to consolidate its
vote bank. But in the process the controversy created a communal divide, and frequency
of riots also increased during this time. Since partition, never before has one particular
incident resulted in the emergence of violence in almost all the states. From the 1960s
till 1980 local factors played a very important role in the emergence of riots, but since
the late 1980s this trend seems to be changing. Communal violence has always occurred
when the BJP has wanted to expand its base. In the recent years the South Indian states,
particularly Kerala and Tamilnadu, have also witnessed communal violence and are
slowly growing into communally sensitive areas. This is primarily because of the recent
entrance of BJP in the political arena of these states. Apart from Godhra, the other
incidences of communal violence in the 90s have been minor, yet they cannot be
dismissed. These eruptions of communal violence have not been spontaneous, but are
organized, and often have the support of the local administrations. The state support to
riots is a long established feature in India, yet the state has never been such an active
participant in the violence before the Gujarat riots. Communal violence has entered a
new phase with the Christians and members of other minority religions being made the
victims of planned attacks. Communal riots in this decade have been both urban and
rural features, but the extent of damage is always greater in the thriving centers of trade
and commerce. Tribal population in the rural areas is being forced to get involved in the
attacks on Christians and Muslims by bringing them within the Hindutva framework.
Apart from economic reasons, the call for Hindu unity which is primarily a means to
achieve political advantage is the main source for communal violence in this decade.
Godhra was indeed the first major communal riot that got such a wide media coverage
particularly from the satellite channels. Therefore the media now needs to be more
responsible, considering the influence that it can have over the masses. It is time that the
media stopped any kind of biased reporting as it can further encourage the communal
elements to instigate the masses. Political parties have always had a hand in instigating
and exploiting communal violence so as to meet their electoral interests. Though
communal riots are condemned in various quarters, there is still complete inaction both
from the administration and the ruling governments in many states. Though religious
festivals and processions are generally the starting points of communal riots, still
sufficient security is not provided during these times. There is also not much response

against incidents of communal violence from the civil society.

DIMENSIONS OF COMMUNALISM
T.K. Oommen has suggested six dimensions of communalism:
 Assimilationist
 welfarist
 Retreatist
 Retaliatory
 Separatist
 Secessionist

 Assimilationist:- Assimilationist communalism is one in which small religious

groups are assimilated/integrated into a big religious group. • Such
communalism claims that Scheduled Tribes are Hindus, or that Jains, etc.

 Welfarist:- Welfarist communalism aims at the welfare of a particular

community, say, improving living standard and providing for education and
health of Christians by the Christians associations, or Parsi associations
working for the benefit of the Parsis. • Such communal mobilization aims at
working only for the members of one’s own community.

 Retreatist:- Retreatist communalism is one in which a small religious

community keeps itself away from politics. • For example, Bahai community,
which proscribes its members from participating political activities.

 Retaliatory :-Retaliatory communalism attempts to harm, hurt, injure the

members of other religious communities

 Separatist :-Separatist communalism is one in which one religious or a cultural

groups wants to maintain its cultural specificity and demands a separate
territorial state within the country. • For example, the demand of some Mizos and
Nagas in northeast India or Bodos in Assam or of Jharkhand Tribals in Bihar, etc.

 Secessionist:-Secessionist communalism is one in which a religious community

want a separate political identity, and demands an independent state. • A very
small militant sections of Sikh population demanding Khalistan or some Muslim
militants demanding independent Kashmir were engaged in practising this type
of communalism
CAUSES OF COMMUNAL RIOTS

 Historical factors
 Educational factors
 Political factors
 Religious factors.
 Socio-economic factors
 Demographic factors
 Psychological factors
 Social media factors
FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMUNAL RIOTS

 Historical Factors: The history of Partition and the two-nation theory have generated
a deep sense of communalism and lack of mutual trust among both the communities. It
discouraged a harmonious association and peaceful co-existence.

 Political Factors: Divide and rule policy practiced by the British and the subsequent
vote-bank politics followed by Indian political parties after Independence have added
to the divide between the communities. Lack of liberal, progressive and modern
attitude in both communities has also weakened the cause of communal harmony.

 Educational Factors: There is lack of modern education among a large section of

Indian society. A majority of Indians failed to adopt a scientific and technological
approach, hence are reluctant to adopt liberal, progressive values.

 Religious factors:- Decline in religious norms and secular values • Narrow and
dogmatic religious values • Use of religion for political gains • Communal ideology of
religious leaders.

 Socio-Economic Factors: Due to their educational backwardness, the Muslims have

not been represented sufficiently in public services, industry and trade, etc. Their
economic status is very low. This causes the feeling of relative deprivation and such
feelings contain the seeds of communalism.

 Psychological Factors: Psychological factors play an important role in the

development of communalism. Both communities have perceived grudges against
each other. There is a sort of fear psychosis amongst Muslims. These lead to
communal ill-feelings.

 Demographic Factors: Demographic changes in Assam, West Bengal and the

Kashmir Valley create opportunities for manipulation of communal sentiments for
short-term political objectives.

 Social Media Factors: Negative impact of social media in spreading rumours,

disinformation, hate-campaign and fanning violence
MAJOR COMMUNAL RIOTS TAKEN PLACE IN INDIA

 Calcutta riots or direct-action day riots (1946)

 Partition riots (1947)
 Delhi sikh massacre (1984)
 Merrut riots (1987)
 Bhagalpur riots, Bihar (1989)
 Bombay riots (1993)
 Gujarat bloodshed (2002)

Calcutta riots or direct action day riots (1946) :

“Larke lenge Pakistan.” (We’ll fight to get Pakistan.)

“...this is the time we have to retaliate, and you have to answer brutality with brutality.”

These sentences spoken by a Muslim and a Hindu, respectively, in Kolkata on the morning of
16 August 1946 serve as ominous harbingers of what the day would bring with itself. Now
known as the ‘Direct Action Day’ or The Great Calcutta Killings, 16 August poised itself
right next to perhaps one of the most important days in Indian history, the day of the
country’s Independence on 15 August, a year later. But unlike the latter, the former stands for
an unprecedented spectacle of hatred and bloodshed.

In 1946, Muhammad Ali Jinnah declared 16 August as ‘Direct Action Day’ and called for
Muslims all over the country to ‘suspend all business’. This was to put pressure on the British
government to relent to the Muslim League’s (headed by Jinnah) demand of dividing the
country on the basis of religion, thereby allowing the creation of a Muslim-dominated
Pakistan.

Partition riots(1947)

The communal violence spread to Bihar (where Hindus attacked Muslims), to Noakhali in
Bengal (where Muslims targeted Hindus), to Garhmukteshwar in the United Provinces
(where Hindus attacked Muslims), and on to Rawalpindi in March 1947 in which Hindus
were attacked or driven out by Muslims.
During the Partition of India, violence against women was an extensive issue. It is
estimated that during the partition between 75,000 and 100,000 women were kidnapped and
raped. . India and Pakistan later worked to repatriate the abducted women. Muslim women
were to be sent to Pakistan and Hindu and Sikh women to India.
Delhi sikh massacre(1984)

The assassination of prime minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984 sparked riots that
lasted 15 days. Several inquiry panels later, eight people were convicted. The politicians and
police got away.
The mayhem began at about 6 p.m. shortly after the death of Indira Gandhi was announced at
the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi. The news set the tone for a communal
massacre that India hadn't quite witnessed since Independence. Chaos reigned on the streets
and locality after locality in the capital echoed with the shrieks of the dying and burning
people. A fortnight of carnage saw over 2,700 dead and many thousands injured.
"President Zail Singh wanted the army to act, but it didn't. The then prime minister and home
minister did not take his calls," recalls Tarlochan Singh, who was Zail Singh's press secretary.
The worst affected areas were the ones that had elected Congressmen HKL Bhagat and Sajjan
Kumar to the Lok Sabha. Yet the police could do nothing to lay their hands on them.

Merrut riots (1987)

The riots began on May 21, 1987 and continued for two months. The state police conducted a
probe but all cases were later withdrawn by the state. The armed personnel accused went scot
free.
As with most riots, there are conflicting versions on what set this one off: burning of mills or
a reaction to the carnage by the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel. A majority
claim it was the armed police.
The PAC men wanted to arrest a man from the Hashimpura area but were stopped by a mob.
When the uniformed men tried to force their way in, the crowd became violent. The PAC
called in reinforcements and retaliated instantly. About 40 bodies were later found floating in
the canal near Maliana village. This ignited communal passions and Meerut was soon on fire.
Within hours, over 350 shops in the city and three petrol pumps had been burnt. In the
following two months, 350 people were killed, among them prominent residents including a
doctor from Hapur and an army captain.
Rationality took the backseat as one set of residents instigated massacres against another. It
took several weeks for a 13,000-strong army detachment to restore peace in Meerut. The
Uttar Pradesh government, under pressure from the Rajiv Gandhi government, withdrew
hundreds of cases from district courts in Meerut. As a result, there were no convictions. The
PAC, having terrorised a large section of Meerut, was the biggest gainer-and justice the
biggest loser.

Bhagalpur riots, Bihar(1989)

On October 23, 1989 began the month-long riots triggered by police atrocities. Of the 864
cases filed by the police, 535 were closed and most accused acquitted for lack of evidence.
Following police atrocities in 1989, the silk city of Bhagalpur saw massacre and arson in
which over 1,000 people died, nearly 50,000 were displaced and 11,500 houses torched.
In the carnage, an army major herded 100 men, women and children to a house at Chanderi
village and posted the local police for their protection. The next morning, however, he found
the house empty. Four days later, 61 mutilated bodies were found in a nearby pond, among
them a live Malika Bano whose right leg had been chopped off. Bano narrated a story that
continues to haunt Bhagalpur.
On the night of October 27, a frenzied mob took over the house from the police, slaughtered
the people hiding inside and tossed their bodies in the pond. Of the 864 cases registered by
the Bihar Police, chargesheets were filed in only 329 cases. In 100 of these, the accused were
acquitted for want of evidence. Chanderi was no different. Of the 38 accused, only 16 were
convicted and sentenced to rigorous life terms, while 22 were acquitted.
The Babri masjid demolition set off riots between December 1992 and January 1993. The Sri
Krishna panel examined 502 witnesses, but no
police officer has yet been punished.

1992 Mumbai riots:

Hours after the demolition of the Babri masjid, Mumbai erupted. For five days in December
1992 and then again for a fortnight in January, the city witnessed unprecedented riots. As
many as 1,788 people were killed and property worth crores of rupees destroyed.
On January 25, 1993, the Maharashtra government set up the Sri Krishna Commission of
Inquiry, which recorded the evidence of 502 witnesses and examined 2,903 exhibits. But
three years later, on January 23, 1996, the BJP-Shiv Sena government wound up the
commission, only to reinstate it later under public pressure. The commission finally
submitted its report on February 16, 1998. Of the 17 police officers who were formally
charged in mid-2001, not one has been arrested so far. Even departmental action has not been
initiated against them. In April this year, former city police commissioner RD Tyagi and
eight serving police officers accused of killing nine people, were discharged by a Mumbai
sessions court.

2002 Gujarat riots:

On February 27, 2002 suspected Muslim mob attacked a train carrying activists of the
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) back from the disputed holy site of Ayodhya. The attack left
58 Hindu activists dead.
The episode resulted in major riots, which left many Mulims dead in Gujarat.
CONSEQUENCES OF COMMUNAL CONFLICTS

The greatest sufferers of communal violence are the innocent common people who get
caught inextricably into circumstances beyond their control.
 There is an avoidable loss of life and essential public property gets damaged. It lends
to hooliganism, and the situation is often exploited by anti social elements by
plundering and indulging in activities only for their personal gains.
 The anti national elements get adequate opportunity to fan anti national feelings and
work on creating an atmosphere to break the cohesiveness of our society.
 The atmosphere of uncertainty and internal turmoil dissuades the

 foreign investors to set up their businesses in India.

 Lawlessness accruing out of communal disharmony is exploited by the divisive

forces operating in the country because of which internal security risks gets heightens.
 The social fabric of the society gets irreparably damaged and the conditions of
mistrust serve as a catalyst for future conflicts on flimsy grounds.
 Deployment of large scale security forces dissipates the state exchequer and may
result in occasional Human Rights abuses.
 The Human Development Index of the society is adversely affected by these
hampering restrictions that are laid on the basic right to freedom of people.
OVERALL CONSEQUENCES ARE :-

 Dignity of an individual may suffer.

 Unity & Integrity of the nation may see an adverse jolt.

 Law & Order challenges may increase

 Loss of public property plausible

 Business confidence may plummet.

 A communally charged atmosphere may spike social polarization.

 Social harmony is critical for smoothfunctioning of trade and

business.
 Politico-socio uncertainty may increase risk of doing business.
STEPS TO HANDLE COMMUNAL VIOLENCE

 Quick and appropriate decisions by the administration. After identifying the type,
stage and gravity of the disturbance, must take immediate actions to mitigate the
losses and be proactive to requisition and move the resources and detain personnel
with provocative behavior.
 Police forces especially trained for the purpose must be promptly deployed in
adequate numbers with requisite equipment and proper gear to handle situation at the
physical, as well as emotional level.
 During the outbreak of a riot, the local people must be regularly kept updated
regarding the prevailing situation through various forms of media, which must be
controlled to ensure it does not aggravate the situation further.
 Prior to the actual buildup of tension, licensed weapons such as

 revolvers, guns and corrosive materials must be ceased.

 States must maintain emergency funds for the procurement of basic items such as
medicines and food or for compensating the losses of the people.
 Cyber police should be watchful of posts made in the social media and websites
carrying any provocative content with the aim of spreading communal tension and
bring to book such people
CONCLUSION

We are aware that communalism is one of the most dangerous threat to Indian democracy and
National integrity. If we do not attempt to curb this evil force this will engulf the harmony of
our country, which will spread like a epidemic. To get justice for every individual in the
country social workers should intervene proactively in this area so that it can create a society
which will give justice and provide human conditions for living.

Communal violence is common now days throughout the world. Communal violence and
riots have also been called non-State conflict, violent civil or minorities unrest, mass racial
violence, social or inter-communal violence and ethno-religious violence.

However, while religious contestations are ubiquitous in India they do not always lead to
riots. In late colonial princely north India, the focus of this study, Hindus and Muslims were
forever testing the boundaries of each other’s civic tolerance, but these contestations rarely
spilled over into physical violence. Most remained transient and verbal. Of the rest, many
ended with one or both of the parties agreeing to back down; while others were resolved
formally through the mediation of responsible community elders. The evidence from the
states is that Indians in colonial times were keenly aware of the destructive potential of
collective violence and strove to organise their religious practices in such a way as to
minimise, as far as possible, the risk of it. The message I get from field studies is that this
spirit persists in many South Asian villages and towns. Communal rioting may now be an
endemic phenomenon in the region; yet the incidence of such riots, in India at least, is
scattered and erratic. It is easy to understand why, despite their relative rarity, most
scholarship on communalism has focussed on riot events rather than on the times and places
where they are absent. Violence is dramatic and lends itself to a good story. Moreover,
because riots are usually widely reported, often generating official inquiries and court cases,
they offer glimpses into the deeper recesses of society. This makes them a handy analytical
entry point for scholars looking to provide a ‘thick’ description of local social structures and
processes. However, in concentrating on riot events, we miss what was, and is, typical about
communal relations in South Asia. More importantly, we risk becoming blinded to the many
ties that bind face-to-face communities in the region together. Indeed, one wonders whether
our efforts to understand the phenomenon of communalism as it affects the region, worthy as
they are, have not, ultimately, been directed towards the wrong goal.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Communal riots in post- independence India by Asghar Ali Engineer

 https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057%2F9780230005983_6

 http://nagarikmancha.org/images/1242-Documents-Communal_Riots_in_India.pdf

 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13602000601141323?
journalCode=cjmm20

 https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/chronology-of-communal-violence-in-
india/story-jJtcgvxFYh5N3jhSw7H4KN.html