TRAUMAS OF

WAR
COMMUNAL
RIOTS:INTERNAL WARS​
CONTENTS
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INTRODUCTION
• Communal riots, what are they?
• How are they different from a War?
• Case: Anti-Sikh riots of 1984
• Is there any difference between the consequences of War and Riots?
COMMUNAL RIOTS

• Communal violence is a form of violence that is perpetrated

across ethnic or communal lines, the violent parties feel solidarity for their
respective groups, and victims are chosen based on group membership.
• Research shows that primary causes are ethnic differences and feeling of
isolation from the society.
• Main difference between War and Riot.
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ANTI-SIKH RIOTS 1984

• A rebel group started the Khalistani movement.
• The government tried to curb it by imposing armed men in and around the Golden temple, the suspected place for
meeting of rebels.
• Operation Blue star: military opened fire on the Golden Temple without warning, 8 killed.
• Assasination of Indira Gandhi by 2 of her Bodyguards.
• Anti-Sikh wave in the country from the government supporters.
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METHODOLOGY
The methodology used is qualitative. Any quantitative data given in the presentation are
from pre-existing and government-approved articles and research papers.
 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 7

• EFFECTS OF THE RIOT:

• ‘Just another riot in India' : remembering the 1984 anti-Sikh violence : special issue:
Focused in, though not limited to Delhi, the pogrom included the death of approximately 3 000 Sikhs,
the destruction of homes and gurdwaras, and mass rape.Monetary, Infrastructural loss in most of Punjab
(especially Amritsar) and scars on peoples mental health.
• Mental Health in the Widow Colony: Assessing PTSD and MDD in Refugee Trauma Survivors in
India:
25 participants were interviewed from the widow colony. Substantial level of PTSD symptoms,
including re-experiencing and hyperarousal symptoms.
• Coping with riots: How children deal with the effects of violenceCoping with riots: How children deal
with the effects of violence:
Children discontinued school following the riots. “The next generation was completely traumatised and
many were destroyed by drug abuse”. According to numerous studies and specialists, children affected by riots
may endure a variety of physical and emotional symptoms, including inexplicable discomfort, insomnia,
nightmares, lethargy, lack of appetite, and fear of sounds in the aftermath.
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REVIEW OF LITERATURE
• EFFECTS OF WARS:
• Mental health consequences of war: a brief review of research findings: long-term physical and
psychological harm (PTSD, anxiety, insomnia) to children and adults, as well as a reduction in material and
human capital.
• THE LONG-LASTING ECONOMIC SHOCK OF WAR: conflict significantly accelerates a variety of
already unfavourable global economic trends, such as deglobalization, rising inflation, extreme poverty, rising
food insecurity, and deteriorating environmental degradation.
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RESULTS

• The results show that the aftermath of both Wars and riots are more
or less similar.
• Whether we call it war, civil war or a riot, the fact is the country, its
people and their economy—all bleed.
• Suggestions- start studying communal riots and civil wars
extensively starting from India.
• Limitations: Not many articles, or papers reviewed. Other riots
were not taken in account.Other countries were not taken in
account.
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REFERENCES
1. Engineer, I. A. (2013). Issues of Communal Violence: Causes and
Resonses. Mumbai: Institute for Peace Studies and Conflict
Resolution.
2. https://sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/isnt-riot-called-civil-war
3. Aulakh, J. (2015). 'Just another riot in India': remembering the 1984
anti-Sikh violence. Acta Academica, 47(1), 208-227.
4. https://anesthesia.ucsf.edu/sites/anesthesia.ucsf.edu/files/wysiwyg/
Sabhlok_Pathways_0.pdf
5. https://scroll.in/article/987691/coping-with-riots-how-children-deal-with-the-
effects-of-violence
6. MURTHY, R. S., & LAKSHMINARAYANA, R. (2006). Mental health
consequences of war: A brief review of research findings. World Psychiatry,
5(1), 25-30. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472271/
THANK YOU
Tanishka Rajan Desai
2230131
2 CEP A