A history of communal riots: 1947 to 1972

 

NK SINGH

The history of communal violence in free India can be divided into three phases: 

a) From 15th August 1947 to the Nehru-Liaquat pact signed in 1950.

(b) From then till the early part of 1961 when Jabalpur riot broke out.

(c) From Jabalpur riot onward.

1947-50

It was freedom bathed in blood....large-scale bloodshed engulfing almost the entire Northern India. It can be said that much of it was a continuation of the great killing in the preceding months beginning with the Calcutta massacre early that year.

The mass killings in India immediately after the partition is regarded, to a great extent as a reaction, at worst retaliation, against what was happening in Pakistan.

1950-60

In the second phase (1950-60), the incidents of Communal disturbances began to decline. A few studies on communal situations prepared by the Home Ministry describe this period as the decade of communal peace. 

Figures for 50-53 are not available. In 1954 there were 83 communal disturbances all over the country. Between 1955-59 there occurred only 19, and in 1960, 26 incidents. And in this period of six years, 316 persons were killed. 

The worst riots in this phase took place in April 1959 at Sitamarhi and Akhta in Bihar, Bhopal in MP and Mubarakpur in U P.

1960-64

The Second phase ended with the outbreak of communal disturbances in Jabalpur followed by disturbances in Western UP and some other parts of the Hindi-speaking region. There were 92 incidents altogether that year. The next year it came down to 60 and in 1963 it remained constant--61. 

1964

In 1964 the communal situation in the country took a very bad turn. There were large-scale troubles in Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. In the 104 incidents that occurred that year, 2057 persons lost their lives. 

In January, communal riots engulfed West Bengal, particularly Calcutta, 24-Parganas and Nadia districts. In March, it again broke out in the states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. The industrial areas of Rourkela and Jamshedpur were seriously affected. 

The Home Ministry explained the violence in terms of "a reaction to the communal disturbances in East Pakistan". The trouble had started in Khulna (East) Pakistan, Now Bangladesh) due to indignation over the theft of a precious Muslim relic in Srinagar. 

This relic -- a hair of the Prophet's beard -- was stolen from the Hazratbal Mosque on December 23, 1963. No doubt, a great deal of publicity was given to it in Pakistan. At all events, the rioting began and during the next three months spread from place to place. 

1965

In 1965, the country remained in most of the States there was, in fact, a fall in the number of communal incidents as will be seen from the following comparative figures.

However, the total number of incidents (all of a minor nature) was 173.

1966

The downward trend was maintained in 1966; the total number of incidents came down to 133. In 1965-66 the total casualties were 56. In March 1966 there was a riot between Hindus and Sikhs in Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jullundur, Hissar, Bhiwani and Delhi. In these troubles, nine, people were reported as having been killed by police firing and four others were done to death by the mob. The cause of these disturbances was the decision to divide Punjab on a linguistic basis which, in effect, gave the Sikhs the Punjabi Suba for which they had so long campaigned.

1967

1967 witnessed an increase in the number of communal incidents; 209 incidents and 301 deaths. The States of Bihar, Maharashtra and UP and to a lesser extent Jammu and Kashmir were the scene of some major communal incidents. In March there was trouble between Hindus and Sikhs in Calcutta following a quarrel over a temple, and eleven persons were officially reported killed. In August a serious riot broke out in Ranchi between Hindus and Muslims. The ostensible cause was a proposal to make Urdu the second official that led to a political crisis language. The interesting fact about this trouble is that it was more or less combined with the workers' colony of the Heavy Engineering Corporation. There were troubles at Sursand, Belsand (Bihar), Male-Gaon (Maharashtra), Jaunpur and Suchetpur (UP).

1968

And the year showed no sign of abatement: 346 incidents and 177 deaths. The States most affected were Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Mysore, Orissa and UP on the 6th of January Chikamagalore (Mysore). In the same month, there was a riot between Satnamis (a scheduled caste) and caste Hindus in Mungeli, MP. 

There were also serious troubles at Meerut, sparked off after the speech of Sheikh Abdullah. In March, there was trouble at Tinsukia and Karimganj (Assam). The ostensible cause was cow slaughter by the Muslims.

There were troubles at Allahabad (March 16) and Calcutta (March 14) in the wake of Holi. A Ramnavmi procession in Hazaribagh (Bihar) was followed by a communal riot in April. In the same month, there was trouble at Mangalore (Andhra Pradesh). 

In May a personal quarrel developed into a full-fledged communal riot in Hyderabad this was the first communal trouble the city had ever witnessed. 

On 8th June rioting broke out in Aurangabad (Maharashtra),  sparked off by the rumour of cow slaughter. Within a few hours, violence reigned in the city. On 10th June there were minor clashes between the Sunnis and Shias in Ghazipur (UP). 

On 11th June there was an outburst of communal frenzy in Nagpur- a city which had been free from the menace for more than 40 years. A dispute over the name to be given to a new chowk along with a petty quarrel between a barber and customer resulted in looting, arson and stabbing. 29 Muslims were officially reported killed. 

On 18th August 1968, Parbani came face to face with the communal dragon. A Dussehra procession was followed by a communal riot at Pupri (Bihar) on October 1. 

On November 25 Cuttack. 

On November 26 Veerawal in Junagadh (Gujarat).

1969

The number of communal incidents went further up to 519 in 1969 taking a toll of 472 lives. The States most affected were Gujarat (153 incidents), Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala, U P and Orissa.

In the first half of 1969, the unsatisfactory trend in the communal situation that had set in since the latter half of 1967, appeared to continue. Agra faced the communal monster for the first time on January 10, 1969. 

In February, Murshidabad (West Bengal). On March 8, Kamarajpet. On March 29, Mau. In April Gopalpora (Assam). 

On 2nd June Indore was swept by the worst riots following a procession brought out to celebrate the victory of Chandgi Ram, over Meherudin in wrestling. 

Some improvement was noticed in the third quarter there was only a minor incident at Sarma village in Hazaribagh (Bihar) in August -- until this trend was tragically reversed by the serious disturbances in Gujarat breaking down on 18th September. 

There was a very big gap between the estimated number of casualties. Government figures were 350, whereas unofficial figures ranged between 2,000 to 5,000. Bombay too witnessed some incidents in the same month. 

In October, Nanded (Maharashtra), Mansa in Mehsana (Gujarat) and Jagatdal (West Bengal). On 8th December Trirur in Mallapuram (Kerala).

1970

In 1970, the number of incidents mounted up to 521, resulting in the death of some 300 people. The States most affected were Bihar, West Bengal, UP, Madhya Pradesh and Assam. 

On January 26 at Bhilai. Burhanpur (Maharashtra) on the occasion of Holi on March 12. On April 15 there was rioting at Chaibasa (Bihar) which started in the wake of the Ramnavami Procession. The official casualty figure was 23 and the non-official 32.

In May there were worst disturbances at Bhiwandi, Jalgaon, Thana and several villages in the district of Kurla and Kolaba (Maharashtra). Estimated loss of human lives: 200. 

In June, Degloor (Maharashtra). On 10th August about ten people were killed in a riot at Sankrail, about ten miles from Calcutta.

1971

320 incidents including 21 serious nature took place during 1971. These include serious disturbances at Aligarh and Moradabad in UP, Burhanpur in M P, Badarpur in Assam and Tellicherry in Kerala.

1972

In June 1972 rioting broke out in Firozabad and Varanasi following a protest-day observed against the Aligarh Muslim University (Amendment) Act. Unofficial sources put the casualty figure at one hundred, most of them Muslims. 

On September 21 Dadri (UP) witnessed a minor communal incident. On October 21 Palanpur (Gujrat) and Bangalore (AP) witnessed communal flare-ups on the occasion of Dussehra

Young Indian 

March 8, 1972