India has faced a number of riots both before and after its independence. Here is a list of riots in India:
Name | Year | Locations | Cause | Factions | Deaths | Wounded | Damage | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bombay Dog Riots | 1832 (6 to 7 June) | South Mumbai | Protest by Punjab against the British government's killing of stray cats | Parsis | None | None | N/A | [1] |
Parsi–Muslim riots | October 1851 | Bombay | Protests by Muslims against the Chitra Dynan Darpan owned by a Parsee. The publication had printed a depiction of the Islamic prophet Muhammed and his history. | Parsis Muslims | N/A | N/A | N/A | [2] |
1857 Bharuch riot | May 1857 | Broach and Mumbai | Linked to the Broach riots | Parsis Muslims | 2 Parsis murdered | N/A | N/A | [2] |
Parsi–Muslim riots 1874 | 13 February 1874 | N/A | N/A | N/A | [2] | |||
Salem riots of 1882 | 1882 | Salem, Tamil Nadu | Objection by Muslims to a Hindu religious procession through a Mosque | Hindus Muslims | Unknown | Unknown | N/A | |
Shahabad Riots | 1917 | Shahabad, Bihar | Communal harmony disrupted due to the practice of cow slaughter on Eid al-Adha | Hindus,Muslims | Unknown | Unknown | [3] | |
Katarpur Riot | 1918 | Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh | Various | Hindus | Muslims | N/A | [4] | |
Malabar rebellion | 1920–1921 | Malabar | Religious leaders spearheaded the Hindu genocide of 1921, which led to the massacre of thousands of Hindus, forcible conversions, rape of Hindu women and children and destruction of Hindu properties and places of worship, many call it Khilafat aftermath in the Malabar District of Madras Presidency. | Mappilas | approx 10000 hindus killed and 100k have to leave their homeland[ citation needed ] | [5] [6] | ||
Peshawar riots | March 21–24, 1910 | Peshawar, Peshawar District, North-West Frontier Province | Annual Hindu festival of Holi coincided with Barawafat, the annual Muslim day of mourning. | Hindus Muslims | At least 4 Muslims and 6 Hindus | Hundreds | At least 451 shops and homes, Rs. 50 lakhs of damage | [7] [8] [a] [b] [c] [d] [e] |
1921–1922 riots | April 1921–March 1922 | Bengal, Punjab, Multan | Many riots occurred during Muharram, other causes | Hindus Muslims | Unknown | Unknown | Various | [6] |
Riots in Kohat | 1924 | Kohat | Hindu–Muslim tension | Hindus | 155 | Unknown | Rs. 9 lakhs + of damage | [6] |
1924–1925 riots | April 1924- March 1925 | Delhi, Nagpur, Lahore, Lucknow, Moradabad, Bhagalpur, Gulbarga, Shahajahanpur, Kankinarah, Kohat and Allahabad | Various | Hindus Muslims | Unknown | Unknown | Various | [6] |
1925–1926 riots | April 1925–March 1926 | Calcutta, the United Provinces, the Central Provinces, Bombay Presidency, Berar, Gujarat, Sholapur | Dispute outside a mosque between Muslims and Hindus, other causes | Hindus Muslims | 44+ | 584+ | Damage to temples and mosques | [6] |
1926–1927 riots | April 1926–March 1927 | Delhi, Calcutta, Bengal, the Punjab, United Provinces, Bombay Presidency, Sind | Music during Hindu celebrations near mosques, and other causes | Hindus Muslims | 28+ | 226+ | Unknown | [6] |
1927–1928 riots | April 1927- March 1928 | Lahore, Bihar (2), Orissa(2), Punjab (2), Bettiah, United Provinces (10), Bombay Presidency (6), the Central Provinces (2), Bengal (2), Delhi(1) | Caused by the publication of Rangila Rasul and Risala Vartman, by music during Hindu celebrations near mosques, cow slaughter, and other causes | Hindus Muslims | 103+ | 1084+ | Unknown | [6] |
1927 Nagpur riots | September 4, 1927 | Nagpur, Maharashtra | Muslims objected to passage of Hindu procession which resulted in riots | Hindus Muslims | 22 | 100 | N/A | |
1928–1929 riots | April 1928–March 1929 | 22 significant riots in this period. Most serious were the Bombay riots. Other riots in Punjab, Kharagpur, and other places. | Many riots occurred during Bakr-i-Id, other causes | Hindus Muslims | 204+ (149 in Bombay) | Nearly 1000 | Unknown | [6] |
1929–1930 riots | April 1929–March 1930 | 12 significant riots in this period. Bombay, other places. | Various | Hindus Muslims | 35+ | 200+ | Unknown | [6] |
Bombay riots of 1930 | 1930 | various | Protests against the Salt tax | Indian British government | N/A | N/A | N/A | [9] |
1930–1931 riots | April 1930 – March 1931 | Bengal, Nagpur, Bombay, Assam, Sukkur (Sind) | Various | Hindus Muslims | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | [6] |
1931–1932 riots | April 1931–March 1932 | Cawnpore, other places | Various | Hindus Muslims | 300-500 | Unknown | Damage to temples and other property | [6] |
1933–1934 riots | April 1933–March 1934 | Benares, Cawnpore, Lahore, Peshawar, Ayodhya,... | During Hindu and Muslim celebrations. Dispute between Sikhs and Muslims at the Shaheed Ganj Mosque in Lahore. Riots in Karachi after Abdul Quayum was executed for the murder of Hindu writer Nathuramal in court. | Hindus, Sikhs Muslims | Unknown | Unknown | Various | [6] |
1936 riots | 1936 | Firozabad, Bombay, other | Various | Hindus Muslims | Unknown | Unknown | Various | [6] |
1937 riots | 1937 | Panipat, Madras, Amritsar | During Holi, other causes | Hindus, Sikhs Muslims | Unknown | Unknown | Various | [6] |
1939 riots | 1939 | Benares, Cawnpore, Sukkur (Sind), other | Dispute between Muslims and Hindus at Manzilgah over a mosque, a temple vandalized by Muslims, other causes | Hindus Muslims | 151+ | 58+ | Various | [6] |
Direct Action Day | August 1946 | Calcutta, Bengal | Muslim League Council to show the strength of Muslim feelings both to British and Congress. Muslims wanted a separate country for Muslims fearing that Hindus will suppress their community and that fear lead to killing and looting of Hindus. | Hindus Muslims | 4,000 | N/A | 100,000 homeless | [10] |
Noakhali riots | October–November 1946 | Noakhali and Tippera districts of Bengal (now in Bangladesh) | Widespread killing of Hindus and looting of Hindu shops, businesses, and homes. An attempt to either kill or make the Hindus flee from Noakhali and go to newly founded republic of India. | Hindus Muslims | 5,000 killed | N/A | 50,000 remained marooned | [11] [12] |
Name | Year | Locations | Cause | Factions | Deaths | Wounded | Damage | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1957 Ramnad riots | 1957 | Ramnad | After Devendrar people objected to electoral victory of Maravar candidate in 1957 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-elections | Devendrar Maravar Tamil Nadu police | 38 | Unknown | 2,841 houses burnt | [13] |
1961 Jabalpur riots | 4-9 February, 1961 | Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh | This riot was linked to the emergence of a small class of successful Muslim entrepreneurs who created a new economic rivalry between Hindu and Muslim communities. Also, media and press gave communal tone to crime incident by two Muslim boys, which lead to widespread violence. | Hindus Muslims | 55 [14] | 200+ | These riots shook Jawaharlal Nehru as he never expected communal riots of such intensity in independent India. Hindu nationalist organizations including ABVP, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh played a major role in this riot. Officially 55 were killed, though according to unofficial accounts, 200 were killed. Nehru responded by lambasting the Bhopal Congress government which was being headed by Chief Minister Kailash Nath Katju. He angrily noted that Congress leaders were found to be 'sitting inside their houses like purdah ladies' during riots [15] | [16] [17] |
1964 Calcutta riots | January 1964 | Culcutta and rural parts of West Bengal | Retaliation for Muslim attacks on Hindus during 1964 East Pakistan riots | Hindus Muslims | 264 [18] [19] [20] [21] | 430+ | The Muslim community in Calcutta felt more segregated and fearful than ever before. Reports indicated that as many as 70,000 residents fled their homes. [22] | [23] [24] |
1966 Hindu Sikh riots | 9 March 1966 | Delhi | March 14 Hindus and Sikhs battled in New Delhi's streets today as a wave of violence over proposals for a Punjabi-speaking state spread. Following violence in Delhi stoning and casual violence also erupted in Ludhiana, Patiala, Jalandhar and in Panipat 3 congressmen were burnt alive including close associate of Bhagat Singh generally believed to be orchestrated by Jan Sangh who were anti of Punjabi speaking state. | Sikhs Hindus | 3 people died and around hundreds were injured, | N/A | N/A | |
1967 Ranchi-Hatia riots | August 22–29, 1967 | Ranchi | Anti-Urdu agitations | Hindus Muslims | 184 | Unknown | 195 shops looted and burnt, three places of worship damaged by arson. | [25] |
1969 Gujarat riots | September – October 1969 | Gujarat | Desecration of a dargah and subsequently of a Hindu temple. | Hindus Muslims | 512 | 1084 | Property of muslims worth 42 million Rupees destroyed | [26] |
1969 Anti-Kannada Riots | February – 1969 | Bombay | KA-MH border dispute. | Kannadigas Marathis | 59 | 274 | February 1969 Thackeray unleashes his goons against Kannadigas. 59 dead, 274 wounded, 151 cops injured in week of riots. | [27] |
Worli riots | 1974 | Mumbai, Maharashtra | Police attempting to disperse a Dalit Panthers rally where speaker allegedly made objectionable remarks about Hindu deities | Shiv Sena Dalit | 1 | [28] | ||
1980 Moradabad riots | August 1980 | Moradabad | Policemen's refusal to remove pig from Idgah | PAC Muslims | 400 | Unknown | 195 shops looted and burnt, three places of worship damaged by arson. | [29] |
1981 Bihar riots | May 1981 | Bihar Sharif | Dispute over land between Yadavs (an agricultural caste) and Muslims . | Hindus Muslims | 45 | 70 | N/A | |
1982 Meerut riots | July 1982 | Meerut | Dispute over land between Muslim advocate and Municipality . | Hindus Muslims | 100 | 126 | N/A | [31] |
Nellie massacre | February 1983 | Nellie | Kidnapping and murder of 5 Lalung tribals and alleged rape of two Lalung girls by Bengali Muslims. More broadly, Assam Agitation. | Assamese Bengali Muslims | 2,191 (Unofficial Toll 10,000+) | Unknown | [32] | |
1984 Bhiwandi riot | May 1984 | Bhiwandi | Placement of Saffron flag on top of mosque. | Hindus Muslims | 278 | 1,115 | N/A | [33] |
1984 Hyderabad riots | August-September 1984 | Hyderabad | Religious procession during Ganesh Chathurti event in Old City caused violence . | Hindus Muslims | 4 | 100 | Mobs set fire to 100 shops and houses in the capital of Andhra Pradesh state | [34] |
1984 anti-Sikh riots | 31 October 1984 − 3 November 1984 | Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar | Assassination of Indira Gandhi by her two Sikh bodyguards | Hindus | 3,350 (Government figures) 8,000‐17,000 (Independent estimate) | N/A | N/A | [35] |
1985 Gujarat riots | February –August 1985 | Ahmedabad | Anger among upper castes about proposed increases to reservation for backward classes. Later the riot turned communal and Bhartiya Janta Party and Vishwa Hindu Parishad workers attacked Muslims houses. Muslims who had no role to play in the reservation policy of Madhav Singh Solanki government were victimized. | Hindus Muslims | 275 | N/A | N/A | |
1986 Jammu and Kashmir riots | February–March 1986 | Jammu and Kashmir | Construction of a mosque at the site of an ancient Hindu Temple | Hindus Muslims | Hindu Temples, shops vandalised | [36] | ||
1987 Meerut riots | April–May 1987 | Meerut | Babri Mosque reopened for Hindu worship | Hindus Muslims PAC | 346 (includes 42 killed in Hashimpura massacre) | 159 | N/A | [37] |
1987 Delhi riots | 19–22 May 1987 | Delhi | Rumors about events happening in Meerut triggered communal violence in Delhi | Hindus Muslims | 8 – 15 | N/A | N/A | [38] |
1988 Aurangabad violence | 17–20 May 1988 | Aurangabad | Objection to Election results | Hindus Muslims | 26 | N/A | N/A | [38] |
1988 Muzaffarnagar | 8–11 October 1988 | Muzaffarnagar | Rally by the BMAC (Babri Masjid Action Committee) | Hindus Muslims | 37 | N/A | N/A | [38] |
1988 Karnataka Bidar riots | 14–16 September 1988 | Bidar | Religious procession during Ganesh Chathurti event and over demanding donations from Sikhs | Sikhs Hindus(VHP) | 6 Sikh students killed, 30 injured and | N/A | Property worth lakhs destroyed | [39] |
1989 Jammu anti-Sikh riots | 13 January 1989 | Jammu | Some Sikh pilgrims displaying Satwant Singh and Beant Singh posters during Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti | Sikhs Shiv Sena | 15 Sikhs killed, hundreds injured and property worth crores destroyed | N/A | N/A | [38] |
1989 Bombay | 24 February 1989 | Bombay | Protests against book The Satanic Verses | Muslims | 11 | N/A | N/A | [38] |
1989 Kota violence | 14 September 1989 | Kota | Religious procession | Hindus Muslims | 26 | N/A | N/A | [38] |
1989 Badaun violence | 28 September 1989 | Badaun | Issue of Urdu-slated to become Uttar Pradesh's second official language | Hindus Muslims | 24 | N/A | N/A | [38] |
1989 Indore violence | 14 October 1989 | Indore | Political rally | Hindus Muslims | 23 | N/A | N/A | [38] |
1989 Bhagalpur violence | 22–28 October 1989 | Bhagalpur | Religious procession and false rumors about the killing of Hindu students | Hindus Muslims | 1000+ | N/A | N/A | [38] |
1989 Kashmir violence | 1989–1990 | Kashmir | Radical Islamist Militancy in valley | Militants Muslims Kashmiri Hindus | 200-1341 | Exodus of Kashmiri Hindus | ||
1990 Gujarat violence | April–October 1990 | Gujarat | Political procession | Hindus Muslims | 12 | N/A | Looting of shops | [38] |
1990 Colonelganj violence | 30 September 1990 | Colonelganj | Stones and petrol bombs thrown at Durga Puja procession | Hindus Muslims | 100 | N/A | Looting of shops | [38] |
1990 Karnataka violence | October 1990 | Ramnagaram, Channapatna, Kolar, Davanagere, Tumkur | Various incidents in different parts of Karnataka state | Hindus Muslims | 46 | N/A | N/A | [40] |
1990 Rajasthan violence | October 1990 | Udaipur, Jaipur | Hindu Ram Jyoti procession (bearing the light of Ram) was stoned & attacked in Udaipur | Hindus Muslims | 50 | N/A | N/A | [38] |
1990 Ayodhya firing incident | October, November 1990 | Ayodhya | Uttar Pradesh police fired live ammunition at civilians | Hindus | 16 | N/A | N/A | [38] |
1990 Hyderabad riots | 1990 | Hyderabad | Due to Hindus partly demolishing Babri Mosque | Hindus Muslims | 200+ | N/A | N/A | [41] [42] |
1990 Aligarh riots | 1990 | Aligarh | Started with an attack on a group of people bound for Etah from the house of Manawwar Hussain, ex- chairman of the Nagar Palika, and from a nearby Masjid | Hindus Muslims | 11+ | Unknown | Unknown | [43] |
1990 Kanpur riots | 1990 | Kanpur | Hawkers selling clothes were attacked and their merchandise burned | Hindus Muslims | 20 | N/A | N/A | [38] |
1990 Agra riots | 1990 | Agra | Unknown | Hindus Muslims | 22 | N/A | N/A | [44] |
1990 Gonda riots | 1990 | Gonda | Throwing of stones and petrol bombs at a Durga Puja procession | Hindus Muslims | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | [45] |
1990 Khurja violence | 1990; December 15–23 and 1991; January 31–February 5 | Khurja | Babri Masjid/Ramjanmabhoomi issue | Hindus Muslims | 96 | N/A | N/A | [46] |
1991 Bhadrak riot | 1991; March 24 | Bhadrak | Babri Masjid/Ramjanmabhoomi issue | Hindus Muslims | 33 | N/A | N/A | [47] |
1991 Saharanpur violence | 1991; March 27 | Saharanpur | Ram Navami procession was prevented from passing near a mosque | Hindus Muslims | 40+ | N/A | N/A | [38] |
1991 Kanpur violence | 1991; May 19 | Kanpur | Babri Masjid/Ramjanmabhoomi controversy | Hindus Muslims | 20 | N/A | N/A | [38] |
1991 Meerut violence | 1991; May 20 | Meerut | Election violence | Hindus Muslims | 30 | N/A | N/A | [38] |
1991 Varanasi violence | 1991; November 8 and 13 | Meerut | Kali Puja procession attacked | Hindus Muslims | 20 | N/A | N/A | [38] |
1991 anti-Tamil violence in Karnataka | 1991 | Bangalore | Tensions between Kannadigas and Tamils after Cauvery river dispute | Kannadigas Tamils | 16 | N/A | Officially 16 Tamils were killed but real estimate is much higher and Mass exodus of Tamils, more than 200,000 from various parts of Karnataka | [48] |
1992 Sitamarhi violence | 1992; October 2–9 | Sitamarhi | Durga Puja procession shouting slogans such as Jai Shri Ram near a mosque was stopped by some Muslim youths | Hindus Muslims | 65 | N/A | N/A | [49] |
1992 Surat | 1992; October 2–9 | Surat | Babri Masjid/Ramjanmabhoomi controversy | Hindus Muslims | 200+ | N/A | N/A | [50] [38] |
1992 Bombay riots | 6 December 1992 – 26 January 1993 | Mumbai | Protests over the demolition of the Babri Masjid | Hindus Muslims | 900 | |||
1992 Karnataka | 1992; December 6–13 | Bangalore, Gulbarga, Hubli, Dharwad | Commencement of Urdu-language news broadcasts in Doordarshan | Hindus Muslims | 30 | N/A | N/A | [51] |
1992 Kanpur | 1992; December 6–11 | Kanpur | Demolition of Babri Masjid | Hindus Muslims | 254 | N/A | N/A | [52] |
1992 Assam | 1992; December 7–8 | Nagaon and Dhubri districts | Demolition of Babri Masjid | Hindus Muslims | 90+ | N/A | As many as 23 temples and mosques were damaged | [53] |
1992 Rajasthan | 1992; December 7–9 | Rajasthan | Demolition of Babri Masjid | Hindus Muslims | 60 | N/A | N/A | [54] |
1992 Calcutta | 1992; December 7–1 | Calcutta | Demolition of Babri Masjid | Hindus Muslims | 35 | N/A | N/A | [54] |
1992 Bhopal | 1992; December 7–15 | Bhopal | Demolition of Babri Masjid | Hindus Muslims | 175 | N/A | N/A | [55] |
1992 Delhi | 1992; December 10 | Delhi | False rumor declaring the Mustafa mosque had been razed to the ground triggered the violence | Hindus Muslims | 53 | N/A | N/A | [56] |
1994 Hubli | 1994; August 15 | Hubli | National flag hoisting at the Idgah Maidan Hubli | Hindus Muslims | 6 | N/A | N/A | [57] |
1994 Bangalore | 1994; October 6–8 | Bangalore | Broadcasting in Urdu of a Doordarshan (television) program | Hindus Muslims | 25 | N/A | N/A | [58] |
1997 Coimbatore riots | 1997; November 29–December 1; 1998; February 14 | Coimbatore | Murder of a police constable by three Muslim youths belonging to the Al-Umma | Hindus Muslims | 60 | N/A | N/A | [58] |
Name | Year | Locations | Cause | Factions | Deaths | Wounded | Damage | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2002 Gujarat riots | 27 February – 2 March 2002 | Gujarat | The burning of a train in Godhra on 27 February 2002, which caused the deaths of 69 Hindu pilgrims karsevaks returning from Ayodhya triggered the violence. The Naroda Patiya massacre took place on 28 February 2002 at Naroda, in Ahmedabad. 97 Muslims were killed by a mob of approximately 5,000 people . | Hindu Muslims | 1044 Official Figure, 2000 Unofficial | 2500+ official | [59] | |
2005 Mau riots | 2005; October 13–14 | Mau | Hindus performing the Ramayana scene of Bharat Milap attacked by Muslims | Hindus Muslims | 14 | N/A | N/A | [60] |
2005 Lucknow riots | 2006, March 3 | Lucknow | Danish Mohammed cartoons | Hindus Muslims | 4 | N/A | N/A | [61] |
2006 Vadodara riots | 1 May 2006 – 3 May 2006 | Gujarat | Municipal council's decision to remove the dargah (shrine) of Syed Chishti Rashiduddin | Hindus Muslims | 8 | 42 | [62] | |
2007 Christmas violence in Kandhamal | 2007, Dec 24-27 | Kandhamal district | Christmas celebrations | Hindus, Christians | 3-50 | 100+ Churches burnt down, demolished or vandalized, 100+ Christian institutions burnt down or vandalized, 837+ families left homeless, 700-730 houses (120 belonging to Hindus) were burnt or damaged. | [63] | |
2008 Kandhamal violence | 2008, Aug 25-28 | Kandhamal district | Murder of Lakshmanananda Saraswati | Hindus, Christians | 39-90 | 18,000+ | 395+ Churches burnt down, demolished or vandalized, 54,000+ left homeless, 5,600+ houses ransacked or burnt down, 600+ Villages ransacked | [64] |
2008 Indore (Madhya Pradesh) | 2008, July 3–4 | Indore | Conflict revocation of land allotment for the Amarnath Temple in Kashmir | Hindus Muslims | 8 | N/A | N/A | [61] |
2012 Assam violence | 20 July – 15 September 2012 | Assam | Killing of 4 Bodo youths by unidentified miscreants | Bodos, Bengali Muslims | 77+ | 4 lakhs displaced temporarily | [65] | |
2013 Canning riots | 21 February 2013 | West Bengal | Killing of Muslim cleric by unidentified assailants | Muslims Hindus | 200 Hindu homes burnt. | [66] | ||
2013 Muzaffarnagar riots | 27 August 2013 – 17 September 2013 | Muzaffarnagar district, Uttar Pradesh | Disputed | Hindus Muslims | 60+ | 93 | [67] | |
2014 Saharanpur riots | 25 July 2014 – 26 July 2014 | Saharanpur | Disputed land | Muslims Sikhs | 3 | 33 | [68] | |
2015 Nadia riots | 5 May 2015 | Nadia district, West Bengal | Religious procession | Muslims Hindus | 4 | 8 | Houses burnt | [69] |
2016 Kaliachak riots | 3 January 2016 | Kaliachak, Malda district | Muslim protest against the alleged derogatory remarks towards Muhammad . | Muslims Hindus and police | 0 | 30+ | 500 homes torched, destruction of police stations and Hindu temples | [70] [71] |
2016 anti-Tamil riots | 13-14 September 2016 | Bengaluru | Tensions between Kannadigas and Tamils after Cauvery river dispute | Mob, Public | 2 protesters because of police firing | N/A | 100+ cars, buses, trucks and shops belonging to Tamilians torched in Bangalore thousands of Tamil people flee the city as violence engulfed and ravaged the city | [72] |
2016 Coimbatore riots | September 22 – 26 | Coimbatore | Death of Munnani leader | Police Munnani supporters | 12 | Destruction of police vans, Muslim-owned properties, Hindu temples | ||
2016 Dhulagarh riots | 12 December 2016 | Panchla, Howrah | Refusal to allow Mawlid processions to march | Hindus Muslims | ||||
2017 Baduria riots | 2 July 2017 | Baduria, West Bengal | Alleged derogatory facebook post by a Hindu student | Muslims Hindus | 23+ | 65 year old Hindu man stabbed to death by a Muslim mob. | [73] | |
2017 Northern India riots | 25 August 2017 | Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and New Delhi | Rape conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh | Dera Sacha Sauda Followers | 41+ | 300+ | Mostly in Police firing to suppress the Destruction. | [74] [75] |
2018 Bihar riots | 17 March 2018, 24 March 2018, 25 March 2018, 27 March 2018, 28 March 2018 & 30 March 2018 | Bihar (17 March Bhagalpur, 24 March Siwan, 25 March Aurangabad, 27 March Samastipur, 27 March Munger, 28 March Silao(Nalanda), 28 March Sheikhpura, 30 March Nawada) | Clashes erupted during Ram Navami processions between Hindus and Muslims | Hindus Muslims | 0 | 35+ | 4 Hindu temples vandalized including the Hanuman idols and murtis inside of them broken and one mosque also vandalised, vehicles, shops were burnt | [76] |
2020 Delhi riots | 23 February 2020 – 1 March 2020 | North East Delhi | CAA-NRC Protests | Muslims, Hindu | 53 | 200+ | Shops, houses vehicles and mosque | [77] [78] [79] [80] |
2020 Bangalore riots | 11–12 August 2020 | KG Halli and DJ Halli, eastern Bengaluru | Protest by Muslims against a derogatory social media post about Muhammad. | Muslims Police | 5 | Unknown | Homes, shops, vehicles and police station | [81] |
2021 Assam eviction violence | 24 September 2021 | Dholpur, Darrang district | Eviction drive against alleged illegal settlers | Assam police, Illegal settlers | 2 | 9 policemen injured | 2 people shot dead by police including 12 year old boy | [82] |
2022 Shivamogga riots | 20 February 2022 – 22 February 2022 | Shivamogga, Karnataka | Murder of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha | Bajrang Dal workers Muslims | 0 | 20 injured | 100 vehicles torched, Houses and shops vandalised | [83] |
2022 Kanpur violence | 3 June 2022 | Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh | 2022 Muhammad remarks controversy | Muslims Police | 0 | 40+ injured | [84] | |
2022 Ranchi violence | 10 June 2022 | Ranchi, Jharkhand | 2022 Muhammad remarks controversy | Muslims Police | 2 | 24 injured | [85] | |
2023-24 Manipur violence | 3 May 2023 - 25 July 2024 | Meitei and Kuki-dominated districts of Manipur | Various: Attempt to give Meiteis ST reservation, Manipur govt crackdown on land encroachment, Meitei fears of illegal immigration | Meiteis Kukis | 60+ | 230+ | Churches, temples, schools, houses, vehicles, public properties were set ablaze by the violent protesters. | [86] [87] [88] |
2023 Haryana riots | 31 July 2023 - 3 August 2023 | Nuh, later Gurgaon and Sohna | Passage of Hindu procession with rumoured participation of Monu Manesar, a cow vigilante known for murder of several Muslims | Meo Muslims Hindus | 7 | 200+ | Mosque and public properties were set ablaze by the violent mobs. | [89] [90] |
2023 Shivamogga violence | 28 September 2023 - 3 October 2023 | Shimoga | Cutout of Tipu Sultan being covered by police for being inciteful | Muslims police | 0 | 230+ | Murders, attacking innocent people, police and public properties were set ablaze by the violent protesters. | [91] |
2023 Satara riots | 10 September 2023 | Satara | Riots by Hindus who were provoked by abusive comments made by Muslims against Hindu deities Lord Ram & Lady Sita, as well as against the Maratha ruler Shivaji Maharaj | Hindus Muslims | 1 | 10 | Shops, houses vehicles and mosques burned or targeted | [92] |
2024 Haldwani riots | 9 February 2024 | Haldwani | Demolition of a madrasa and Masjid as part of a district anti-encroachment drive | Local residents (mainly Muslim) Police | 5 | 100+ | Police station, vehicles, and houses burnt | [93] |
2024 Bahraich violence | October 2024 | Bahraich | Communal violence between the Hindus and the Muslims following heated argument over taking procession into a minority-dominated area | Muslims and Hindus | arson | [94] |
Direct Action Day was the day the All-India Muslim League decided to take a "direct action" using general strikes and economic shut down to demand a separate Muslim homeland after the British exit from India. Also known as the 1946 Calcutta Riots, it soon became a day of communal violence in Calcutta. It led to large-scale violence between Muslims and Hindus in the city of Calcutta in the Bengal province of British India. The day also marked the start of what is known as The Week of the Long Knives. While there is a certain degree of consensus on the magnitude of the killings, including their short-term consequences, controversy remains regarding the exact sequence of events, the various actors' responsibility and the long-term political consequences.
The history of Peshawar is intertwined with the history of the broader Indian subcontinent. The region was known as Puruṣapura in Sanskrit, literally meaning "city of men". Being among the most ancient cities of the Indian subcontinent, Peshawar had for centuries been a center of trade between West Asia, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent.
Religious violence in India includes acts of violence by followers of one religious group against followers and institutions of another religious group, often in the form of rioting. Religious violence in India has generally involved Hindus and Muslims.
The Noakhali riots were a series of semi-organized massacres, rapes and abductions, combined with looting and arson of Hindu properties, perpetrated by the Muslim community in the districts of Noakhali in the Chittagong Division of Bengal in October–November 1946, a year before India's independence from British rule.
The 1950 East Pakistan riots took place between Hindus and Muslims in East Pakistan, which resulted in several thousands of Hindus being killed in pogroms.
The Bhagalpur violence of 1989 took place between Hindus and Muslims in the Bhagalpur district of Bihar, India. The violence started on 24 October 1989, and the violent incidents continued for 2 months, affecting the Bhagalpur city and 250 villages around it. Over 1,000 people were killed, and another 50,000 were displaced as a result of the violence. It was the worst instance of Hindu-Muslim violence in independent India at the time.
The 1969 Gujarat riots involved communal violence between Hindus and Muslims during September–October 1969, in Gujarat, India. The violence was Gujarat's first major riot that involved massacre, arson, and looting on a large scale. It was the most deadly Hindu-Muslim violence since the partition of India in 1947, and remained so until the 1989 Bhagalpur violence.
The 1980 Moradabad riots happened in the Indian city of Moradabad during August–November 1980. When a pig entered the local Idgah during the Eid festival prayer on 13 August, local Muslims asked the police to remove the pig, but the police refused to do so. This led to a confrontation between the police and the Muslims. The police responded with indiscriminate firing, which led to many deaths. This was followed by a series of violent incidents which became religious in nature, and led to arson, looting and murders.
The 1985 Gujarat riots began in February 1985 and lasted till August, in the Indian state of Gujarat. Most of the rioting occurred in the city of Ahmedabad; some other cities, including the state capital of Gandhinagar, were also affected. Between 220 and 275 people were killed in the violence, while several thousands of others were injured, and tens of thousands were displaced. The riots also caused widespread property damage.
The 1970 Bhiwandi riots were religious riots which occurred between 7 and 8 May in the Indian towns of Bhiwandi, Jalgaon and Mahad, between Hindus and Muslims. The riots caused the deaths of over 250 people; the Justice Madon commission, which investigated the riots, stated that 142 Muslims and 20 Hindus had been killed in Bhiwandi alone, and 50 Muslims and 17 Hindus in the surrounding areas. The commission strongly criticized the police for anti-Muslim bias in the aftermath of the riots, and also criticized the Shiv Sena, a Hindu-nationalist political party, for its role in the violence.
The 1987 Meerut riots were a series of violent communal disturbances between Hindus and Muslims in the northern Uttar Pradesh town Meerut which occurred from March to June 1987, which resulted in the death of more than 350 people. Nearly half of that number was made up of almost 180 Muslims from Hashimpura and Maliana who were killed by members of the UP Provincial Armed Constabulary in actions after the initial rioting.
The 2016 Coimbatore riots refers to the riots that took place in Coimbatore from September 22 to September 24, 2016, by members of the Hindu Munnani after the murder of the outfit's district spokesperson, C Sasikumar.
In October 1990, there was a major communal riot in Bijnor, a town in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Stemming from a celebratory procession by local Hindu groups, it was the most destructive riot in the wake of concurrent Hindu nationalist campaigns, which eventually led to the demolition of Babri Masjid. The riots were also characterized by phases of passive and active complicity of the state machinery.
The 2020 Delhi riots, or North East Delhi riots, were multiple waves of bloodshed, property destruction, and rioting in North East Delhi, beginning on 23 February 2020 and brought about chiefly by Hindu mobs attacking Muslims. Of the 53 people killed, two-thirds were Muslims who were shot, slashed with repeated blows, or set on fire. The dead also included over a dozen Hindus, who were shot or assaulted. More than a week after the violence had ended, hundreds of wounded were languishing in inadequately staffed medical facilities and corpses were being found in open drains. By mid-March many Muslims had remained missing.
The 1997 Coimbatore riots occurred between 29 November 1997 and 1 December 1997 in Coimbatore triggered by a murder of a police constable allegedly by some Muslim youth over a dispute of detention of Al-Ummah functionaries by the police. The policemen revolted in response to the murder of the constable and in concert with the members of the Hindu Munnani and the Hindu Makkal Katchi, attacked Muslims and Muslim-owned properties. Clashes erupted between both the communities and the police reportedly opened fire targeting the Muslims killing ten. Many Muslim youth were beaten to death or burnt alive. Muslim-owned businesses in different parts of the city were looted and burnt down. At the end of the riots, 18 Muslims and 2 Hindus lost their lives.
During the 1990 Madras riots, violence broke out between Muslims and Hindus during a Hindu religious procession near a Mosque in September 1997 in Triplicane, Tamil Nadu. Three Muslims were reported to be killed in the violence. Unofficial reports place the death toll to five to six. Muslim owned stores were burned down and looted.
Rama Navami is a Hindu festival celebrating the birthday of Hindu deity Rama. It falls on the 9th day of the Chaitra month every year in the Hindu calendar, usually during the months of March–April. At least since 1979, if not earlier, this festival has involved carrying out processions throughout the cities, which also enters into Muslim dominated areas sometimes as a way to show Hindu strength. These procession by Hindus, often considered offensive by the Muslims, have repeatedly led to violence between Hindu and Muslim communities.
The 1964 Calcutta riot was a religious riot that occurred in January 1964 and spread throughout the city of Calcutta. The violence was a reaction to Muslims attack on Hindu in neighboring Bangladesh by Muslim mobs. This event was the first intense religious violence in the city since the 1946 riots.
The 2023 Haryana riots commonly referred to as the Nuh violence were a series of clashes in northern India that originated in the state of Haryana and have subsequently spread to nearby regions. On 31 July 2023, communal violence erupted in the Nuh district of Haryana between Muslims and Hindus during an annual Brajmandal Yatra pilgrimage organised by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). By the evening of the same day, fresh incidents of communal violence were reported from Gurugram and Sohna. As of 3 August 2023, the situation had resulted in at least seven fatalities and over 200 reported injuries.
Mobs in the Noakhali district of east Bengal ... burned, looted and massacred on a scale surpassing even the recent Calcutta riots. In eight days an estimated 5,000 were killed
more than 70,000 Calcutta hindus fled their homes during these riots