Quote:
Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
Are those the riots where the Hindus stopped a train and set it on fire? I read a horrific story about some action of that sort, but I'm struggling to place the time of the event.
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Here is Wikipedia:
- Although numerous riots have occurred in the City of Mumbai, India (Bombay) since Independence, the Bombay Riots usually refers to the riots in Mumbai, in December 1992 and January 1993, in which 900 people died. This was followed by the 12 March 1993 Bombay Bombings, allegedly orchestrated by ganglord Dawood Ibrahim and his D-Company syndicate, in which 250 people died.
The riots started as a result of communal tension prevailing in the city after the Babri Mosque demolition on 6 December 1992. It is commonly believed that the riots occurred in two phases. The first was mainly a Muslim backlash as a result of the Babri Masjid demolition in the week immediately succeeding 6 December 1992 by Hindu nationalists in the city of Ayodhya.
The second phase was a Hindu backlash occurring as a result of the killings of Hindu Mathadi Kamgar (Workers) by Muslims in Dongri (an area of South Mumbai). This phase occurred in January 1993 (most incidents reported between 6 January to 20 January).
Overall around 900 people were killed in these riots. Arson, killings and the destruction of property occurred in distinctively different kinds of areas. The areas of Pydhonie, Dongri, Agripada, Gamdevi, V.P.Road, Byculla, Bhoiwada, Nagpada, Kherwadi, Nehru Nagar, Dharavi, Ghatkopar, Kurla, Deonar, Trombay, Bandra, Vakola and Jogeshwari were largely affected amongst others. Violence affected not only slums but also apartment blocks and chawls.
The book I'm reading (Maximum City -- it's excellent) has a number of stories that are just awful. People who described to the author pouring gasoline on their neighbors and burning them alive in the street. The book also makes it clear that these aren't necessarily devout Hindus, and that they were whipped up by politicians. So I'm just thinking that whoever got the Sudanese going about the teddy bear probably had their own agenda, and that it doesn't necessarily have much to do with religion.
You have my proxy on matters relating to goat weddings.
eta: In contradistinction to the Wikipedia entry, the author (a Hindu) says that the Bombay riots were whipped up by the Sena party, which was allied with the BJP, and that Moslems were generally the victims -- no suprise, as they are the minority in Bombay. It would appear that whoever wrote the above was trying to make it sound even-handed.
