Author: Asghar Ali Engineer
Publisher: Sangam Books
Year: 1997
Language: English
Pages: 366
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8173701024
Description
This book discusses the origin and nature of communal riots from the theoretical and academic points of view, gives first-hand reports on certain major riots, and includes general papers on the role of the police and the press during communal riots.
Since the 1960s, India has witnessed some of the worst communal riots. Although religion appears to be the cause of these riots, in reality it is the mounting tension between different communities because of political, social, economic, cultural or even linguistic factors, that causes violence. A small and insignificant incident is sufficient to spark off a communal riot which is, not infrequently, accompanied by outrageous crimes such as arson and the brutal killing of innocent people.
The 70s and the 80s saw the rise of regional parties which, at times, became communal. The analysis of communal riots in past-independence India presented in this book takes into consideration the role played by the regional parties.