India saw 84% rise in communal riots in 2024; Maharashtra, UP, Bihar among worst affected: Report
New Delhi: India witnessed a sharp increase in communal riots in 2024, with 59 incidents reported, an 84 percent rise from the 32 riots in 2023, according to a new report by the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism.
The report, titled Hegemony and Demolitions: The Tale of Communal Riots in India in 2024, highlighted that Maharashtra recorded the highest number of communal riots, with 12 out of the total 59 incidents. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar followed closely with seven riots each. The riots resulted in 13 deaths, of which 10 were Muslims and three Hindus.
Authored by human rights activists Irfan Engineer, Neha Dabhade, and Mithila Raut, the findings are based on reports from the Mumbai editions of five newspapers: The Hindu, The Times of India, The Indian Express, Shahafat, and The Inquilab.
The report, as cited by Scroll, noted that the surge in the number of communal riots in India last year can partly be attributed to the general elections that were held in April/ May.
It also pointed out that a significant portion of the communal riots, 26 out of 59, occurred during religious festivals or processions. Four of these riots coincided with the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya in January 2024. Seven riots occurred during Saraswati Puja idol immersions, four during Ganesh festivals, and two during Bakri Eid.
“This data highlights how religious celebrations are increasingly being used to fuel communal tensions and political mobilisation,” the report mentioned.
Additionally, six riots were related to contested places of worship, with Hindutva groups claiming that mosques and dargahs were illegal or constructed after demolishing Hindu religious sites.
The authors also pointed out a troubling trend of the government disproportionately targeting the Muslim community in cases of communal riots in recent years. “These actions include using bulldozers to demolish properties owned by Muslims, causing significant economic damage. Additionally, the state has slapped cases and implicated the members of the Muslim community, even in instances where they are victims of violence during communal riots,” they said.
The authors further noted that while the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Crime Records Bureau maintain comprehensive records of communal riots in India, both agencies have stopped publishing the data regularly.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
In phone call, PM Modi, US President Trump resolve to promote global peace, security
New Delhi, Jan 27 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on Monday vowed to work towards a "trusted" partnership between India and US and advance global peace and security in their first phone conversation since the American leader's inauguration last week.
Modi and Trump exchanged views on global issues, including the situation in West Asia and Ukraine, and deliberated on measures to boost bilateral cooperation in areas such as technology, trade, investment, energy and defence, an Indian readout said.
The two leaders agreed to meet soon, it said.
"Delighted to speak with my dear friend President @realDonaldTrump @POTUS.
Congratulated him on his historic second term," Modi said on 'X'.
"We are committed to a mutually beneficial and trusted partnership. We will work together for the welfare of our people and towards global peace, prosperity, and security," he said.
In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said the two leaders "reaffirmed" their commitment for a "mutually beneficial and trusted partnership".
"They discussed various facets of the wide-ranging bilateral Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and measures to advance it, including in the areas of technology, trade, investment, energy and defence," it said.
"The two leaders exchanged views on global issues, including the situation in West Asia and Ukraine, and reiterated their commitment to work together for promoting global peace, prosperity and security," the PMO said.
"The leaders agreed to remain in touch and meet soon at an early mutually convenient date," it added.
It is not immediately known whether the issues of immigration and tariff figured in the talks.
Like in many countries, there have been some concerns in India as well over the Trump administration's approach on immigration and tariff.
President Trump has already talked about slapping "100 per cent tariffs" on the BRICS grouping, a bloc that includes India too.
It is learnt that the phone call was initiated from the Indian side.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said last week that India is looking for "bolder, bigger and a more ambitious" relationship with the US and indicated its readiness to work with the Trump administration to address issues like illegal immigration and trade.
The phone conversation between Modi and Trump came six days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held separate meetings with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz in Washington.
Jaishankar also attended the Quad foreign ministers' meeting in the American capital. The meeting was the Trump administration's first foreign policy engagement.
At a media briefing in Washington on January 22, Jaishankar said his meetings signalled that the Trump administration "prioritising" the bilateral relationship with India.
The external affairs minister also said that there was agreement between the two sides about the need to be bolder, bigger, and more ambitious about the bilateral relationship.
Asked about the Trump administration's policy on tariff and immigration, Jaiswal said on Friday that India is looking at addressing issues in a constructive manner.
"Our approach has always been to address issues in a constructive manner which is in keeping with the interests of both countries," he had said at his weekly media briefing last week.
"We remain in close communication with the US administration and would like to continue to work towards strengthening our economic partnership further," he said.
India is also keen to continue cooperation under the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) that was launched during the tenure of the Biden administration.
