AN EXAMPLE

A report on the Malegaon riots was published in a Delhi-based Urdu monthly, Afkar-e-Milli, in September 1992.. A summary of that report is given here in its own words:

“On 19 July 1992, communal riots erupted in Malegaon. Property worth 30 million rupees was either looted or set on fire. Three Muslims lost their lives. More than 135 people were injured and are being treated in hospitals. Because businesses have shut down, the neighborhoods—mostly Muslim—look filled with despair and gloom. The working class fears starvation, while traders are stuck in financial troubles.

On 19 July, Muslims had decided to close their shops and businesses to show anger over the Babri Masjid issue. As part of the ‘Save Babri Masjid’ movement, local Janata Dal MLA Mr. Nihal Ahmad formed a committee for the mosque’s protection. On the night of 18 July, he held a public meeting on Kidwai Road and announced that Malegaon would remain closed on 19 July, along with a protest march. Muslims generally welcomed this plan warmly. This became the starting point of the tension in the city.

The next day, a march of 25–30 thousand people, led by Mr. Nihal Ahmad, set out from near the fort. But before it could even reach Mawsam Pul, it turned chaotic. It is said that a non-Muslim photographer kept taking pictures despite requests from some Muslims to stop. When someone tried to snatch his camera, the police arrived to calm the situation. But some people in the crowd began throwing stones, and from there the terrible cycle of action and reaction began.”

If tolerant people take out a procession, it is called a demonstration. If intolerant people do it, it is called a riot.