India: Communal violence rose by 28% from 2014 to 2017

MUMBAI: Communal violence under the National Democratic Alliance government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party increased 28 percent over three years to 2017 – 822 “incidents” were recorded that year – but it was short of the decadal high of 943 in 2008, according to analysis of home ministry data.

Uttar Pradesh (UP) – the most populous state in the country – reported most incidents (1,488) over the last decade. Kasganj in western UP witnessed communal violence on 26 January, 2018, in which a 22-year old youth – Chandan Gupta – was killed after being hit by a bullet. As many as 44 people were arrested in connection with the violence, which erupted over an unauthorised march on Republic Day, Indian media reported on 27 January, 2018.

Communal incidents in UP have increased 47 percent from 133 in 2014 to 195 in 2017. The year 2013 saw the most incidents in UP – 247 – also the most by any state over the last decade. India was ranked fourth in the world in 2015 – after Syria, Nigeria and Iraq – for the highest social hostilities involving religion, the media reported on 14 April, 2017.

As many as 7,484 communal incidents have been reported over the last decade – between 2008 and 2017 – or two every day, killing over 1,100 people, according to data released to the Lok Sabha