Khaki Prejudice

PUCL Bulletin, Aug 2000: "While we know that 65% the victims of communal riots have been Muslims the arrest and casualty figures are very revealing. In Bhiwandi riots 1970 of those arrested in cognisable offences, 21 were Hindus while 901 were Muslims; casualties-wise, 17 were Hindus and 59 were Muslims. In Meerut riots of 1982 the pattern is no different. 124 Hindus were arrested, as against 231 Muslims while 2 Hindus and 8 Muslims were the victims of casualty. As in Mumbai, here also police bullets selective hit the body of Muslims and soul of secular values. In Bhiwandi (1970), Firozabad (1972), Aligarh (1978), Meerut (1982) there was not a single Hindu victim of police bullets while the number of Muslims dying of police bullets respectively was 9, 6, 7, and 6. "