The 2015 Bharuch riots took place in Hansot village of Bharuch district, Gujarat state in India. It was caused by communal tensions from a number of events between the Hindu majority and the Muslim minority. The riots resulted in the deaths of three people, an unknown number of injuries, as well as several homes and businesses being burnt down.

Probable causes edit

Events of communal tensions before the riots:

9-11 December 2014 Pornographic cartoons of Muhammad circulated on the internet by Sunil Patel (Sunil Mansukhbhai Patel) of Ambheta village.[1][2]

Toll edit

Death edit

The riots left three people dead.[3] One victim died on the spot and two died in hospital.[4]

Two men of the majority Hindu community and one man of the minority Muslim community were killed in Sunevkhurd village, where an ambulance under police protection was surrounded and attacked by a Muslim mob. The Hindu patient inside the ambulance, who already had his skull hacked open, was stranded and later died of his injury.

Injury edit

Multiple Muslims and Hindus were hurt.[citation needed][vague]

Destruction edit

Initially, a shop belonging to a Hindu and a shop belonging to a Muslim were burnt in Hansot. Later on, houses of Hindus were burnt by angry rioting Muslim mobs.[5]

Aftermath edit

Families were forced to take refuge in the neighbouring Surat district.[6]

State Police had to fire tear gas to control the rioting mobs.[7]

The cremations took place after police deployed six companies of the Central Reserve Police Force and one company of the Rapid Action Force in the district.[8]

Afterwards, the tension between the two parties eased and the riots came to an end.

References edit

  1. ^ Gujarat: Muslim leaders visit riots-affected Hansot and Ambheta on fact finding mission [1]
  2. ^ "Two dead, one critical after communal clashes in Bharuch". The Hindu. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  3. ^ "Gujarat: Three Killed in Communal Clashes in Bharuch - Jan 14,2015". outlookindia.com. 16 November 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  4. ^ "Gujarat: 3 killed in communal clashes in Bharuch district : Latest of the Lot, News". India Today. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  5. ^ India (16 January 2015). "Day after clashes, tension in Bharuch". The Indian Express. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  6. ^ "Saffron hue to govt's green drive, CM opens Janki Van to public - Peacemap". peacemap.in. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  7. ^ Singh, Neha (15 January 2015). "Gujarat: 3 Killed, 10 Injured in Communal Clash in Bharuch District". International Business Times, India Edition. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  8. ^ "Two victims of Hansot riots cremated amid tension". The Times of India. 16 January 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.