The Production of Hindu-Muslim Violence in Contemporary India

501 Pages·2005·31.1 MB·English

by  Paul R. Brass

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IN INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
JACKSON SCHOOL PUBLICATIONS
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THE PRODUCTION OF
Hindu-Muslim Violence
IN CONTEMPORARY INDIA
PAUL R. BRASS
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON PRESS
Seattle and London
This publication was supported in part by the Jackson School
Publications Fund, established through the generous support of the
Henry M. Jackson Foundation and other donors, in cooperation with
the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies
and the University of Washington Press.
Copyright © 2003 by the University of Washington Press
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Printed in the United States of America
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Brass, Paul R.
The production of Hindu-Muslim Violence in contemporary India i
Paul R. Brass.
p. cm. - (Jackson SchooI publications in international studies)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-295-98506-2 (alk. paper)
1. Communalism-India-Aligarh.
2. Riots-India-Aligarh.
3. Hindus--Illdia--Aligarh.
4. Muslims-India-Aligarh.
1. Title. II. Series.
DS422.c64873 2003 954'.2-DC21 2002027192
The paper used in this publication is acid-free and recycled from 10 percent
post-consumer and at least 50 percent pre-consumer waste. It meets the minimum
requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences
Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.@()\
In memory of my teacher,
MYRON WEINER,
ever a source of inspiration,
ever a friend

CONTENTS
Abbreviations Used in This Book ix
Maps, Figures, and Tables xi
Preface and Acknowledgments xv
PART I I INTRODUCTION
1 1 Explaining Communal Violence 5
PART II I COMMUNAL RIOTS IN INDIA AND ALIGARH
2 I Aligarh: Politics, Population, and Social Organization 43
31 Hindu-Muslim Violence in India and Aligarh 60
41 The Great Aligarh Riots of December 1990 and January 1991 116
5 I The Control of Communal Conflict in Aligarh 132
PART III I DEMOGRAPHIC, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC
FACTORS IN THE PRODUCTION OF RIOTS
6 I The Geography and Demography of Riots 149
7 I The Economics of Riots:
Economic Competition and Victimization 199
vii
viii I Contents
PART IV / RIOTS AND THE POLITICAL PROCESS
81 Riots and Elections 219
9 1 The Practice of Communal Politics 240
10 I Communalization and Polarization: Selected
Constituency-Wise Results for Aligarh Elections 262
11 I Communal Solidarity and Division at the Local Level 286
12 I The Decline of Communal Violence and the
Transformation of Electoral Competition 296
PART V / THE PROCESS OF BLAME DISPLACEMENT
131 Riot Interpretation, Blame Displacement,
and the Communal Discourse 305
141 Police Views of Hindu-Muslim Violence 328
15 / The Role of the Media 344
PART VI/CONCLUSION
16/ The Persistence of Hindu-Muslim Violence:
The Dynamics of Riot Production 355
Postscript: Aligarh and Gujarat 385
Appendices 393
Notes 413
Index 463
Index of Mohallas 475
ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS BOOK
ADM additional district magistrate
AMU A1igarh Muslim University
AMUSU A1igarh Muslim University Students Union
BJP Bharatiya Janata Party
BJS Bharatiya Jan Sangh
BKD Bharatiya Kranti Dal
BLD Bharatiya Lok Dal
BSF Border Security Force
BSP Bahujan Samaj Party
CPI Communist Party of India
CRPF Central Reserve Police Force
DM district magistrate
DSP deputy superintendent of police
FIR First Information Report
INC Indian National Congress
lSI Inter Services Intelligence
LA Legislative Assembly
LS Lok Sabha (Indian Parliament)
MLA Member, Legislative Assembly
MP Member of Parliament
ix