Riots

The year 2000 witnessed several communal riots in diverse parts of India. These remained localised and did not result in the largescale devastation that had marked the riots of 1992-93. However, their occurrence should serve as a continual reminder that very often, innocuous incidents like a property dispute can easily take on communal colour; communal divides too can be easily stirred up by vested interests. More unfortunate has been the response of the civil authorities - who have either been accused of sheltering miscreants or else their response has been seen as belated and reactive.