7 Worst Riots That Rocked India

The 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots: The 1984 anti-Sikhs riots or the 1984 Sikh Massacre were a series of brutal massacres directed against minority group, Sikhs, by anti-Sikh masses. The massacre took place on 1st November 1984 following the assassination of the then Prime minister, Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. Due to the widespread outbreak of this riot, the actual number of  people who lost their lives remains unknown.

But, according to official figures, over 8,000 people died and around 60,000 were left homeless in the capital alone. The most affected regions were the Sikh neighborhoods in Delhi. Human rights organizations and newspapers across India believe the massacre was pre-organized. The collusion of political officials in the massacres and the Judiciary's failure to punish the killers alienated normal Sikhs and increased support for the Khalistan movement.

1989 Bhagalpur Riots: The1989 Bhagalpur riots refer to the communal outbreak between the Hindus and the Muslims in the Bhagalpur district of Bihar. It started on 24 October 1989, and the violent incidents continued for another 2 months. This massacre affected the Bhagalpur city and also 250 villages around it.

Out of the  1,000 people killed during the violence, around 900 were Muslims and another 50,000 were displaced as a result of the violence.  It is known as the worst communal riot in the independent India. Though over 2 decades have passed, the victims of the communal carnage are still struggling, socially and financially.

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