Communal clashes were witnessed recently in Virangam town, near Ahmedabad, killing three persons and injuring 40. The cause of the clash was a cricket match between the locals of the area. Further violence took place in the main city of Ahmedabad following this incident in which groups of two different communities hurled stones at each other. Ahmedabad has been a regular venue for communal riots and therefore the recent incident can be ignored as a minor case of violence. But, it is important to ask as to why Ahmedabad has become riot prone over the recent years? Why is it that even minor scuffles take communal hues here? Has the frequency of riots increased after the Godhra carnage? What kind of a solution is possible for Ahmedabad’s communal quagmire?       

A communal riot was first recorded in Ahmedabad in 1714, when violence took place during the time of Holi. The latest occurrence of large-scale communal violence in the city was after the Godhra carnage in February 2002 leading to 2000 deaths. Prior to February 2002, two major communal riots took place in 1969 and 1985. Therefore communal riots are not alien to Ahmedabad. These three instances of communal violence in Ahmedabad were not sudden outbursts but organized by certain groups who aimed to benefit economically and politically.

However, Ahmedabad not only has seen organized large scale riots but frequently witnessed spates of minor communal clashes sparked off skirmishes on  trivial issues.. Whenever there is a religious procession there is bound to be a communal clash. Rath Yatras have often resulted in clashes in the city. The Indian cricket team’s victory over Pakistan is marked by processions in the minority areas resulting in communal violence. Cricket matches within a particular locality have led to altercations along communal lines.  An incident as trivial as an argument between two adults of different communities can take on a communal turn in Ahmedabad city. Though these are insignificant events as far as the number of casualties is concerned, yet they demonstrate the clear communal divide at the societal level. The economic rivalries between Hindus and Muslims along with the growth of Hindu right wing organizations have been the primary cause of riots in the city. In Ahmedabad, unlike in other communally sensitive areas, the fear of a communal clash is constant.

As Ahmedabad expanded beyond the walled city, the communal divide became sharper in the suburbs. The Muslims feel safer in their own ghettos and the same is true for the Hindus. The communal divide became more pronounced after the 1985 riots and the smaller clashes did not help in patching up past differences.. Muslim businesses and workers have been edged out and Muslim entrepreneurs have shifted their shops from Hindu areas to Muslim localities. There is a constant migration of Hindus and Muslims into the ghettos making the separation more apparent. The lack of joint activities among the people of the two communities has reduced the level of tolerance and making Ahmedabad more prone to riots. Segregation is not confined to the poor and middle classes. Even the elite areas are ghettoized.

The construction of houses is done in view of providing protection during communal riots. Therefore clashes along communal lines have been accepted and people of the two communities are now mainly concerned about protecting themselves. There is no effort at the community level to denounce this kind of segregation. Educational institutions have not kept themselves out of this isolationist policy. Some private schools did not want to grant admission to Muslim children. In addition, the Hindu right wing organizations have aggravated the feeling of animosity towards the minority sections. A couple of months back, the VHP had protested against the sale of two Hindu shops to a Muslim in the walled city. Exclusion is leading to fanaticism which at any time can acquire dangerous proportions.

The frequency of minor communal conflicts might not have increased significantly after Godhra, but divisions on communal lines have become deeper. It is important that the walls built between the two communities be broken for harmonious existence. There is a need to restrict the occurrence of small-scale communal clashes in order to increase the level of interaction between the Hindus and Muslims. Bhiwandi in Maharashtra is a good example for Ahmedabad to follow. After the 1984 communal riots Bhiwandi has remained undisturbed mainly due to the efforts taken up by the police administration to increase contact between Hindus and Muslims. Special programs were conducted, ensuring participation of both communities. In Ahmedabad similar ventures can be taken up in order to promote communal harmony in the city.