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November 22, 2010

Chronicle of Communal Riots in Bombay Presidency (1893-1945)

(The Economic and Political Weekly, Vol 45 No. 47 November 20 - November 26, 2010)

by Meena Menon

From 1893 onwards Bombay Presidency witnessed a series of communal riots between Hindus and Muslims, and the first one had the cow protection movement as a backdrop. The reclaiming of public places through celebration of festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, discord over cow slaughter, disputes over playing of music near religious places, the building of prayer halls, mosques and temples and tombs sparked communal violence causing divisions among the Hindus and Muslims. By the time the Muslim League demanded a separate state, relations were polarised and the riots continued right up to Partition and beyond.

http://epw.in/epw/uploads/articles/15395.pdf