India has faced a number of protests and riots both before and after its independence. These incidents range from peaceful protests to ethnic agitations to violent communal riots. Here is a list of such incidents occurring in India:
Riots in Pre-Independent India Name Year Locations Cause Factions Deaths Wounded Damage RefLat Bhairava Riots1809BenarasViolence after Hindus attempted to worship at Lat Bhairava siteMuslimsHindusUnknown Unknown UnknownViolence and the Other in Hinduism and Islam: 1809 Lat Bhairon Riots of Banaras Bombay Dog Riots 1832 (6 to 7 June) South Mumbai Protest by Parsis against the British government's killing of stray dogs Parsis None None N/A Pg 125 Parsi–Muslim riots October 1851Bombay Protests by Muslims against the Chitra Dynan Darpan owned by a Parsee. The publication had printed a depiction of the Islamic prophet Muhammed and his history. Parsis Muslims N/A N/A N/APg 188–189 1857 Bharuch riot May 1857 Broach and Mumbai Linked to the Broach riots Parsis Muslims 2 Parsis murdered N/A N/A Parsi–Muslim riots 1874 13 February 1874 N/A N/A N/A Salem riots of 1882 1882 Salem, Tamil Nadu Objection by Muslims to a Hindu religious procession through a Mosque Hindus Muslims Unknown Unknown N/A Shahabad Riots1917Shahabad, BiharCommunal harmony disrupted due to the practice of cow slaughter on Eid al-AdhaHindus, MuslimsUnknownUnknownKatarpur Riot1918Saharanpur, Uttar PradeshVariousHindusMuslimsN/A Malabar rebellion 1920–1921 Malabar Religious leaders spearheaded the Hindu genocide of 1921, which led to the massacre of thousands of Hindus, forcible conversions, rape of Hindu women and children and destruction of Hindu properties and places of worship, many call it Khilafat aftermath in the Malabar District of Madras Presidency. Mappilas Hindus British Raj Peshawar riots March 21–24, 1910 Peshawar, Peshawar District, North-West Frontier Province Annual Hindu festival of Holi coincided with Barawafat, the annual Muslim day of mourning. Hindus Muslims At least 4 Muslims and 6 Hindus Hundreds At least 451 shops and homes, Rs. 50 lakhs of damage Rehman, Noor & Khan, Aman Ullah. 2020. "“Maro Hindu Ko” (Kill the Hindus): Communal Violence in Peshawar City: A Historical Perspective" In Journal of the Punjab University Historical Society. Volume: 33, No. 02, July – December 2020 1921–1922 riots April 1921–March 1922 Bengal, Punjab, Multan Many riots occurred during Muharram, other causes Hindus Muslims Unknown Unknown Various Riots in Kohat 1924 Kohat Hindu–Muslim tension Hindus 300 Unknown Rs. 9 lakhs + of damage 1924–1925 riots April 1924- March 1925 Delhi, Nagpur, Lahore, Lucknow, Moradabad, Bhagalpur, Gulbarga, Shahajahanpur, Kankinarah, Kohat and Allahabad Various Hindus Muslims Unknown Unknown Various 1925–1926 riots April 1925–March 1926 Calcutta, the United Provinces, the Central Provinces, Bombay Presidency, Berar, Gujarat, Sholapur, Aligarh Dispute outside a mosque between Muslims and Hindus, other causes Hindus Muslims 44+ 584+ Damage to temples and mosques 1926–1927 riots April 1926–March 1927 Delhi, Calcutta, Bengal, the Punjab, United Provinces, Bombay Presidency, Sind Music during Hindu celebrations near mosques, and other causes Hindus Muslims 28+ 226+ Unknown 1927–1928 riots April 1927- March 1928 Lahore, Bihar (2), Orissa(2), Punjab (2), Bettiah, United Provinces (10), Bombay Presidency (6), the Central Provinces (2), Bengal (2), Delhi(1) Caused by the publication of Rangila Rasul and Risala Vartman, by music during Hindu celebrations near mosques, cow slaughter, and other causes Hindus Muslims 103+ 1084+ Unknown 1927 Nagpur riots September 4, 1927 Nagpur, Maharashtra Muslims objected to passage of Hindu procession which resulted in riots Hindus Muslims 22 100 N/A 1928–1929 riots April 1928–March 1929 22 significant riots in this period. Most serious were the Bombay riots. Other riots in Punjab, Kharagpur, and other places. Many riots occurred during Bakr-i-Id, other causes Hindus Muslims 204+ (149 in Bombay) Nearly 1000 Unknown 1929–1930 riots April 1929–March 1930 12 significant riots in this period. Bombay, other places. Various Hindus Muslims 35+ 200+ Unknown Bombay riots of 1930 1930 various Protests against the Salt tax Indian British government N/A N/A N/A 1930–1931 riots April 1930 – March 1931 Bengal, Nagpur, Bombay, Assam, Sukkur (Sind) Various Hindus Muslims Unknown Unknown Unknown 1931–1932 riots April 1931–March 1932 Cawnpore, other places Various Hindus Muslims 300–500 Unknown Damage to temples and other property 1933–1934 riots April 1933–March 1934 Benares, Cawnpore, Lahore, Peshawar, Ayodhya,... During Hindu and Muslim celebrations. Dispute between Sikhs and Muslims at the Shaheed Ganj Mosque in Lahore. Riots in Karachi after Abdul Quayum was executed for the murder of Hindu writer Nathuramal in court. Hindus, Sikhs Muslims Unknown Unknown Various 1936 riots 1936 Firozabad, Bombay, other Various Hindus Muslims Unknown Unknown Various 1937 riots 1937 Panipat, Madras, Amritsar During Holi, other causes Hindus, Sikhs Muslims Unknown Unknown Various 1939 riots 1939 Benares, Cawnpore, Sukkur (Sind), other Dispute between Muslims and Hindus at Manzilgah over a mosque, a temple vandalized by Muslims, other causes Hindus Muslims 151+ 58+ Various 1941 Dhaka riotsMarch 1941DhakaDuring the Holi celebrations, coloured water accidentally fell on a burqa-clad Muslim womanHindus MuslimsUnknownUnknownVarious Direct Action Day August 1946 Calcutta, Bengal Muslim League Council to show the strength of Muslim feelings both to British and Congress. Muslims wanted a separate country for Muslims fearing that Hindus will suppress their community and that fear lead to killing and looting of Hindus. Hindus Muslims 4,000 N/A 100,000 homeless Noakhali riots October–November 1946 Noakhali and Tippera districts of Bengal (now in Bangladesh) Widespread killing and raping of Hindus and looting of Hindu shops, businesses, and homes. An attempt to either kill or make the Hindus flee from Noakhali and go to newly founded republic of India. Hindus Muslims ~200-285 N/A 50,000 remained marooned Rawalpindi RiotsMarch 1947Rawalpindi Division, Punjab, British IndiaAfter the British announced departure from India by June 1948. On 5 March, Holi celebration was attacked by Muslims. Soon riots spread in nearby districts. The Muslim Mob went rampage committing arson, looting, massacre and rapes.District also witnessed a mass conversions to Islam.Muslims Sikhs and Hindus7,000-8,000 killed 400-500 women raped.Unknown80,000 forced to flee
Riots In Post-Independent India
From Independence to 2000 Name Year Locations Cause Factions Deaths Wounded Damage Ref 1957 Ramnad riots 1957 Ramnad After Devendrar people objected to electoral victory of Maravar candidate in 1957 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-elections Devendrar Maravar Tamil Nadu police 38 Unknown 2,841 houses burnt 1961 Jabalpur riots 4–9 February 1961 Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh This riot was linked to the emergence of a small class of successful Muslim entrepreneurs who created a new economic rivalry between Hindu and Muslim communities. Also, media and press gave communal tone to crime incident by two Muslim boys, which lead to widespread violence. Hindus Muslims 55 200+ These riots shook Jawaharlal Nehru as he never expected communal riots of such intensity in independent India. Hindu nationalist organizations including ABVP, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh played a major role in this riot. Officially 55 were killed, though according to unofficial accounts, 200 were killed. Nehru responded by lambasting the Bhopal Congress government which was being headed by Chief Minister Kailash Nath Katju. He angrily noted that Congress leaders were found to be 'sitting inside their houses like purdah ladies' during riots 1961 Aligarh riots October 3, 1961 Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh Rumor a Hindu student was killed on the campus of Aligarh University Hindu and Muslim student organizations 14 "After the Jabalpur riots, which badly shook the Indian leadership and the Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, further violence flared up in Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh), just before the 1962 general elections. The city is famous for the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), whose students are predominantly Muslim and which has claimed minority status for years. During the student-union elections of October 1961, not a single Hindu student was elected. Muslims held a victory procession, provoking counter-demonstrations by activists from the BJS (Bharatiya Jan Sangh, Indian People’s Alliance) and the ABVP. A clash subsequently broke out between Muslim and Hindu students in a university hostel. A rumor that a Hindu student had been killed on campus sparked off violence in the city on October 3. University employees were assaulted by students from the town’s Hindu colleges. The riot claimed 14 lives, mostly Muslim." 1964 Calcutta riots January 1964 Culcutta and rural parts of West Bengal Retaliation for Muslim attacks on Hindus during 1964 East Pakistan riots Hindus Muslims 264 430+ The Muslim community in Calcutta felt more segregated and fearful than ever before. Reports indicated that as many as 70,000 residents fled their homes. 1966 Hindu Sikh riots 9 March 1966Delhi March 14 Hindus and Sikhs battled in New Delhi's streets today as a wave of violence over proposals for a Punjabi-speaking state spread. Following violence in Delhi stoning and casual violence also erupted in Ludhiana, Patiala, Jalandhar and in Panipat 3 congressmen were burnt alive including close associate of Bhagat Singh generally believed to be orchestrated by Jan Sangh who were anti of Punjabi speaking state. Sikhs Hindus 3 people died and around hundreds were injured, N/A N/A 1967 Ranchi-Hatia riots August 22–29, 1967 Ranchi Anti-Urdu agitations Hindus Muslims 184 Unknown 195 shops looted and burnt, three places of worship damaged by arson. 1969 Gujarat riots September – October 1969 Gujarat Desecration of a dargah and subsequently of a Hindu temple. Hindus Muslims 512 1084 Property of Muslims worth 42 million Rupees destroyed 1969 Anti-Kannada Riots February – 1969 Bombay KA-MH border dispute. KannadigasMarathis 59 274 February 1969 Thackeray unleashes his goons against Kannadigas. 59 dead, 274 wounded, 151 cops injured in week of riots. Tooth and Claw, Outlook, 2012. Worli riots 1974 Mumbai, Maharashtra Police attempting to disperse a Dalit Panthers rally where speaker allegedly made objectionable remarks about Hindu deities Shiv Sena Dalit 1 1980 Moradabad riots August 1980 Moradabad Policemen's refusal to remove pig from Idgah PAC Muslims 400 Unknown 195 shops looted and burnt, three places of worship damaged by arson. 1981 Bihar riots May 1981 Bihar Sharif Dispute over land between Yadavs (an agricultural caste) and Muslims . Hindus Muslims 45 70 N/A 1982 Meerut riots July 1982 Meerut Dispute over land between Muslim advocate and Municipality . Hindus Muslims 100 126 N/A Nellie massacre February 1983 Nellie Kidnapping and murder of 5 Lalung tribals and alleged rape of two Lalung girls by Bengali Muslims. More broadly, Assam Agitation. Assamese Bengali Muslims 2,191 (Unofficial Toll 10,000+) Unknown 1984 Bhiwandi riot May 1984 Bhiwandi Placement of Saffron flag on top of mosque. Hindus Muslims 278 1,115 N/A 1984 Hyderabad riots August–September 1984 Hyderabad Religious procession during Ganesh Chathurti event in Old City caused violence . Hindus Muslims 4 100Mobs set fire to 100 shops and houses in the capital of Andhra Pradesh state 1984 anti-Sikh riots 31 October 1984 − 3 November 1984 Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar Assassination of Indira Gandhi by her two Sikh bodyguards Congress party workers Sikhs3,350 (Government figures)