The UPA Government has never missed an opportunity to preach to the media about the importance of reporting incidents of communal violence in a sanitised manner, but it has no qualms in identifying the religion of victims of communal violence.
The document circulated by the Ministry of Home Affairs in Monday’s meeting of the National Integration Council (NIC) violates its own codes and reveals that out of the 107 people killed so far this year, 66 were Muslims and 41 were Hindus.
Incidentally, departing from tradition, Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who was handling MHA affairs in the Monsoon Session of Parliament in the absence of Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, had also disclosed the death toll in Kishtwar riots on religious lines.
“Two Muslims and a Hindu have died in the clashes. All of us are Indians. Three Indian lives have been lost and that is a matter of great regret,” Chidambaram said in Rajya Sabha in the second week of August.
The MHA document distributed in the NIC meeting gives State-wise break up of “incidents” of communal violence, separating the victims on religious lines for the entire 2012 and up to now. The data claims during this period, the country witnessed 479 communal riots. Altogether 1,697 people, including 794 Hindus, 703 Muslims and 200 police officials were injured, say the figures circulated by the MHA.
The worst scenario emerged from Uttar Pradesh, where twice as many Muslims lost their lives than in other parts of the country. According to the document, Uttar Pradesh recorded 62 deaths (42 Muslims and 20 Hindus) in communal violence, the highest in the country.
UP saw 93 riots in the first nine months of 2013 along with 108 incidents of tension.
A total of 219 Muslims and 134 Hindus were injured. The Home Ministry compiles the data on the basis of reports from the State Governments, say officials.
In Maharashtra, ten people were killed and 271 injured in 56 incidents of communal violence. Seven of the ten killed were from the minority community. Of the injured, 101 were Hindus, 106 Muslims and 64 police officials.
Bihar saw 40 communal disturbances, 25 incidents of tension-like situation and recorded nine deaths — five Hindus and four Muslims.Among the injured, 123 were Hindus, 66 Muslims and 19 police officials.
Gujarat saw 54 cases of communal violence, 21 of tension and recorded six deaths - three Hindus and three Muslims. The injured included 85 Hindus, 57 Muslims and five police personnel.
Madhya Pradesh had recorded 89 incidents of communal disturbance, 92 of tension and deaths of five Muslims and four Hindus in 2012. Among the injured 146 were Hindus, 80 Muslims and 15 police officials. In West Bengal, eight Muslims and one Hindu were killed, while 38 Muslims and 19 Hindus suffered injuries in 23 cases of communal disturbance and 21 of tension in 2012.