Riots In India

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<b>Mangalore on slow boil</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Since Babri, Mangalore has become divided on sharply communal lines.<b> The BJP’s emerged as a strong force constantly gaining territory from the Congress. The 2004 elections saw the BJP make a virtual sweep of the 11 legislative assembly seats from the district. Mangalore played a key role in the BJP’s emergence as the single largest party in the 2004 polls and its current presence in a ruling coalition with the Janata Dal Secular.</b>

The politics in the district is now often played out on the knife-edge of the divide between Hindus and Muslims. Several new flashpoints for communal violence have emerged from the issue of transportation of cows in violation of a state law to eve teasing to inter-religious relationships.

The deep distrust between Hindus and Muslims has been heightened by the perception of the minorities of the local administration’s bias against them, since the BJP is the partner of the Janata Dal Secular in the state coalition government and Mangalore district is under the charge of a BJP minister.<b> On the flipside, the mayor of Mangalore city is Congress’ K Ashraf. </b>........................

The prolonged curfew of the past week has had common people losing livelihood, resulting in a demand for a ban on fundamentalist groups and bandhs in the district. Peace has returned to Mangalore for the time being. People are back to their normal lives. <span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>But, simmering below the surface is a powder keg of communal emotions.</span> <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->