The Crossbill Team
India witnessed a sharp surge in communal violence in 2024, with 59 incidents of communal riots recorded, according to an ongoing report by the Centre for the Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS).
This marks an 84% increase compared to the 32 incidents reported in 2023. The data, derived from monitoring leading newspapers such as The Indian Express, The Hindu, Times of India, Shahafat, and Inquilab, paints a troubling picture of rising tensions, especially in an election year.
Maharashtra, governed by the BJP-Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction)-NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) coalition, recorded the highest number of communal riots, with 12 incidents, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Bihar with seven each.
Maharashtra's mixed history of intra-community conflict took a darker turn in 2024, with these riots claiming 13 lives—10 Muslims and 3 Hindus.
Many of these incidents were triggered during religious events such as the Pran Pratishtha ceremonies at Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir, Saraswati Puja immersions, Ganesh festivals, and Bakri Eid, highlighting the growing exploitation of religious festivals as flashpoints for violence and tools for political mobilization.
The Citizens for Justice and Peace’s Hate Watch program, which meticulously tracks such incidents, has visually represented this rise in violence on its platform Nafrat ka Naqsha.
In addition to communal riots, 12 cases of mob lynching were reported in 2024, resulting in 10 deaths—8 Muslims, 1 Hindu, and 1 Christian.
Although this represents a decline from the 21 lynching incidents reported in 2023, the persistence of these attacks remains alarming. Six lynchings were related to cow vigilantism or accusations of cow slaughter, while others targeted interfaith relationships or individuals based on their religious identity.
Maharashtra recorded three lynchings, followed by Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh with two each, and Karnataka with one.
The CSSS report highlights a stark contrast between the decrease in mob lynchings and the significant surge in communal riots. Together, these trends indicate an escalation of communal tensions and further marginalization of Indian Muslims, posing a grave threat to India’s secular and composite social fabric.
The rise in communal riots is closely linked to the polarizing impact of the 2024 elections in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Haryana. Conversely, judicial interventions urging action against mob lynching, particularly in cases where Hindus were victims, have contributed to the decline in lynching incidents.
A concerning development in 2024 has been the institutionalization of violence, evidenced by attacks on places of worship and demands by fringe Hindu right-wing groups for archaeological surveys of historic mosques and dargahs, including the Ajmer Sharif Dargah.
These actions appear to be part of a broader effort to reshape India’s socio-political and cultural narrative. Legislative changes such as the introduction of the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand and amendments to the Waqf Board Act have further deepened these divides.
Additionally, the controversial use of bulldozers to demolish properties owned by Muslims without due legal process continued unabated, symbolizing the misuse of state power. These demolitions, often described as “collective punishment,” disproportionately targeted Muslims, including those victimized in communal riots.
Communal polarization also intensified in the hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, governed by the BJP and Indian National Congress respectively.
Even with their small Muslim populations, these regions saw instances of hate speech, slurs, and attacks on places of worship, highlighting the expanding reach of communal tensions across India.
The CSSS report raises urgent concerns about the erosion of India’s secular ethos and the rise of targeted violence against marginalized communities.
A more detailed analysis is expected in the final report, which will provide deeper insights into the socio-political undercurrents fuelling these troubling trends.
This marks an 84% increase compared to the 32 incidents reported in 2023. The data, derived from monitoring leading newspapers such as The Indian Express, The Hindu, Times of India, Shahafat, and Inquilab, paints a troubling picture of rising tensions, especially in an election year.
Maharashtra, governed by the BJP-Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction)-NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) coalition, recorded the highest number of communal riots, with 12 incidents, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Bihar with seven each.
Maharashtra's mixed history of intra-community conflict took a darker turn in 2024, with these riots claiming 13 lives—10 Muslims and 3 Hindus.
Many of these incidents were triggered during religious events such as the Pran Pratishtha ceremonies at Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir, Saraswati Puja immersions, Ganesh festivals, and Bakri Eid, highlighting the growing exploitation of religious festivals as flashpoints for violence and tools for political mobilization.
The Citizens for Justice and Peace’s Hate Watch program, which meticulously tracks such incidents, has visually represented this rise in violence on its platform Nafrat ka Naqsha.
In addition to communal riots, 12 cases of mob lynching were reported in 2024, resulting in 10 deaths—8 Muslims, 1 Hindu, and 1 Christian.
Although this represents a decline from the 21 lynching incidents reported in 2023, the persistence of these attacks remains alarming. Six lynchings were related to cow vigilantism or accusations of cow slaughter, while others targeted interfaith relationships or individuals based on their religious identity.
Maharashtra recorded three lynchings, followed by Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh with two each, and Karnataka with one.
The CSSS report highlights a stark contrast between the decrease in mob lynchings and the significant surge in communal riots. Together, these trends indicate an escalation of communal tensions and further marginalization of Indian Muslims, posing a grave threat to India’s secular and composite social fabric.
The rise in communal riots is closely linked to the polarizing impact of the 2024 elections in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Haryana. Conversely, judicial interventions urging action against mob lynching, particularly in cases where Hindus were victims, have contributed to the decline in lynching incidents.
A concerning development in 2024 has been the institutionalization of violence, evidenced by attacks on places of worship and demands by fringe Hindu right-wing groups for archaeological surveys of historic mosques and dargahs, including the Ajmer Sharif Dargah.
These actions appear to be part of a broader effort to reshape India’s socio-political and cultural narrative. Legislative changes such as the introduction of the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand and amendments to the Waqf Board Act have further deepened these divides.
Additionally, the controversial use of bulldozers to demolish properties owned by Muslims without due legal process continued unabated, symbolizing the misuse of state power. These demolitions, often described as “collective punishment,” disproportionately targeted Muslims, including those victimized in communal riots.
Communal polarization also intensified in the hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, governed by the BJP and Indian National Congress respectively.
Even with their small Muslim populations, these regions saw instances of hate speech, slurs, and attacks on places of worship, highlighting the expanding reach of communal tensions across India.
The CSSS report raises urgent concerns about the erosion of India’s secular ethos and the rise of targeted violence against marginalized communities.
A more detailed analysis is expected in the final report, which will provide deeper insights into the socio-political undercurrents fuelling these troubling trends.
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