 "graph")
With the disclaimer that maintenance of law and order is a state subject, Union minister of state for internal security Kiren Rijiju told the Lok Sabha in a written answer during Parliament's monsoon session that Uttar Pradesh saw 60 incidents of communal violence, highest in the country, till May this year.
This is not surprising. UP is the biggest and most populous state. But, what is interesting is the other states. West Bengal saw only 16 incidents in 2014. In 2017, till May alone, it had already witnessed 26. Odisha hardly had any violence in 2014 but had four till May this year. Jammu & Kashmir had none in 2014 but saw 10 in 2016 and three till May in 2017. Punjab reported zero incidents in 2014 and 2015, and one each in 2016 and 2017 (till May) - and eight died in 2017.
In Maharashtra, communal violence is seen to have come down. In 2016, as many as 68 incidents took the lives of six people. In 2017, although there were 20 incidents till May, no lives were lost. No incidents took place Chandigarh and Chhattisgarh and the northeast.
This is not surprising. UP is the biggest and most populous state. But, what is interesting is the other states. West Bengal saw only 16 incidents in 2014. In 2017, till May alone, it had already witnessed 26. Odisha hardly had any violence in 2014 but had four till May this year. Jammu & Kashmir had none in 2014 but saw 10 in 2016 and three till May in 2017. Punjab reported zero incidents in 2014 and 2015, and one each in 2016 and 2017 (till May) - and eight died in 2017.
In Maharashtra, communal violence is seen to have come down. In 2016, as many as 68 incidents took the lives of six people. In 2017, although there were 20 incidents till May, no lives were lost. No incidents took place Chandigarh and Chhattisgarh and the northeast.
Data: Lok Sabha archives; Analysis: Aditi Phadnis
