Oh my word Riot, Ryot

Ryots rarely indulge in riots in the country. Ryots’ lives are dictated by the nature and rain gods. The fields of ryots are often a riot of colours when there is plenty of water and enough sunshine. Riot means a wild or violent disturbance caused by a group (As a result of unexpected number of people turning up at the supermarket to buy goods on sale, riots broke out); riot also refers to a profuse display of something (Brindavan Gardens in Mysore is a riot of colours, a riot of emotions were visible in the family when the son returned home after seven years).

A riot also means a very amusing thing or person (Brahmanandam is an audience’s riot). Running riot means behaving in a violent and uncontrollable manner. Figuratively, running riot is getting out of control of someone or something. Riot is also a verb – participating in a riot for one or the other reason (Police tried to control rioting crowds but could not). Derivatives of riot are riotous (adjective), riotously (adverb), riotousness.

The police’s job is to control riots. India is a country where religious riots are possible. Unlike riots in football stadiums in Europe, Indian cricket stadiums are relatively free of riots because there are no fanatical fans in IPL. The Government of India gave cheques of Rs 5 lakh each to families of the 1984 riot victims.

Religious riots took place in the national capital in 1984 following the assassination of the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. In these riots, more than 2000 Sikhs were killed. Riot police are trained to deal with riots and they use riot shields to protect themselves from rioters. Ryot is a peasant. Ryots are farmers subsisting on small pieces of land but often at the mercy of natural conditions. In India, it also refers to tenant farmers. The word is of Persian, Arabic and Hindi origins but often found in English texts.