Curfew in Old Hyderabad post clashes

In the worst ever violence in the Old City in the last two years, three people lost their lives and many were severely injured in police firing. The situation turned violent when youngsters from two communities clashed. The groups then attacked each other and burnt around 11 vehicles and damaged property. The police were forced to open fire to control the mob, resulting in the loss of lives.

Timeline of riots in Old City

The Old City is considered a communally sensitive region and becomes an army cantonment during any rise in tension. Hyderabad saw the first demonstration of communal feelings in 1923 with the formation of the Arya Samaj Party. The party played upon the discrimination Hindus felt under the Muslim rule in a Hindu majority state. Around the same time, Muslim political forces were also developing in India. The Muslim League started organising during this period before its official formation in 1935. Disagreements between Hindus and Muslims wreaked havoc for more than a decade, causing the first riot in 1938 in the Old City, an event that marked the beginning of communal riots in Hyderabad.

The riots that followed were

1939 Aryasamaj Riot

1947 Razakar Movement

1948 Police action – Operation Polo

1969 Telangana agitation became a Hindu-Muslim riot

1977 Post-election riots

1978 Rameza Bee case – a riot against the Hindu police constable rape of Muslim women

1980 Ganesh Visarjan riots

1990 Hyderabad riots occurred due to the false rumour about the killing of Majid Khan, a local leader

1992 Post Babri Masjid demolition

2007 Post Mecca Masjid bombing

2010 Moosa Bowli running up saffron flag riot

2012 Trouble broke out after locals reportedly found meat lying near a religious place in Kurumaguda that provoked members of a particular community

Since the end of the worst riots in 1991, which left over 150 dead and more than 300 seriously injured, the city has experienced a period of relative peace, although more people were killed in ‘non-communal’ individual arguments and by police fire.