AHMEDABAD, INDIA, March 17, 2002: Recent riots in Ahmedabad have affected Hindus as well as Muslims. It is estimated that more then 10,000 people in the Hindu community have also become homeless. “There seems to be some confusion about the people affected in recent riots. You will not find them in government rolls because they never registered with the district collectorate,” says Narendra Patel, a local relief worker revealing that most of them have taken refuge at various community-sponsored camps. He added that rather than approaching the state government-aided camps the riot-affected Hindu families received shelter and support from their own community members and relatives. Most of the affected families were living as micro-minority in some of the Muslim-dominated areas around the city. “Hindus who have been blamed more often for actively supporting hooliganism and triggering post-Godhra riots have actually found themselves at the receiving end,” says Kalpesh Jha, a relief worker at Hiralal Ni Chali in Jamalpur.
A daily summary of world news for Hindus and non-Hindus alike