The government departed from set practice on Monday by making public the religions of those killed in communal clashes across the country.
The statistics released by the Union ministry of home affairs at the National Integration Council meet stated “66 persons of the minority community and 41 belonging to the majority community have been killed in communal clashes across the country between January and September 15 this year”. A total of 107 persons have been killed in the country in communal clashes during this period.
An MHA official explained the “religion-wise” breakup of statistics, saying, “It is necessary for the policy-makers to understand which community is suffering the most.”
The data, circulated by the MHA, explained the categories as “majority, minority, others and police” and formed part of the background note and agenda of the NIC meet.
According to the MHA data, the maximum killings of members belonging to the minority community (42) as against the majority community (20) have taken place in Uttar Pradesh alone.
The MHA data, however, shows that more persons belonging to the majority community (794) have suffered injuries against 703 persons belonging to the minority community who were hurt in communal clashes across the country. But, once again in UP, the number of persons of the minority community (219) who suffered injuries was higher as compared to majority community (134).
While no policemen were killed in communal clashes across the country, the home ministry puts the number of “injured policemen” at 200 out of the total 1,697 persons injured in communal clashes this year.
While UP tops the list of states where members of the minority community have suffered the highest casualties, it is followed by Maharashtra, where seven persons belonging to the