https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=1987_Meerut_riots1987 Meerut riots - Revision history2026-07-31T11:02:38ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=1987_Meerut_riots&diff=419665&oldid=prevAjay Kumar at 13:19, 27 August 20232023-08-27T13:19:53Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|1987 Hindu-Muslim violence in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India}}<br />
{{POV|talk=POV|date=April 2022}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2018}}<br />
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The '''1987 Meerut Riots''' were a series of [[Religious violence in India|violent communal disturbances]] between [[Hinduism in India|Hindus]] and [[Islam in India|Muslims]] in the northern [[Uttar Pradesh]] town [[Meerut]] which occurred from March to June 1987,<ref>Article itself says "The first acts of violence were between police and Muslim but later on became a communal riot". </ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Rivers of Blood: A Comparative Study of Government Massacres|first=Brenda|last=Uekert|year=1995|publisher=Greenwood Publishing|isbn=9780275951658|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I8qWcQNfX_IC&pg=PA97}}</ref> which resulted in the death of more than 100 people.<ref>{{cite news|title=Riotous fury in India: Innocent people suffer, accused go free|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/nation/story/20030721-riotous-fury-in-india-accused-go-free-innocent-suffer-792142-2003-07-21 | date=21 July 2003 | publisher=India Today | first1=Sheela | last1=Raval | first2=Sayantan | last2=Chakravarty | first3=Farzand | last3=Ahmed | accessdate=10 November 2018 }}</ref><br />
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== Background ==<br />
The tension started in 1986 when the black seal [[Babri Masjid]] in [[Ayodhya]] was opened by the [[Government of India|Government]] which led the Muslim extremists to make some hateful speeches.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/news/special/the-good-samaritans-of-hashimpura/20150414.htm|title=The good samaritans of Hashimpura|first=Jyoti Punwani and Uttam|last=Ghosh|website=Rediff}}</ref> It was reiterated by Hindus that Babri Masjid was constructed by [[Babur]] after the demolition of a [[Ram Mandir]] back in 1528 A.D.<ref name="auto">{{cite news|title=Devastating communal riots sweep through Meerut and its adjoining areas in Uttar Pradesh|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/19870615-devastating-communal-riots-sweep-through-meerut-and-its-adjoining-areas-in-uttar-pradesh-798979-1987-06-15|publisher=India Today | date=15 June 1987 | first=Inderjit | last=Badhwar | accessdate=10 November 2018 }}</ref><br />
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== Violence ==<br />
{{See also|Hashimpura massacre}}<br />
Inflammatory speeches were made by Muslim extremist leaders, which created communal tensions in the area. This resulted in Muslims organising a rally held in March 1987 by the [[Babri Masjid|All India Babri Masjid Action Committee]], a non-government organization representing Muslims which increased communal tensions in Meerut and ultimately led to communal clashes in April. 10 people died in these riots and there were many misinformation spread on murder of a Hindu man due to a land dispute aggravated issues, due to which additional police and subsequently the army and [[Central Reserve Police Force|CRPF]] being called in to restore order.<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 7, 1987|first1=Inderjit|last=Badhwar|title=Devastating communal riots sweep through Meerut and its adjoining areas in Uttar Pradesh|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/19870615-devastating-communal-riots-sweep-through-meerut-and-its-adjoining-areas-in-uttar-pradesh-798979-1987-06-15|access-date=2021-08-01|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref><br />
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The first acts of violence were between the police and Muslims in which the police fired on protesting Muslims but later on became a communal riot between Hindus and Muslims. A Hindu shop owner was stabbed to death by Muslim which led to Muslims being targeted during the violence by the police and the Hindu rioters who killed hundreds in the next few days as the riots spread to [[Modinagar]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-01-21|title=Heritage Times - 1987 : Twin Massacres of Muslims at Meerut and Maliana by the Police|url=https://heritagetimes.in/1987-meerut-maliana-massacre-muslims/|access-date=2021-08-01|website=Heritage Times|language=en-US}}</ref> Estimated property loss was around 50 [[Crore|crores]]. Hindu and Muslim doctors faced the wrath of their own community for treating patients of the other community.<ref name="auto" /><br />
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According to [[People's Union for Civil Liberties]], a Muslim girl was crushed under a police jeep. This resulted in the police firing at the mob which killed several people. A car was also attacked by the Muslim mob, killing the occupant a famous local Hindu doctor named Dr Prabhat.<ref name="auto2" /><ref name="auto1">{{cite web|title=Meerut riots of May 1987|url=http://www.pucl.org/Topics/Human-rights/2006/meerut-riots.html|website=pucl.org/|publisher=People's Union for Civil Liberties|access-date=27 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120817150551/http://www.pucl.org/Topics/Human-rights/2006/meerut-riots.html|archive-date=17 August 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
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50 gazetted police officers and more than 60 companies of the [[Provincial Armed Constabulary|PAC]], the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the [[Indian Army|Army]] had to control the riots.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2210/stories/20050520001504300.htm|title=Justice out of sight|website=www.frontline.in}}</ref> Many Muslims were burnt alive by a Hindu mob in villages on the outskirts of Meerut city.<ref name="auto2"/><br />
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PAC officials have been charged by court of filling buses with Muslims taken from their homes and killing them. Later throwing those dead bodies in the canal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/1987-hashimpura-massacre-case-delhi-hc-sentences-16-cops-to-life-imprisonment/articleshow/66442007.cms?from=mdr|title=1987 Hashimpura massacre case: Delhi HC sentences 16 ex-policemen to life imprisonment|via=The Economic Times}}</ref><br />
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== Trials and 2018 verdict ==<br />
On 6 September 2018, the [[Delhi High Court]] [[Reserved decision|reserved its verdict]] in the case.<br />
On 31 October 2018, the Delhi High Court convicted 16 former PAC personnel for life after finding them guilty of the murder of 42 people.<ref>{{cite news|title=India's dismal record in riot convictions|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indias-dismal-record-in-riot-convictions/pmredirectshow/1107533.cms?curpg=3|work=The Times of India}}</ref><br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
{{Riots in India}}<br />
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[[Category:Religiously motivated violence in India|Meerut]]<br />
[[Category:History of Meerut]]<br />
[[Category:1987 murders in India]]<br />
[[Category:Massacres in India]]<br />
[[Category:1987 riots]]<br />
[[Category:Massacres in 1987]]<br />
[[Category:Anti-Muslim violence in India]]</div>Ajay Kumar