• Home
  • About us
  • Contact Us
  • Date/Time
  • Login
  • Subscribe

logo

  • Home
  • Politics
  • Economics & Finance
  • World
  • Arts & Books
  • Life
  • Science
  • Philosophy
  • Subscribe
  • Events
Home
  • Home
  • Blogs
  • Politics
  • Economics & Finance
  • World
  • Arts & Books
  • Life
  • Science
  • Philosophy
  • Subscribe
  • Events
  • Home
  • Magazine

India’s resistible violence

Hindu-Muslim violence is surprisingly small scale and geographically concentrated

by Edward Luce / May 20, 2002 / Leave a comment
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Email

Published in May 2002 issue of Prospect Magazine

Ethnic conflict and civic life

Ashutosh Varshney

Yale University Press, ?35 

A curious thing happened in India earlier this year. While the city of Ahmedabad and other places in the state of Gujarat were undergoing a gruesome orgy of “communal” violence, the rest of India was not.

It might sound callous to attach significance to the fact that the killings did not spread on any scale to other parts of India. After all, more than 700 Indian Muslims were slaughtered in the course of five days by Hindu gangs, following the massacre by a suspected Islamist group of 59 mostly Hindu train passengers.

Many of those killed in the attacks were children, methodically incinerated after being doused in kerosene. Crowds gathered to cheer on a series of such burnings, sometimes with the police acting as cheerleaders-hardly, perhaps, a moment to talk about sectarian restraint in India. And yet, this is one of the themes of Ashutosh Varshney’s original new book-Ethnic Conflict and Civic Life: Hindus and Muslims in India. Its findings challenge the standard international commentary on the Gujarat massacres: India (or it might be Bosnia or some other ethnic flashpoint) is a land of dark hatreds that spill over into medieval-style slaughter, so there is no need for context. Communal killing is just what happens.

YOU'VE HIT THE LIMIT

You have now reached your limit of 3 free articles in the last 30 days.
But don't worry! You can get another 7 articles absolutely free, simply by entering your email address in the box below.

When you register we'll also send you a free e-book—Writing with punch—which includes some of the finest writing from our archive of 22 years. And we'll also send you a weekly newsletter with the best new ideas in politics and philosophy of culture, which you can of course unsubscribe from at any time

Prospect takes your privacy seriously. We promise never to rent or sell your e-mail address to any third party.
You can unsubscribe from the Prospect e-mail newsletter at any time.

DEBUG messsage: regular

Related articles

As Brexit looms, it's time for Britain to think of India differently
Manoj Ladwa / November 8, 2017
There is an urgent need for the UK to recognise the shift in the balance of power towards...
Share with friends
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Email

Comments

No comments yet

Prospect's free newsletter

The big ideas that are shaping our world—straight to your inbox. PLUS a free e-book and 7 articles of your choosing on the Prospect website.

Prospect takes your privacy seriously. We promise never to rent or sell your e-mail address to any third party.

This Month's Magazine

Perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus.

Time to rip up the economics textbook and start again? Howard Reed says the discipline needs rebuilding from first principles. Also: Sonia Purnell on Jacob Rees-Mogg's chance of cracking No 10; Will Self on his first acid trip

Subscribe

Most Popular

  • Read
  • Commented

Rip it up and start again: the case for a new economics

Back to school: top economists on what their subject needs to learn next

In defence of the economists

Leonard Bernstein invented how we do modern classical music

In defence of the economists

5 Comments

Brexit will no longer be a significant event

3 Comments

Why I won’t be leaving Labour over anti-semitism

3 Comments

Rip it up and start again: the case for a new economics

3 Comments

Britain has the legal power to withdraw Article 50—it should use it

2 Comments

About this author

Edward Luce
Edward Luce is a journalist on the Financial Times, formerly in the Philippines.
More by this author

More by Edward Luce

On the playing fields of India
January 20, 2003
Age of uncertainty
July 20, 1998
Fidel Ramos
February 20, 1997

Next Prospect events

  • Details

    Prospect Book Club—Jesse Norman

    London, 2018-07-16

  • Details

    Prospect Book Club—Henry Marsh

    London, 2018-06-18

  • Details

    HowTheLightGetsIn 2018

    Hay-on-Wye, 2018-05-25

See more events

Sponsored features

  • Supporting UK businesses trading overseas

  • The Commonwealth has put vision for everyone on the world’s agenda— now we must act

  • Brexit and the future of industry

  • Seeing Clearly

  • Meet the brains behind Exo

PrimeTime

Prospect was originally founded by Editor David Goodhart and Publisher Derek Coombs, as a home for intelligent debate. The magazine is owned and supported by the Resolution Group, as part of its not-for-profit, public interest activities. The aim is to tackle the big challenges confronting society, through rigorous thinking and fine writing.

Follow us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • RSS

Editorial

Editor: Tom Clark
Deputy Editor: Steve Bloomfield
Executive Editor: Jay Elwes
Managing Editor (Arts & Books): Sameer Rahim
Head of Digital: Stephanie Boland
Deputy Digital Editor (Political Correspondent): Alex Dean
Design: Mike Turner
Production Editor: Chris Tilbury
US Writer-at-Large: Sam Tanenhaus

Commercial

Commercial Director: Alex Stevenson
Finance Manager: Pauline Joy
Head of Marketing: Paul Mortimer
Marketing and Circulations Executive: James Hawkins
Head of Research and Engagement: Saskia Perriard-Abdoh
Events Coordinator: Oliver Ward
Head of Advertising Sales: Adam Kinlan 020 3372 2934
Senior Account Manager: Sophie Ryan 020 3372 2927
Senior Account Manager: Dominic Slonecki 0203 372 2972
Account Manager: Scott Smith 020 3372 2931

  • Home
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Acceptable Use Policy
© Prospect Publishing Limited
×
Login
Login with your subscriber account:
You need a valid subscription to login.
I am
Remember Me


Forgotten password?

Or enter with social networking:
Login to post comments using social media accounts.
  • With Twitter
  • Connect
  • With Google +
×
Register Now

Register today and access any 7 articles on the Prospect’s website for FREE in the next 30 days..
PLUS find out about the big ideas that will shape our world—with Prospect’s FREE newsletter sent to your inbox. We'll even send you our e-book—Writing with punch—with some of the finest writing from the Prospect archive, at no extra cost!

Not Now, Thanks

Prospect takes your privacy seriously. We promise never to rent or sell your e-mail address to any third party.
You can unsubscribe from the Prospect e-mail newsletter at any time.

×
You’ve got full access!

It looks like you are a Prospect subscriber.

Prospect subscribers have full access to all the great content on our website, including our entire archive.

If you do not know your login details, simply close this pop-up and click 'Login' on the black bar at the top of the screen, then click 'Forgotten password?', enter your email address and press 'Submit'. Your password will then be emailed to you.

Thank you for your support of Prospect and we hope that you enjoy everything the site has to offer.

This site uses cookies to improve the user experience. By using this site, you agree that we can set and use these cookies. For more details on the cookies we use and how to manage them, see our Privacy and Cookie Policy.