Violence erupts at a rally in Mumbai, thousands leave Bangalore in fear of the same
Two people have been reported dead and over 50 have been injured in violence in the Indian city of Mumbai. On Friday, a mob broke off of a peaceful rally and torched both state and privately-owned vehicles.
The police tear-gassed the crowd, but were unable to contain it. They eventually used their guns. The Times of India says that part of the reason the police were initially unsuccessful in quelling the violence could be that the rally was registered for 1,500 people, but 50,000 showed up.
The rally was held to bring attention to the violence experienced by Muslims in India. The latest incident of this violence happened on Thursday, when a bus carrying Muslims was torched in Assam and nine were injured. Violence between indigenous tribes and the Assamese has sparked a rumor mill of possible attacks against Assamese elsewhere in India.
On Wednesday, at least 4,000 people fled Bangalore, which is in the southern state of Karnataka, to return home to the north-east. A total of 6,800 have left Bangalore already.
India Today reports that Karnataka Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen said “Everybody in the state from other parts of the country is living in fear”.
Although BBC news reports that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has promised police protection and asked residents to stay calm, the railroad system is struggling to keep up with the demand of people traveling away from Bangalore.
