First ever communal riots in Lucknow and Goa: Hindu-Muslim tensions reach new shores

Lucknow had  sectarian clashes not riots

Two firsts and both of them are really unfortunate. Lucknow opened its account as far as Hindu-Muslim riots is concerned, as it never had a history of such clash and so did Goa.

In Lucknow the rivlarly was between Shias and Sunnis, so the news of Hindu-Muslim clash that was sparked off during the Bush's visit to India ws received with shock.

Lucknow was the City where Hindus and Muslims for centuries shared the same culture and were proud of this ganga-jumni tehzib. 

It is an unfortunate incident and could have been avoided. But politics, an ineffective government, failure of local administration and the delayed response of police.

The law-enforcers claim they were busy due to the visit of President APJ Abdul Kalam to Lucknow on the same day and hence situation got out of hands.

As far as Goa is concerned, the Hindu-Christian tension has existed but now the Hindu-Muslim riot came as a surprise. A mosque was demolished in Sanvoderm [South Goa district]. The administration felt it was an encroachment.

But some residents, rather than district administration, demolished the mosque which naturally led to tension. The tension spread to neighbouring Curchorem. Shops and vehicles were burnt in the subsequent violence. So the communal bug has bit Goa also.

[The photograph is representative. It shows police deployed in Old Lucknow, near the Imambadas, after a Shia-Sunni clash.]