March 2, 1974 lim community was compelled to de- link its ties or common social bonds with the Hindus. This observation acquires added importance in view of the fact that in the case of at least one- village that I visited, where Hindu- Muslim ties were strong, the village tided over the storm in spite of similar kinds of terrorism by the Razakars and the army. Also there were many instances of Hindus in predominantly Muslim villages remaining undisturbed. This gives rise to certain basic ques tions like: (a) Is such a delinking of ties between the two communities a result only of the state's coercive power, and so is the case mentioned above exceptional? (b) Do these happenings also provide a basis for studying the nature of social integration between the two communities?
