The year 2000 witnessed several communal riots in diverse parts of India. These remained localised and did not result in the largescale devastation that had marked the riots of 1992-93. However, their occurrence should serve as a continual reminder that very often, innocuous incidents like a property dispute can easily take on communal colour; communal divides too can be easily stirred up by vested interests. More unfortunate has been the response of the civil authorities - who have either been accused of sheltering miscreants or else their response has been seen as belated and reactive.
