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Malegaon: a disturbed, divided town
Published on Fri, Sep 08, 2006 at 22:01, Updated on Sat, Sep 09, 2006 at 07:29 in 
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Malegaon (Maharashtra): A decaying powerloom industry has served as an ideal breeding ground for the communal tension in Malegaon.
Within 20 years Malegaon has changed from a properous industrial township to a poverty-ridden one.
About 75 per cent of the Malegaon's eight lakh inhabitants are Muslims. Many of the residents were dependent on the town's powerloom industry, with over 80,000 powerlooms operating here at one time.
Till about a decade ago, Malagon contributed significantly to Maharashtra's cotton production, but today the industry is in decay and the ensuing poverty proved fertile ground for communal polarisation.
The significant shift started in the 1980s with the rise of Hindutva forces in Maharashtra politics. Malegaon saw largescale rioting in 1984. The next decade saw further polarisation. Political parties moved in to reap the benefits of this communal divide.
Some parties made most of the insecurites of the Muslim communtiy, while others tried to instigate Hindus.
Even the police have often been accused of victimising the minority community. All this percipitated into large scale violence in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition in 1993.
Communal polarisation has persisted. Even minor incidents have since been lent a communal colour.
The result - another riot in October 2001. The riot lasted for five days and left 15 people dead.
It was one of the biggest riots in Maharashtra in recent years. Volatile peace has prevailed in the town since then.
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