India saw 84 per cent more communal riots in 2024: CSSS report

India experienced 59 communal riots in 2024, a notable increase from 32 riots in 2023, representing a massive 84 per cent rise, according to a report by the Centre for the Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS). These incidents resulted in 13 fatalities — 10 Muslims and 3 Hindus. The western region of India, particularly Maharashtra, emerged as the epicentre of these conflicts, accounting for 12 of the 59 riots.

Most communal riots were triggered during religious festivals or processions. Significant incidents included four riots during the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya in January 2024, seven during Saraswati Puja idol immersions, four during Ganesh festivals, and two during Bakri Eid. This data highlights the exploitation of religious celebrations to incite communal tensions and political mobilisation.

In addition to the communal riots reported, 13 incidents of mob lynching were documented in 2024, resulting in 11 deaths — one Hindu, one Christian, and nine Muslims. Though this marks a decrease from the 21 incidents recorded in 2023, the ongoing occurrence of such attacks remains a serious concern. This report provides a comprehensive analysis of both communal riots and mob lynching in 2024, reflecting the tangible manifestation of communal violence in the country.

The CSSS monitors such incidents based on reports from prominent newspapers, including the Mumbai editions of the Times of India, The Hindu, Indian Express, Sahafat (Urdu), and Inquilab (Urdu). According to CSSS data, the number of communal riots reported in these five newspapers rose by 84 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023.

While 32 communal riots were reported in 2023, this figure increased to 59 in 2024, with Maharashtra (12), Uttar Pradesh (7), and Bihar (7) leading the count. These riots resulted in 13 fatalities — 3 Hindus and 10 Muslims. This rise contradicts the narrative propagated by the State that India is free from communal riots and that communal tensions do not exist except in pockets.

The surge in communal riots in 2024 can be partly attributed to the general elections held from April-June 2024, as well as significant assembly elections in states such as Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jharkhand. Hate speeches with communal undertones were employed to polarise communities along religious lines. Furthermore, the increase in communal riots can be linked to an environment of impunity fostered by the State, a point that will be elaborated upon further in the report.

Maharashtra accounted for nearly 20 per cent of the total communal riots in 2024, according to the reports from the five newspapers. Politically significant, Maharashtra became a battleground for the NDA and the INDIA alliance, leading to heightened communal tensions amidst fierce factionalism. Over the past five years, the state has faced significant strain on its social fabric.

Notably, until a decade ago, communal riots primarily occurred in urban areas; however, in recent years, including 2024, they have spread to rural and semi-urban regions — villages and towns alike.

The regional distribution of riots reveals the motivations behind communal violence in India. The traditionally volatile 'cow belt', comprising Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Bihar, continues to witness a high number of communal riots alongside Maharashtra.

Historically, southern states have reported significantly fewer riots, a trend also observed in West Bengal. However, since 2022, there has been a spike in communal riots in west-central India — Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. In 2024, the western zone, which includes Maharashtra (12), Gujarat (5), Madhya Pradesh (5), and Rajasthan (3), accounted for 25 communal riots, constituting nearly 42 per cent of the total.

The northern region, encompassing Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana, reported 13 communal riots — 22 per cent of the total. The eastern region, including Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha, also witnessed 13 riots, making up another 22 per cent.

The southern zone, including Karnataka and Telangana, recorded seven communal riots, constituting 12 per cent. Though the northeastern region reported only one riot in Tripura, it is important to note that the ongoing conflict in Manipur, which is largely ethnic with communal overtones, remains unresolved.

Of the 59 communal riots in 2024, 49 occurred in states governed by the BJP, either independently or in coalition with other parties, such as the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) in Maharashtra, and the Janata Dal (United) in Bihar. Seven riots occurred in states ruled by the Congress, while three took place in West Bengal under the Trinamool Congress.

This data highlights that BJP-led states have taken minimal action to deter communal violence and religious polarisation. In these states, authorities have employed bulldozers as a form of "collective punishment" against Muslims, contrasting with non-BJP states, which have largely refrained from such actions, thereby mitigating communal riots to some extent.

Nature of the state and changes in trends

While communal riots in 2024 exhibited familiar patterns observed in previous years — predominantly low-scale and under the radar, typically lasting only a few hours, with fewer casualties and often confined to smaller areas — they have contributed to the polarisation and deepening communal consciousness. Reported fatalities remained relatively low, but a notable characteristic of the 2024 riots was the decreased level of planning compared to previous years.

In earlier years, planning involved identifying properties of individuals from 'other' communities, employing specific triggers to instigate riots, and arranging combustibles like gas cylinders, stockpiling weapons, and mobilising mobs to maximise damage to targeted communities. This characterisation aligns with the institutionalised riot system (IRS) evident in major riots of the past.

Recently, however, this level of planning has diminished, as a pervasive communal consciousness makes tensions easier to ignite. Even the most mundane disputes between individuals from different religious groups can quickly escalate into communal riots. Organising aggressive rallies and derogatory sloganeering in public spaces during religious festivals has become a common trigger.

Historically, communal riots often involved clashes between two religious communities, with both sides inflicting and suffering losses, including acts of arson, assault, and even heinous crimes such as rape. However, the nature of larger riots has shifted in recent years. Rather than clashes between two communities, many significant riots now disproportionately involve State actions targeting the Muslim community.

These actions include using bulldozers to demolish properties owned by Muslims, resulting in considerable economic damage. Moreover, State authorities have filed cases against members of the Muslim community, even in instances where they are victims of violence during communal riots.

Such disproportionate and seemingly one-sided State actions have led to social discord, heightened communal consciousness, and polarisation. This atmosphere of communal tension has been steadily escalating over recent years. For instance, the Pew Research Center categorised India in 2022 as "very high" on its Social Hostilities Index (SHI), with a score of 9.3. The SHI considers levels of religion-related harassment, mob violence, terrorism, militant activity, and conflicts over religious conversions or the use of religious symbols and attire.

Similarly, Pew rated India at 6.4 out of 10 on its Government Restriction Index (GRI), which measures laws, policies, and actions that regulate or limit religious beliefs and practices. These include policies banning particular beliefs or practices, the unequal granting of benefits to specific religious groups, and bureaucratic rules requiring religious groups to register to access benefits (The Hindu, 2025).

Moreover, India’s SHI score of 9.4 out of a possible 10 in 2020 was worse than that of neighbouring Pakistan and Afghanistan, highlighting a troubling trend of rising communal hostility.

Area hegemony/assertion of Hindu Rashtra

The communal riots of 2024 are marked by a bold assertion of Hindu right-wing power in public spaces, exemplified by deliberate processions passing through Muslim-majority neighbourhoods, with loud music and provocative slogans.

This trend continues developments from recent years, with numerous right-wing Hindu groups emerging at the grassroots level. In their efforts to gain popularity and influence, they often organise processions or protests in front of mosques and other Muslim places of worship, as well as in Muslim neighbourhoods, aiming to provoke or humiliate the community.

The objective extends beyond establishing dominance in Muslim-inhabited areas to asserting presence in public spaces predominantly occupied by Hindus. Such rallies significantly bolster the clout of Hindu organisations and their members in both Muslim and Hindu neighbourhoods.

Historically, India has enjoyed a rich cultural heritage, where Hindus and Muslims celebrated each other’s festivals and respected one another’s religious spaces. There was a mutual understanding regarding procession routes, helping to avoid potential misunderstandings or clashes. Local consultations were held to determine routes.

For instance, it was common for Hindus to participate in Urs processions, while Muslims would set up stalls to welcome Ram Navami processions and offer refreshments to devotees. These events were expressions of faith rather than political statements.

However, in the current political climate, these processions have shifted from being expressions of faith to displays of political hegemony, increasingly.