#DelhiRiots | I researched Hindu-Muslim riots for ten years in the 1990s, which led to my book “Ethnic Conflict and Civic Life” (Yale & Oxford 2002)| On the whole, Delhi riots of this week are now beginning to look like a pogrom, a la Gujarat 2002 and Delhi 1984 | (1/n)
#DelhiRiots| Pogroms constitute a special class of riots when state police, instead of acting neutrally to crush riots, (a) looks on while mobs go on a rampage, or (b) explicitly aids violent mobs | Enough evidence of (a) from Delhi this week, and some of (b) as well | (2/n)
#DelhiRiots | Of course, the violence thus far has not reached the scale of Gujarat 2002 or Delhi 1984 | Every effort must be made to prevent a scale enhancement | That is possible through political action by opposition parties, civic action by non-state actors, courts | (3/n)
#DelhiRiots | Also, worldwide condemnation of the mob savagery, some state-abetted, is necessary, in the hope that the state will finally do its duty | But the way this state is behaving it is not clear it will be shamed into acting | It is unambiguously anti-Muslim | (5/n)
#DelhiRiots |In a riot, it is useless to ask who lit the fire first |Whoever did it, it is not the job of the state to allow, let alone facilitate, mob retaliation | A just and ethical state catches the original culprit, seeks his punishment, but prevents mass retaliation | (6/n)
#DelhiRiots | Our energies should now focus on preventing further escalation, not letting the violence reach the scale of Delhi 1984 & Gujarat 2002| All avenues — courts, civil society, press, foreign pressure — must be pursued | And relief to victims must be provided| (n/n)
