Bangalore disturbances

Bangalore Disturbances, locally known as Ganapati Galabhe and Hindu-Muslim Gharshane are a series of Hindu-Muslim clashes which took place in the city of Bangalore in June-July 1928.

Causes

In June 1928, prompted by an editorial in a newspaper Veerakesari run by Sitarama Sastri, a right-wing Hindu leader, the Hindu residents of Sultanpet, a neighbourhood of Bangalore, constructed a small shrine over a Ganesha idol in the premises of the Hindu Anglo-Vernacular School. This led to protests from Muslims of the area as they had to walk past the Ganesha shrine and its worshippers on their way to a local mosque for prayers. The protests were led by municipal president and Muslim community leader, Abbas Khan who lived opposite to the school.

Events

Right-wing Indian National Congress leaders Ramlal Tiwari, Jamkandi Bhima Rao and H. V. Subramanyam entered the fray supporting the Hindu cause. On 27 June 1928, rumors were spread that Abbas Khan and the Muslim mobs received the tacit support of Sir Mirza Ismail, the then Diwan of the Mysore kingdom. The temple dispute soon evolved into a general protest by upper-caste Hindus over Muslim dominance in the administration and bureaucracy. They raised the slogan Melaturukkaru, Kelageturukkaru (Muslims above, Muslims below) referring to the monopolization by Muslims of the upper as well as lower levels of the state bureaucracy.

Tiwari, Subrahmanyam and Bhima Rao were arrested on 27 July 1928. A procession of students made their way to Central Jail, Bangalore where the arrested leaders were kept and were lathi-charged by the state police. Meanwhile, worship at the Ganapati shrine was renewed by over 5,000 Hindus prompting Muslims to attack them with shouts of "Deen, Deen". 123 Hindus and 11 Muslims were injured before the government brought the situation under control. The instigators were punished and the editor of Veerakesari was severely reprimanded.

References

• Nair, Janaki (2005). The promise of the metropolis: Bangalore's twentieth century. Oxford University Press. pp. 70–73. ISBN 0195667255, ISBN 9780195667257.