UPDATE 1-Curfew imposed in India's Punjab after riots

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Source: Reuters

CHANDIGARH, India, May 26 (Reuters) - Troops patrolled towns and highways in India's northern state of Punjab to enforce a curfew on Tuesday after three people were killed in riots sparked by the killing of a Sikh preacher in Austria.

More than 18,000 bus and railway passengers had been stranded in the neighbouring state of Jammu and Kashmir after the violence brought some services to a standstill, but the routes started to resume traffic late on Tuesday afternoon.

Thousands of dalits, or "untouchables", torched trains, cars and shops on Monday to protest against the killing of a leader of a religious sect in an attack on a temple in Vienna, prompting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to appeal for calm.

The preacher who died was from the Dera Sach Khand, which has a large dalit following in India of lower caste Sikhs and Hindus.

Read more: http://in.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idINSP50087420090526

[InfiniteThoughts]

1. the mob rules ...

the sad fact about India is that whipping up mob frenzy is a pastime for small time political leaders ...

at least happy that the traditional whipping boys - "upper caste" hindus / brahmins didn't have to do anything with it. The entire country has lost a chance of heaping some more abuse on these folks. The latest i heard is that the economic damage to the state will exceed $1.5 bn (due to postponment of investment in the state): http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Recent-violence-has-cost-Punjab-Rs-7000-crore/articleshow/4581070.cms