RIOTERS AND POLICE CLASH; CARS AND ARMY VEHICLE BLAZING; RIOTERS BEING ARRESTED AND POLICE SHOOTING.




Initials TS/VS/CR/SC



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE POLICE WERE ORDERED TO SHOOT TO KILL IN CALCUTTA YESTERDAY AFTER FOUR PEOPLE HAD DIED IN HINDU-MUSLIM RIOTS WHICH BROKE OUT OVER AN ARTICLE BY THE POLITICAL HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR, PROFESSOR ARNOLD TOYNBEE, COMPARING THE PROPHET MUHAMMED WITH MAHATMA GHANDI. THE ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED LAST SUNDAY, AND IN THE RIOTS WHICH FOLLOWED 67 PEOPLE, INCLUDING 22 POLICEMEN, HAVE BEEN INJURED AND MORE THAN 100 ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE.

THE ASSEMBLY OF FIVE OR MORE PEOPLE HAS NOW BEEN BANNED, AND POLICE HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO SHOOT DEAD ANYONE ATTEMPTING LOOTING, ARSON OR MURDER.

ANGRY DEMONSTRATIONS WERE FOLLOWED BY WIDESPREAD RIOTING IN WHICH MANY SHOPS WERE LOOTED AND BURNED AND A NUMBER OF CARS SET ON FIRE.

THE ARTICLE WHICH SPARKED OFF THE RIOTING WAS PUBLISHED IN THE GHANDI CENTENARY SUPPLEMENT OF "THE STATESMAN" AND SAID THAT MUHAMMED WAS SUCCESSFULLY POLITICAL AND SUFFERED SPIRITUALLY FROM HIS POLITICAL SUCCESS. IT WENT ON TO COMPARE THIS ASPECT OF THE PROPHET'S CAREER WITH GHANDI'S.

PROFESSOR TOYNBEE HAS BEEN QUOTED IN LONDON AS SAYING THAT HE WAS SAD IF HIS ARTICLE HAD CAUSED VIOLENCE, BUT HE COULD NOT CHANGE HIS VIEWS, WHICH WERE BASED ON "DOCUMENTAL HISTORICAL FACT."