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CNN Live At Daybreak

More Muslim-Hindu Violence in India

Aired March 04, 2002 - 05:22   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, despite a police crackdown in India's western Gujarat state, there's been new violence between Muslims and Hindus.

CNN's Satinder Bindra joins us now on the phone from Ahmedabad, India -- Satinder.

SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, good morning.

Police say two people have been killed in ongoing clashes this morning. Last night six people were killed in ongoing Hindu-Muslim violence.

Now, officials here are telling me in five days of rioting, the death count has gone up to 400. But they're claiming that the situation across the western Indian state of Gujarat is now under control.

Kyra, as you said, I'm here in Ahmedabad, where the curfew has been either relaxed of lifted. But schools remain closed and police concede that they cannot reestablish trust and confidence so quickly. Large numbers of the Muslim community here continue to remain indoors. They're too scared to come out.

Right now, Kyra, I'm speaking to you from the heart of the business community, where I can see a demolished mall. Several stores here have been completely gutted and business owners are gathering together here today. They're taking stock of the situation. They're calling in their insurance agents to check and assess the damage.

When one store here was set on fire, several others were engulfed in flames. It's estimated, Kyra, that here in Ahmedabad, the loss to the business and trading community now tops $50 million.

This western Indian state of Gujarat gets a fair deal of overseas investment every year. But I was talking to some members of the local chamber of commerce, Kyra, this morning and they now concede perhaps it will become more difficult for Gujarat to attract that overseas dollar -- back to you.

PHILLIPS: Wow. And yesterday, Satinder, when we talked, the big concern was women and children and how many people were, I mean to be very blunt, being burned to death. And it was quite chilling. Has that improved at all and has the security been stepped up in that regard, to protect women and children?

BINDRA: Yes, Kyra. Of big concern here, a lot of disillusionment, a lot of anger with the government. People are being very harshly critical of the police forces. They have been saying that the police failed to arrive on time. Yesterday when you and me talked I told you a story about 29 people being burned to death. Nineteen of those were women and children.

So that anger remains. But clearly the authorities are now stepping up patrols. I've seen Indian paramilitary forces patrolling even out in the countryside. So officials are claiming today that the situation is better. They're saying more bodies have been found, but they're saying that's because of violence over the past two or three days. They're saying since yesterday the situation has eased somewhat and they're saying that they've got a better control in the law and order situation right across the state of Gujarat -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, our Satinder Bindra from Ahmedabad, India. Thank you so much.

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