A barbaric attack.
India: Hindu rioters burn six Muslim to death ,10/12/2008 11:57:24 PM
**India: Hindu rioters burn six Muslim to death **
HYDERABAD, India: Rioters in southern India killed six members of a Muslim family by setting fire to their home after earlier clashes between Hindus and Muslims left four others dead and 15 injured in the same village, officials said Sunday.
Tensions have been high in Vatoli village since Friday when violence and looting erupted between the two sides, leading to four deaths, said Andhra Pradesh state Home Minister K. Jana Reddy.
Authorities imposed a curfew Friday, but were unable to stop the deadly arson attack, which apparently occurred before dawn Sunday, Reddy said.
“It is a beastly and barbaric act,” Reddy told reporters Sunday. “Police are investigating the case and we will catch the culprits.”
Three children, including a 2-year-old, were among the six burned to death, he said.
Vatoli is in Adilabad district, 170 miles (275 kilometers) north of the state capital of Hyderabad.
Muslim leaders called for better protection for minorities, especially in rural areas.
“Despite our repeated pleas and appeals, the government has failed to provide protection to the Muslims who live in remote areas and who have a very small population in those places,” said Asaduddin Owaisi, a member of the lower house of the national Parliament.
India’s Muslims, who account for about 14 percent of the country’s population of 1.1 billion, lag far behind the Hindu majority in most social indicators, from literacy to household incomes.