1964 Bengal Riots: East Pakistan Refugees, Hazratbal Rumor Ignited Communal Fury

• January 1964 saw Kolkata gripped by fear as refugees from East Pakistan arrived with harrowing tales of religious violence.
• The theft of Prophet Muhammad's hair from Srinagar's Hazratbal shrine in December 1963 was rumored to be a religious insult, leading to attacks on Hindus in East Pakistan.
• This triggered retaliatory communal violence in Kolkata and rural 24 Parganas from January 11, with mobs targeting Muslim localities, vandalizing shops, and setting homes ablaze.
• The administration deployed the army and imposed curfews; official figures reported 264 deaths, though independent reports suggest a higher toll.
• The riots displaced approximately 70,000 Muslims, strained India-Pakistan relations, and severely challenged India's secular identity during Nehru's final political phase.