On 23 May 1987, the Provincial Armed Constabulary killed 72 Muslims in Maliana, a small town on the outer edge of Meerut, in Uttar Pradesh. The dead included women, children and the elderly. Tensions had been high in the area due to riots in Meerut that followed protests against the unlocking of the Babri Masjid for Hindu worship. Survivors described the violence as the targeted killing of Muslims by state forces. A day before the Maliana massacre, the PAC killed at least 42 Muslims in the neighboring town of Hashimpura. In 2018, 16 PAC men were convicted for the Hashimpura massacre. In the case of Maliana, however, 35 years on, justice is yet to be served. The Caravan spoke to a few of the survivors, some of whom still live in Maliana, and others who have left.
Read a full report by Prabhjit Singh, a contributing writer for The Caravan, on why the absence of justice for the Maliana massacre is a blot on our democracy here.