November 1, 2001	Thursday	Shaba’an 14, 1422

MUMBAI, Oct 31: Police reported more unrest on Wednesday in areas surrounding a western Indian town where 12 Muslims were killed last week in the most violent protests so far against the US-led bombing of Afghanistan.

Authorities lifted a five-day-old curfew on riot-scarred Malegoan, a textile town of 500,000, and neighbouring villages for a few hours to allow people to stock up on food.

“We’ve had no water or food since the trouble started,” said Imtiaz Khalil, a Malegoan resident.

But the curfew was reimposed as police and soldiers patrolled the area because of fears the anti-US tensions could spark violence between Hindus and Muslims in Maharashtra state which has a deadly history of communal clashes.

Police reported arson and stone-throwing in more than two dozen villages surrounding Malegoan, while the town was tense but quiet.

The curfew was clamped on Malegoan, 250km from Mumbai, last Friday after police opened fire on an angry Muslim crowd protesting against a refusal by authorities to allow distribution of pamphlets urging the boycott of US and British goods.

Muslims have demonstrated against the bombing campaign in several Indian cities but the violence in Malegoan was the first in which any protesters had died.

Some 350 people have been rounded up for questioning over arson and looting since last Friday.

The state government plans to set up an inquiry committee to probe the cause of the violence once calm returns.

The junior home minister said police fired into the air on Tuesday to disperse a mob which tried to torch a collection of huts in a village bordering Malegoan.—Reuters