| 1986 Kashmir Riots/1986 Anantnag Riots | |
| Partof: | the Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir |
| Date: | February 1986 – March 1986[1] |
| Location: | Anantnag, Kashmir, J&K, India |
| Coordinates: | 34.0333°N 74.6667°W |
| Target: | Kashmiri Hindus |
| Type: | Arson, riots, vandalism, looting[2] |
| Perps: | Islamist militants, Islamist sympathisers |
| Fatalities: | 2,000 |
The 1986 Kashmir Riots, also commonly referred to as the 1986 Anantnag Riots, were a series of attacks targeting Kashmiri Hindus in the Kashmir Valley of the erstwhile Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in Anantnag district.
The JK Land Estates Abolition Act of 1950 allowed the govt to unilaterally confiscate private land owned by landlords, which adversely affected thousands of Kashmiri Hindus overnight. This also led to some Kashmiri Hindus leaving the state.[3]
In 1982, Sheikh Abdullah died, with his son Farooq Abdullah taking over soon after. Despite winning the 1983 election, Farooq was replaced by Ghulam Mohammad Shah, also known as Gul Shah. In Anantnag Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who later founded the PDP, was the elected representative at the time.[4]
In early 1986, Gul Shah announced the construction of a masjid inside the location of an ancient Hindu Temple in the Jammu Civil Secretariat. This move sparked widespread criticism and protests in Jammu. In February, Gul Shah then went to Kashmir and provocatively said, "Islam khatre mein hain" (Translation: "Islam is in danger"). Subsequently, Muslim rioters attacked Hindu-owned businesses and places of worship.[3] The resulting death toll was 2000 people, consisting primarily of Hindus.[5]
After the Indian government allowed the Babri Masjid (the location of the present Ram Mandir, the temple believed to be the birthplace of the deity Rama) to be opened for Hindu worship, protests erupted. 8 cities in Jammu and Kashmir had curfews in place.[6] Hindu temples were burned down and destroyed in towns including Vanpoh, Anantnag, Sopore, Luk Bawan, Salar (Pahalgam Tehsil), Fatehpur, and Akura.[7]
Anantnag, which saw much of the violence, had multiple attacks on Hindu temples. Many Kashmiri Hindu-owned shops, homes and properties were attacked and targeted. These developments led to a large number of Kashmiri Hindus shifting to places including Udhampur and Jammu.