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shotandkilledbySikhmembersofherpersonalguard.Intheriotingthatfollowed,atleast1,000
Sikhswerekilledbymobs.RajivGandhiwassworninasprimeministerhoursafterhismothers
death.

HefacedanewcrisisonDecember3,whenaleakofmethylisocyanategasfromaUnionCarbide
pesticideplantinBhopal,centralIndia,resultedinthedeathsofatleast3,300peopleandinthe
illnessofmorethan20,000others.WithhisleadershipreaffirmedintheDecember1984

parliamentaryelections,GandhirespondedtounrestamongtheSikhsbyagreeingtoexpandthe
boundariesofPunjab.

Earlyin1987IndiantroopsweresenttoSriLankatohelpsuppressarebellionbyTamilguerrillas.A
peaceagreementwassignedinJuly,butviolentclashescontinued.AlsoinJuly,theelectionof

RamaswamiVenkataramanaspresidentseemedtoconsolidateGandhisposition.Allegationsof

corruptionandmismanagementweakenedtheCongress(I),however,asdidGandhisinabilitytodeal
effectivelywithdemandsforautonomyinPunjabandKashmir.IntheNovember1989elections,

Congress(I)lostitsparliamentarymajority,andVishwanathPratapSingh,leaderoftheJanataDal
Party,becameprimeminister.In1990,asplitwithinSinghsownpartyledtothecollapseofhis

minoritygovernment;hewassucceededbyhischiefrival,ChandraShekhar,whosegovernment

steppeddowninMarch1991,pavingthewayfornewelections.Duringtheelectioncampaign,Rajiv
GandhiwaskilledbyaTamilsuicidebomber.OutragedvotersgaveCongress(I)aparliamentary

majority,andP.V.NarasimhaRao,formerforeignministerandaGandhisupporter,becameprime
minister.

RaoGovernment

InJanuary1993Raosauthoritywasunderminedbynationwideriotsthatfollowedthedestructionof

the16th-centuryBabriMasjidmosqueinAyodhyabyHindumilitantsinDecember1992.Theyclaimed
thesiteoriginallybelongedtoaHindutemplededicatedtothegodRama,whoaccordingtotradition,
isbelievedtohavebeenborninthecity.NeithertheUnionnorthestategovernmentmovedto

preventthedestruction.Nearly2,000people,mainlyMuslims,throughoutIndiadiedintheensuing
sixweeksofsectarianviolence.Fearingmoreriots,RaopreventedHindunationalists,whowere

demandinghisresignationandthatofhisgovernment,fromholdingamassrallyinthecapital.All

fourBJPstategovernmentsweredismissedbypresidentsrule.InMarch,aseriesofunrelatedbombs
explodedinMumbaiandKolkata.ThewaveofexplosionsinMumbaikilledmorethan300peoplein

thecitysfinancialdistrict.TheKolkataexplosionswerelinkedtoagroupofcriminalswhomishandled
explosiveswhenattemptingtoassemblebombsinanapartmentbuilding.

Duringtheearly1990stensionsbetweenIndiaandPakistanoverKashmirincreased(seeJammuand
Kashmir).Since1989JammuandKashmirStateinIndiahasbeenthesiteofsporadicfighting

betweentheIndianarmyandmilitantMuslimseparatists,whoeitherwanttoformanindependent
state,orunitewithMuslimPakistan.PakistaniprimeministerBenazirBhuttoopenlysupportedthe
MuslimrebelsinIndianKashmir.InJanuary1994,IndiaandPakistanheldtalksconcerningthe

disputedregion,butnorealprogresswasmade.SincePakistanwaspursuinganuclearweapons

developmentprogramme,manycountriesfearedthatthedisputeoverKashmircouldescalateintoa
nuclearconflict.

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