Gurugram in India is tense following Hindu-Muslim riots



In a neighbourhood roughly 10 kilometres (six miles) from the nearest conflict, Gurugram is home to scores of international corporations, including Google, Deloitte, IBM, Genpact, Wipro, Accenture, Infosys, Ranbaxy, Hyundai, and American Express. It was unclear whether they were open or whether employees had arrived.

While most schools in the area were allowed to return on Wednesday, other institutions chose to delay physical lessons and shift them online due to safety concerns.

However, police authorities stated that the situation was "normal" and that all educational institutions and workplaces were open for business as usual. However, regulations prohibiting public gatherings of four or more individuals remained in effect.

On Wednesday, traffic was lighter than normal and several streets were deserted in Gurugram, a commercial hub south of India's capital New Delhi, as police announced that the death toll following two days of Hindu-Muslim confrontations in the region had risen to seven.

On Monday, violence erupted during a Hindu religious procession in the Muslim-dominated Nuh region, killing four people and injuring nearly 60 more.

Officials said that two additional victims had died as a result of their injuries by Wednesday morning.

On Monday night, rioting moved to adjoining Gurugram, when a mosque was set on fire and its scholar was slain, and numerous stores and eateries were vandalised or destroyed.

Security personnel were also on high alert for planned Hindu nationalist rallies, especially in the capital.

"Additional forces have been deployed in the district, and we are closely monitoring the situation," Gurugram Police spokesman Subhash Boken said.