On this day, 42 years ago, on February 21, 1983 (January 9, 1983), 600 Muslims were killed in Indian election riots. Victims killed in violence On February 21, 1983, students in Assam, India rioted over protesting against the migration of Muslim refugees from Bangladesh to India and attempting to prevent state elections. More than 600 people were killed. Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi flew to the area by helicopter to gauge the scope of the unrest. All she saw were fields littered with bodies and remnants of Muslim villages. When people asked her if the government would admit responsibility for the massacre, she replied, Why should we be responsible? Only the instigator should bear full responsibility. They may not like elections, but what power do they have to stop and disrupt them? She also stated that even if she canceled the election, violence would still occur. About 21000 of the 1 million immigrants in Assam have fled in search of a safe place.