E/CN.4/1990/46 page 18 India 45. In a communication of 13 October 1989 addressed to the Government concerned, the following information was transmitted by the Special Rapporteur: "It has been alleged that, in the context of a violent conflict between members of the Bodo tribe and police authorities in the State of Assam, the local police of Udalguri desecrated and destroyed bibles, holy pictures of Jesus and saints and other religious articles venerated by Christians in the villages of Udalguri sub-division and Kokrajhar district. "It has further been alleged that, on 13 October 1988, the Udalguri police entered a church at Chokragaon while a marriage ceremony was going on and indiscriminately beat up all present." 46. In a communication of 10 November 1989, the following information was transmitted: "According to information received, between 200 and 1,000 people, most of them Muslims, have been killed in the context of violence between Hindu and Muslim communities in the State of Bihar. Reportedly, the violence erupted on 24 October 1989 in connection with the planned construction of a Hindu shrine at the present site of a mosque in Ayodhya. In the following two weeks, further deaths allegedly occurred as a result of growing tension between both religious communities in various other towns in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Bengal and Gujarat. It has also been reported that local police forces stood by or failed to act on 27 and 28 October 1989 to protect Muslims in the village of Chandheri, Bihar, from being killed." 47. On 13 December 1989, the Permanent Mission of India communicated the reply of the Government of India to the Special Rapporteur's letters dated 30 June, 13 October and 10 November 1989: "... while the figures quoted are considerably exaggerated, serious incidents involving two communities did occur in Bhagalpur, district of Bihar, in late October 1989. When it appeared that the civil administration might not be able to maintain law and order by itself, the army was called out to assist it. To prevent further loss of life, shoot-at-sight orders were issued in the town and a curfew was imposed in certain parts of it. Steps were taken to bring the situation under control, and in this regard the following extract from the statement made by the then Union Home Minister of India on 12 November 1989 is also relevant: 'The Government has always made it clear and would like to reiterate that communal peace will be maintained at any cost and that those guilty of indulging in communal violence will be sternly dealt with so that the interests of the minorities and also those of the majority community affected by such communal violence are fully respected. 'No place of worship or any area considered sacred or hallowed would be allowed to be desecrated or defiled in any way.'"