Coimbatore City, popularly known as the "Manchester of South India" due to its booming textile industry, witnessed several debilitating communal riots from 1980, culminating in the serial blasts of 1998 that claimed more 50 lives and injured hundreds. Al Ummah, a militant, fundamentalist organisation that took birth in the immediate aftermath of Babri Masjid destruction at Ayodhya, murdered a Hindu Police Constable on 29 November 1997 at Coimbatore in reaction to which, the police constabulary immediately struck work. According to the various investigative reports that emerged post the attacks, Hindu militants of the region exploited the security vacuum by targeting Muslims and their properties; 18 Muslims (and 4 Hindus) lost their lives at Coimbatore. In an apparent retaliation, the Muslim fundamentalist organisation Al Ummah, within 2½ month engineered serial blasts on 14 February 1998 in the run-up to the Parliamentary Elections killing 63 (53 Hindus), maiming 245 and destroying properties worth several crores of rupees. The confusion and the communal instability of the region, shattered peace, trade, commerce, industry and people's morale. Fearing a Hindu backlash, the Army and several paramilitary forces moved into Coimbatore leading to a period of unrest and uncertainty.