   events in the year 2002 in the republic of india. ==incumbents== * president of india â k. r. narayanan to 25 july a. p. j. abdul kalam * prime minister of india â atal bihari vajpayee ==events== ===january=== *9 january â the government announces that it is laying landmines along the entire length of its 2,800-km border with pakistan. *10 january â 800 protesters are arrested in a large-scale illegal protest against the communist government of west bengal, which brings the state to a standstill. the authorities there had outlawed "disruptive" protests at the end of 2001. * mid-january â direct flights to china are set to resume for the first time in 40 years after diplomatic talks between the two countries. *16 january â archaeologists announce the discovery of ancient man-made structures off the gujarati coast which could be as many as 9,500 years old â 5,500 years older than the ancient harappan civilisation whose remains are found around the same region. *22 january â five policemen are killed and 20 other people injured when islamic militants attack an american cultural centre in kolkata. police arrest at least 50 suspects in the wake of the incident. the government immediately accuses its pakistani counterpart of involvement in the attack. * late january â the government is roundly criticised for testing a short-range version of its agni ballistic missile on 25 january, the day before the country's republic day, at a time when military tensions with pakistan remain high. ===february=== *3 february â russia gives its full backing to india over the kashmir dispute with neighbouring pakistan. * mid-february â the cellular operators association announces that the ownership of mobile phones in india rocketed by 75% in the previous year. almost 6 million indians now own mobile phones. *24 february â the bharatiya janata party (bjp) loses control of state governments in uttar pradesh, punjab, and uttaranchal (now known as uttarakhand) according to election results released this day. the bjp is expected to retain a role in a coalition in uttar pradesh (the most populous state in india), whereas the punjab and uttaranchal state legislatures are now dominated by the opposition congress party. *27 february â a series of riots leaves hundreds dead, after 59 hindu pilgrims die aboard a train burned by a muslim mob in godhra. *28 february â violent sectarian clashes break out in the gujarati city of ahmadabad leaving over 500 muslims and hindus dead. the riots came after the death the previous day of 58 hindus whose train was deliberately set on fire by muslim militants in godhra, near vadodara (the exact circumstances remain u
2002_in_India Years_of_the_21st_century_in_India