A PRESTON man was caught up in the sectarian violence erupting across India over the past month.

Mahmud Yusuf Amirat, of Moor Lane, flew out to his troubled homeland with his wife in February. He was in his village, Korad, when violence between Hindus and Muslims started throughout the region.

He feared for his family's life so much he was forced to cut his visit short and return to Preston.

The 66-year-old former newsagent even had a police guard while he was praying in a Mosque.

Mr Amirat said: "For the first two weeks many people could do nothing but stay at home. In surrounding villages we were told that Muslim homes were being targeted. It was a very frightening experience for everyone.

"Mobs were travelling from other regions and targeting Muslims. In a village nearby their homes and shops were burnt.

"In my village the majority of the population is Hindu. But we have had very good relations with them for years and so we had no trouble."

But even now the situation remains tense.

He said: "Many people in the villages have to patrol the streets at night in case their village or home is targeted.

"During Jumma namaz (Friday prayers) when I was there we had police outside the mosque. Muslims are still afraid to go out."

Clashes between Hindus and Muslims have led to the deaths of more than 725 people over the past month.

Recently, angry crowds of Hindus and Muslims threw stones and clashed with police in the Vadodara and Ahmadabad areas of the country, and officers used tear gas and bullets to separate them.

The roots of the violence in Gujarat lie in the dispute over a religious site in the ancient northern town of Ayodhya.

Hindus want to build a temple at the site, where they razed a 16th century mosque in 1992, claiming it is the birthplace of the Hindu god Rama. But Muslims want to rebuild the burnt mosque.

Mr Amirat has lived in Preston for 44 years and feels the violence has been caused by a minority of the Hindu population.

He said: "Many Muslims I spoke to said the majority of Hindus want secularism to work because violence affects everyone.

"For instance for the first time much of the press in India reported the truth because it was a fact extremist groups were carrying out the attacks."

He added: "In Preston we have had friendly relations between all the communities. Something we should be proud of."