Assertion (A): Just after Independence, communal riots resulted in killing of thousand of innocent people 

Reason (R): Colonialism was to be blamed for post-Independence riots and killings.

A is true but R is false.

The correct answer is Option 3: A is true but R is false.

Assertion (A): Just after Independence, communal riots resulted in the killing of thousands of innocent people — Correct. The period immediately after Independence witnessed large-scale communal violence, especially during Partition, which led to the deaths of thousands of innocent people and caused massive displacement of communities.

Reason (R): Colonialism was to be blamed for post-Independence riots and killings — Incorrect. Although colonial policies, including the divide-and-rule strategy, contributed to the growth of communal tensions before Independence, post-Independence riots cannot be attributed entirely to colonialism. They were also influenced by political, social and communal factors after Independence.

NCERT: Communalism is an especially important issue in India because it has been a recurrent source of tension and violence. India has had a history of communal riots from pre-Independence times, often as a result of the divide-and-rule policy adopted by the colonial rulers. But colonialism did not invent inter community conflicts – there is also a long history of pre-colonial conflicts – and it certainly cannot be blamed for post-Independence riots and killings. Indeed, if we wish to look for instances of religious, cultural, regional or ethnic conflict they can be found in almost every phase of our history. But we should not forget that we also have a long tradition of religious pluralism, ranging from peaceful co-existence to actual inter-mixing or syncretism. This syncretic heritage is clearly evident in the devotional songs and poetry of the Bhakti and Sufi movements. In short, history provides us with both good and bad examples; what we wish to learn from it is up to us.