The anatomy of another riot 
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The anatomy of another riot 

Context:

  • A riot is no longer an act of production where the narrative focusses on causes.
  • But an act of consumption where a variety of narratives create a quilt patch we call history.

Kasganj riot:

  • At first sight, the Kasganj riot is presented as an archetypal riot around a standard scenario of small differences, two angry communities and a stumbling bureaucracy.
  • Yet what brings irony and confounds this narrative is the communal and the national confronted each other to prove that patriotism today is not a secular loyalty but a majoritarian definition.
  • The nature of narrative is no longer about solidarity but about communal accounting.

Nature of riots:

  • Riots today are always enacted twice, once on the streets and once through video clips.
  • One is tempted to modify the Marxist quote and add once as history and second time as a farce.
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