Cameraperson: Shiv Kumar Maurya
Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam
In 2002, Gujarat witnessed one of the most gruesome communal riots since India’s independence. As per the official figures, at least 1,044 people were killed, 2,500 were injured, and 223 people went missing as communal fires singed across the state. Thousands of homes and business establishments were set ablaze, shops were looted, and women and children assaulted in full public view in the violence which engulfed 20 out of 25 districts in Gujarat.
Behind these numbers and statistics, however, are stories of people who watched the horror unfold-- stories of broken homes, orphaned children, lost livelihoods, and an endless pursuit for justice.
Exactly 20 years after the tragedy, The Quint went back to Gujarat to document stories of the victims and survivors of these riots. Through this documentary, our reporters examine the aftermath of communal violence and the scars it has left behind.
As a part of our in-depth documentary, the survivors of the riots talk about how the memories of violence still haunt them. They narrate how 20 years on, they still feel that they are being chased by a deadly mob, and they talk about longing, for a home that is no longer theirs.
We, however, need your support to see this project through. Help us raise Rs 4,32,000 to meet the production cost of the documentary, and help us tell the stories which matter.
Click on thequint.com/special-projects and become a Q-Buddy. Your support can help us finish this project – and give a voice to the voiceless.