Muzaffarngar, otherwise known for its brass sculptures and artisans, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, has never quite recovered from the emotional scars of the violence that broke out between two communities in mid 2013. It is still referred in the media as “the worst violence in Uttar Pradesh in recent history” that left many homeless and orphaned. It is a reality that awaits the overused cliché: time heals everything. But Nakul Singh Sawhney, documentary filmmaker, is not waiting for time to write history of this horror and pain. Nakul's film “Muzaffarnagar Baaqi Hai” (loosely translated: There is more in Muzzafarnagar) is courageously taking the world to Ground Zero and is ready to point some fingers.The film represents the grim realities of Indian politics and the role of local goons and politicians who orchestrate such riots. For the uninitiated, the 'riot' was the result of an alleged case of eve-teasing, which eventually led to the murder of the boy. "When the police report was filed by the girl’s family, there was no mention of molestation. It was a case of eve-teasing. Later local workers of Bharathiya Janata Party (BJP) intervened and changed the report and added molestation in the charges against the boy,” says Nakul Sawhney. Soon enough, the incident flared up into a communal conflict. Through his film Nakul tries to stitch together the various incidents before and after the fact, like a detective trying to find answers to the question that haunts us all: How did a case of eve-teasing turn into the most violent riot that modern Indian has witnessed. Nakul says, “There was a continuous riotous atmosphere in the district even before the big massacre in September. There were several clashes between the two communities, with ample help from local politicians. The police were unable to control the situation." Similar claims are made by an independent inquiry published in the Economic and Political Weekly on January 11, 2014: “The communal violence in Muzaffarnagar ought to be seen in the context of such violence in different parts of the country in 2013, beginning from Kishthwar (Jammu & Kashmir), Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Indore and Harda in Madhya Pradesh, Bettiah; Nawadain Bihar and Rangpur in Assam. The atmosphere in Muzaffarnagar has been vitiated over several months through sustained communal mobilization.”The documentary attempts to capture the role of the ruling state government Samajwadi Party which, under Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav, failed to control the situation. The documentary walks us through the 'relief' camps that lacked basic amenities such as functional toilets and clean water. “The state was giving very little to the relief camps and medical facilities were almost negligible,” he says, adding “The Samajwadi Party was so embarrassed by the situation that they did not want to acknowledge the presence of a high-scale conflict and ordered the demolition of the relief camps."The documentary has drawn flak from various quarters for its biased view. But Nakul stands his ground and is adamant that his film tells the truth behind orchestrated violence for the benefit of the high and mighty, business houses included. "It wasn’t a riot, it was a massacre” says Nakul. Clearly, drawing on a subject that crosses swords with politics and religion can never be easy. Says Nakul,"The biggest challenge was to not get stuck in the victim trap and to show the affected people not as victims but as survivors who have managed to get on with their lives."
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