By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net
Four years after the Muzaffarnagar communal riots, families of the survivors and the riot victims are still waiting for the compensation which was promised to them by the then state government Akhilesh Yadav. Highlighting the plight of these people, critically acclaimed filmmaker Nakul Singh Sawhney has made another short film named “Muavza (Redressal)”.
Prior to this, Sawhney had directed the documentary named “Muzaffarnagar Baqi Hai”, which presented the aftermath of the riots. He followed it by making a documentary named “Kairana – after the headlines” which focused on the rumoured exodus of Hindus from Kairana village of Western Uttar Pradesh.
The story of “Muavza” revolves around Sanaur Rahman, Saleem and Mohammed Inam, who never received the promised compensation amount promised by the Akhilesh Yadav government.
The state government had promised compensation of Rs 5 lakh to displaced families soon after the riots happened. But many of the families are yet to receive the compensation.
Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts of Western Uttar Pradesh saw major communal riots between September 7 and 8 of 2013. According to independent sources, more than 100 people were killed and about 80,000 were displaced.
All three subjects of the films have moved from their original habitats and now live in different parts of the state
Sanaur Rahman now lives in Jamia Nagar of New Delhi and earns a living by working as a private guard in Jamia Millia Islamia. Mohammad Inam has moved to Kandhla district of Uttar Pradesh, where he owns a horse and earns by giving his horse on rent in weddings. And lastly, Saleem moved to Badaut city in the Uttar Pradesh and he sells eggs for a living. All three have not received any satisfactory reply from the top officials for their compensation.
As the filmmaker claims, over 200 riot affected families from Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts are yet to get promised compensation.
Talking about the documentary, Sawhney told TwoCircles.net, “Shooting this film was an overwhelming experience. Meeting those who have neither got compensation and yet to flee from their native places gets tough.”
Sawhney completed the film a few months back, but he deliberately held to release on the anniversary of the riots.
Sawhney is already receiving various calls to screen his new film and the film will have its first screening in Shamli district in coming few weeks.
The full movie is available on YouTube for free on the channel of ‘Chalchitra Abhiyaan’, and can be watched here.