The Once And Future Riot h/c back

“Do you think we are fazed by the deceptions? No! We exalt in the lies! We revel in the bullshit! It’s fuel. It feeds our journalistic flame. It keeps us going, going, going...”

Comics most intrepid journalist returns with an in-depth analysis of the tensions behind the ever-expanding fault lines in community relations in India’s most popular state Uttar Pradesh.

On the surface it’s simply the age old story of once friendly neighbours turned into implacable deadly foes through an escalating cycle of murderous violence. But Joe is determined to get to the bottom of what first disrupted, and then utterly destroyed the previously stable social ecosystems in the small towns and villages where Muslims and Hindus had happily co-existed for several decades.

Unsurprisingly each side blames the other, whilst insisting they are completely blameless, but where does the truth, or truths actually lie? As Joe hears blatant well rehearsed falsehood after falsehood everywhere he goes, he begins to wonder if uncovering any valid accounts at all is even going to be possible.

It is, of course, but only due to his dogged persistence. So eventually a picture begins to emerge of conflicting political pressures and policing prejudices at every level, from village right up to national, in direct opposition to each other. Agendas are everywhere, and those with savvy are very well aware how to game the system to their (and their particular community’s) best advantage, until their outraged opponents respond by taking it a level higher and the situation promptly reverses direction again. All contributing to an ever-increasing tinder keg of tension that’s just waiting for the spark to set it all off. Boom...

Considering the dark and disturbing nature of his chosen topic, Joe manages to introduce a fair degree of levity, not least by pointing out the absurdity of many of the various yarns he hears, whilst never losing sight of the fact that it had to begin somewhere... somehow... and someone has to be responsible. It’s an unpleasant route he has to tread, to get us right back to the beginning. But he’ll get us there eventually though.