Distinguishing Victims and Perpetrators in Riots and Wars

Then, a communal riot breaks out. The passengers learn that a Muslim boy was recently killed in a nearby village, which made the Muslims retaliate. Now, a Hindu extremist group is on the lookout for Muslims. The bus is stranded due to blockades and a curfew. A group of extremists arrive at night and attack the bus. They go to each passenger individually, asking them to prove their Hindu-ism. In a gut-wrenching scene, a passenger, driven by self-preservation, informs against an elderly Muslim couple, who are then taken away (and presumably slaughtered). Presented as an ordinary and dotting couple with normal human aspirations and complaints…they couldn’t be farther away from anyone’s preconceived notion of violent perpetrators, which makes their impending fate especially jarring. Meenakshi chooses to save Raja by telling the extremists that he is her husband, Mr. Iyer. The film then takes us through their perilous journey back to Kolkata, as they witness more needless slaughter and suffering. <a href="https://medium.com/popsych/distinguishing-victims-and-perpetrators-in-riots-and-wars-21e897a79825">Website</a>