Colours of violence

The Colours of Violence is a highly original study of the phenomenon of communalism and the rage and violence it leaves in its wake. Drawing connections between history, individual development, group psychology and the cultures of specific communities, the book paints richly textured portraits of a range of subjects involved in the riots-not just the survivors but the agents of violence.
With insight and unsparing self reflection, Kakar shows how Hindu and Muslim identities are formed by rumour, religion
and bigotry, how they are fuelled by nostalgic histories, periods of violence and peace between the two communities and the anxieties and uncertainties produced by the process of modernization. Lucidly written, this book is not limited to India for its import and implications but will be of great interest to all those concerned with ethnic violence in the last decade of the twentieth century.