The wounds of the riots have not healed fully but there’s no overriding hatred in Muzaffarnagar now

Samajwadi Party (SP)-Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) alliance has fielded non-Muslim candidates in all six seats of the district

“Dange se BJP ki lahar aayi thi, andolan se jayegi (the BJP wave came after the Muzaffarnagar riots; it will go because of the farmers’ agitation),” said Omvir Singh, an aged farmer, on the outskirts of Sisauali, headquarters of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU).

In villages across the region, Jat farmers feel the BJP used them to fight its battle against Muslims but when they needed its support during the farmers’ agitation, they were left stranded and called names. It is not that the wounds of the riots have completely healed, but there’s no overriding hatred that communities have against each other. The anger is more sporadic and personal.