Lynch Files

Ziya Us Salam is a noted literary and social commentator. A student of history from the University of Delhi, he is engaged in building bridges of commonality between communities through recourse to the Quran and the Vedas.He has been associated with The Hindu for almost two decades and has been its Features Editor for North India editions for 16 years. At present, he is an Associate Editor, Frontline, and writes on sociocultural issues for the magazine besides doing book reviews.A prolific and an acclaimed author, in 2019, he published Lynch Files, a take on victims of hate violence, and 365 Tales from Islam, a book that aims to introduce Islam to children. In the previous year, he had released Of Saffron Flags and Skull Caps, a take on the challenges to the idea of India, and Till Talaq Do Us Part, a study of various divorce options available in Islam. His book Delhi 4 Shows, a study of cinemas since the talkie era began, was released in 2016. His book Women in Masjid: A Quest for Justice was released recently.Ziya was a jury member of the International Film Festival of India (non-feature film, 2011), Best Writing on Cinema (2008) and Vatavaran.

• Foreword by Jignesh MevaniPrefaceAcknowledgementsFile 1: LynchingA Substitute for Communal RiotsCow, a Sacred or a Political Animal?The Oft-present Political HandCommon Maximum Programme: Similarities in Lynching IncidentsGaurakshini Sabhas: Walk down to the Nineteenth CenturyBhartiya Gau Raksha Dal: Part-time ProfessionalsMind of a Gau Rakshak: All Hate, No Love?File 2: Muslims: Easy Targets?Omen of Things to ComeDadri: AkhlaqPune: Mohsin ShaikhThe Gau Rakshaks of RajasthanAlwar LynchingsChittorgarh LynchingsRajsamand: AfrazulHorrifying Mutilations in HaryanaBallabhgarh: Junaid on Delhi-Mathura TrainKurukshetra: Mustain AbbasLynched and Filmed in Uttar PradeshHapur: Qasim and SamiuddinHanged by the Mob in JharkhandRamgarh: Alimuddin AnsariGiridih: Usman AnsariLatehar: Mazloom Ansari and ImtiazKillings in the Name of the CowJammu: SammiHimachal Pradesh: NomanNormalizing LynchingSatna: Siraj Khan and ShakeelDelhi: Rizwan, Kamil and AshfaqFile 3: The Mob Now Targets DalitsAt the Mercy of Upper CastesHamirpur: ChimmaUna: The Lynchings and the Dalit UprisingFile 4: Lynched and Forgotten!When Tragedies Were Dismissed10 States and Many More LynchingsFile 5: AftermathSupreme Court Shows the WayDesecrating Hate, Bigotry and Everything That Leads to Lynching

‘Lynch Files is bound to make a sensitive reader feel the meaning of being born as Akhlaq or Mohsin  Shaikh in a non-secular/non-spiritual culture that allows the nasty politics of "gau rakshaks" to insult the foundations of a civilization nurtured by the likes of Kabir and Tagore. A must-read!’