Zaffar is a Muslim Afghan born in Bihar. His family fled Afghanistan after the Russians invasion in 1978. Zaffar currently lives in Kolkata, where he manages his own sports-based nonprofit. Through Rubgy, he helps kids bond across cultural and communal lines. Zaffar wants to continue to bridge these identity divides through community media.
Zaffar Khan reports from Kolkata’s 23 Khidirpur district on prejudices against the neighborhood’s Muslim community.
23 Khidirpur residents perceive the city government exercises significant prejudice against them. In Kolkata, ‘23 Khidirpur’ is strongly defined as a Muslim community. This single number, residents say, acts as a powerful label, causing officials and people outside the district to draw fast conclusions about any individual from the area. According to residents, these conclusions are undoubtedly negative and extremely prejudice. Furthermore, these labels are harmful and limiting to young people in the area.
Zaffar reports that non-Muslims are moving out of the district in increasing numbers. This in turn has further fueled external definitions of the neighborhood. In this report, Zaffar works to dispel these false notions.
Avijit Adhikary is a journalist with nearly 8000 days of field experience till date. In the past two decades, he has witnessed the ebb and flow of the media industry in India, with ripples felt in his region too. This includes the rise of digital media, the decline of print...
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