Nights of the Dispossessed

by Natasha Ginwala

Riots are extraordinary events that have been recurring with increasing frequency and that occupy a highly controversial space in the political imagination. Despite their often negative portrayals, it is undeniable that riots have played a pivotal role in the confrontation between authority and dissent. Recently, with the deepening crises of capitalism, racial violence, and communal tension, an "age of riots" has powerfully begun. As master fictions of the sovereign nation-state implode and the hegemonic silencing of the dispossessed reveals the cracks in governability, 'Nights of the...