Fireproof

, first published in 2006, is the third novel by the prize-winning author and Chief Editor of

The Indian Express

, Raj Kamal Jha. The novel is set amidst the communal violence that flared up across Ahmedabad in the wake of an arson attack that killed 59 Hindu passengers on the Sabarmati Express train near Godhra in 2002, and in which Muslim people and properties were targeted as the police and state turned a blind eye. Over a thousand people, more than 70 per cent of them Muslim, were killed. Though the specific persons, events and locales mentioned in the novel are fictitious and overtly polemic language is avoided,

Fireproof

offers a powerful account of the violence and its aftermath in the national psyche.

Jha’s fictional work offers him the opportunity to approach real-life

2191 words

Citation: Ilott, Sarah. "Fireproof". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 April 2015 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=35521, accessed 20 April 2024.]

35521 Fireproof 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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