I’d lost the precious diamond from my ring in Gujarat—how could I hope to find it in Kolkata? The trust I had lost in humanity after the 2002 violence was restored to me only when I returned to Gujarat.”

These were the words of Qutbuddin Ansari, who became the symbol of the 2002 Gujarat riots after his haunting image — palms folded, eyes stricken with fear, pleading for mercy — was published around the world. Ansari was speaking at a Gandhi Jayanti event organised by the Mumbai Sarvodaya Mandal, where he was invited as the chief guest for a function titled “Shanti ki Khoj Mein” (In Search of Peace).