This paper explores the complex relationship between individuals and communities in the aftermath of communal violence. The study investigates how this "event of rupture" leads to new ways of historical action within community life, redefining old relationships and creating new meanings for life after violence. Drawing on the experiences of survivors from North East Delhi communal violence, the paper highlights how people previously considered familiar and close suddenly became strangers, while those once perceived as distant became kin. These new relationalities are emerged through shared suffering and victimization. This new social condition is creating a politicized community that offered a sense of safety and security for the victims.
The paper further examines how community becomes an instrumental actor in documenting the violence, facilitating rehabilitation and recovery, and providing a sense of identity and subjectivity for life to continue as liveable. Building on the works of scholars such as Esposito, Veena Das, and Bauman, this study argues that community plays a critical role in shaping the aftermath of violence, not only by providing a sense of belonging but also by mediating the recovery process.
