Communalism and Gujarat:

1
Communalism and Gujarat

• Agenda
• The story so far
• AID in action
• Going forward
• Building relationships in the US

2
The story so far

• Past history Largely sporadic, isolated
• Was a spike in immediate aftermath of Ayodhya
  Jan 1993
• Undercurrents of tensions impending disaster
• Right wing dominant since mid 90s and moved in
  quickly to be the mainstream

3
Godhra

• Feb 27 2002 59 burnt alive
• Feb 28 2002 The backlash starts
• And it never ends
• Not spontaneous reaction any more
• Organized attacks state wide with compliance from
  State

4

• The attackers arrived by the thousands in
  trucks. Shouting slogans of incitement to kill,
  they were armed with swords, trishuls,
  sophisticated explosives, and gas cylinders.
  Guided by computer printouts listing the
  addresses of Muslim families and their
  propertiesthey embarked on a murderous rampage.
  In many cases, the police led the charge, aiming
  and firing at Muslims who got in the mobs' way  
  
• - Human Rights watch Page 22

5
The aftermath

• Over 2000 killed
• Over 100, 000 people displaced
• Livelihoods destroyed
• Modi returned to power in a polarized contest
• Togadia and Modi become poster boys
• Justice denied by intimidation and fear
• Common sentiment is one of triumphalism

6
AID In Action

• Earthquake relief partners regrouped to work with
  riot affected
• Reactivated Gujarat Taskforce to focus on
  coordinating AIDs response to the disaster
• Starting with immediate relief food, medicines
  etc.
• AID also supported long-term rehabilitation
  activities by disbursing over 200,000
• Organized Town Hall meeting in Boston
• Talks by eminent peace activists to promote
  understanding
• Launched the Eliminate Hate At All Levels campaign

7
Phase 1 of Response

• From March-Nov 2002
• Relief, reconstruction and livelihood
  regeneration activities- mainly in collaboration
  with Citizens Initiative
• Largely in Ahmedabad, Sabarkantha and Panchmahal
• This phase of work is complete
• Several site visits leading to deeper
  collaborations and broader understanding of the
  problems

8
Representative Projects
9
Phase 2 of Response

• Beyond rehabilitation communal harmony
• Easier in cities so initial focus
• Need to identify groups that use innovative
  strategies
• For working with rural groups, needed trusted
  partners on the ground

10
Phase 2 In Action

• Innovative communal harmony projects
• Example Center for Development, SPRAT
  (Ahmedabad)
• Developed a network for rural initiative
• Experienced social workers and AID partners
  (Paulomee from DISHA, Suresh from Janpath)
• With this network, substantive dialogue with
  various village groups
• Livelihood regeneration projects with rural focus

11
Representative work
12
More about the rural groups

• Pluralistic and forward-looking people, working
  in a painful and unjust situation yet aware of
  changes needed on all sides
• Visited by Gautam, Mokshay, Shiraz, Ashvin, in
  addition to P-S
• Dahod received least outside attention through
  excellent business skills, oversaw
  rebuilding/rehab for 5-6000 families violence
  continues
• Lunawada housing, livelihood, communal harmony-
  inspiring examples
• Kalol Mukhtars leadership, big relief camp,
  good work done
• Halol Janvikas working here
• Godhra Drs. Vali and local women working with
  widows etc. Some vocational training, SHGs etc
  happening

13
The plan from here

• Involve in long term development initiatives
  (such as land, water and employment issues)
• Strategy in reaching out to the civil society
  bridge building
• Conduct youth workshops/shibirs- address problems
  of youth, encourage introspection
• Develop a vision for Gujarat, and ForGujarat
  website
• Use website and other newly developed mechanisms
  (newsletter etc) to take forward the work of a
  broad progressive NGO network across Gujarat to
  offer alternatives
• Longer-term strategy laid out is ambitious and
  tentative, and deliberately left loose so that it
  can naturally evolve based on learnings, progress
  of initial rehab phase, etc.
• Answers the question of What after AID leaves?

14
Some more avenues from here

• Engage with Teesta Setalwad of CJP Best Bakery
  Case
• Shaanti Abhyaan fact finding, peace
  initiatives, demonstrations/protests
• Children Play Initiative proposal
• Women self help groups

15
Exit Strategy

• Help develop and collaborate to develop resources
  to take forward progressive NGO network work
  (possible overlap with Pluralism initiatives
  within AID)
• Fellowships for 3 or 4 Promising Young Volunteers

16
Building local relationships

• Gujarati community sends back significant sums of
  money
• Unfortunately a large proportion is to
  saffronized groups
• Keep their money busy so they cannot bomb
  elsewhere!!
• Significant sources of funds build personal
  relationships Tyler Rotary etc.