---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Anhad Delhi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Jan 30, 2006 10:59 AM
Dear friends: Phase 1 of the National Consultation on Communalism (NCC) was successfully completed in a two day meeting on Jan 26th and 27th in New Delhi. Over 200 participants from across India worked together in consulting groups and report backs for over twelve hours each day to place on record detailed data on the processes of continued communalisation in various sectors of Indian society under the UPA regime. The Consulting/Report Back processes were intense and the kinds of stories and analysis that were recorded on topics as diverse as communalisation of police to media and adivasi communities to minority communalism give us confidence that a landmark report can be built from this process. ANHAD wishes to thank all the participants who gave direction and in depth comments on eleven distinct areas: *state, police and judiciary; cultural spaces and institutions; Dalits, Adivasis, Education, Media, minority communalism; voluntary sector; obscurantist thought/Science and rationality; political parties and allied organizations; and gender. * We also wish to thank all those who called or wrote to us to express solidarity and interest in the process but were unable to attend. Phase 2 of the National Consultation is expected to build on the two- day meeting. In Phase 2 we seek input from all those who could not attend the meeting and from those who did attend but have further inputs that they wish to contribute. We are therefore seeking "Written Input" from all concerned on any or more of the eleven areas mentioned above. Though not one of the original areas 'globalisation/ neo liberalism and communalism came up as an issue several times over the two-day consultation. Hence we seek inputs on this area too. The written input can be in free form narrative and must be emailed to: *anhad_delhi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>@yahoo.co.in* by the 2nd of February 2006. The guidelines for the written input phase are as follows: 1. Please note down in as much detail as is possible specific cases or processes of communalisation in your social experience or your area of work. We are keen to receive as many different incidents/cases/testimonies of processes of communalisation for these will be the essential basis for the report. 2. Input on strategies that you have used in your specific areas of work to counter or deal with processes of communalisation. 3. Input on what you consider are the critical domains of intervention needed to counter processes of communalisation. 4. Any additional material such as published articles and reports that you judge will be crucial in assessing processes of communalisation. 5. All inputs must be mailed to *anhad_delhi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>@ yahoo.co.in* or ANHAD, 4 Windsor Place, New Delhi 110001 by Feb 2. Once the Phase 2 inputs are received, the material will be consolidated and shared with session chairs and a diverse group of report writers who will begin the report writing process. We are hoping to complete a draft report by Feb 15. Once again our most sincere thanks to all those who participated in the consultation and we hope that each one of you will spare a little time to record a note for the Phase 2 consultation process. Also, if you are aware of any organizations or individuals who could provide material for this report, please do send us their contact information. Enclosed please find a copy of the initial call for a national consultation for your reference. Sincerely Shabnam Hashmi The communalisation of Indian society witnessed during the last two decades has now entered a new phase. After the election of 2004 the Communal forces are regrouping and revising new modes to regain the lost ground and to further their influence. Hate mobilisation against Muslims and the attacks on Christians are being relentlessly pursued. The Sangh schools continue to imbibe hate in young minds, through falsifying history and demonizing minorities. Despite the schism within the Parivar, the attempts at communalisation, undertaken by social-cultural organisation is unabated. The election in the summer of 2004 was no ordinary election. The people of India realised that its outcome would decisively influence in many ways the destiny of the nation. This election could either return and further legitimise, or else reject the band of determined, highly motivated communal forces that had mounted an unprecedented assault on and challenge to the secular democratic India. The Congress-led UPA alliance was catapulted to power by people who had decisively rejected the politics of hate. The expectation was that the new Government would recognize the significance of this moment in our political and social history and that it would take immediate steps to reinforce the secular democratic future of the country. Although some steps have been taken particularly in the field of education, the influence of communal ideology has not been effectively undermined. Gujarat still remains a blot on the secular image of India. Even after four years, little has changed for the survivors of Gujarat. The legal justice is openly subverted and economic boycott and fear persists for the victims of the carnage. There is no rehabilitation package, no measures to secure independent investigation, prosecution and trial. Life has not improved in any way for the survivors of the carnage. More than half of those displaced from their homes in 2002 are unable to return, almost four years later. It was expected, as promised in the CMP, that the UPA government would bring a legislation to prevent communal violence. The expectation was that the law would strengthen the hands of citizens by codifying the mandatory duties of the state to prevent and control communal violence, and to secure compensation and legal justice. Instead, the proposed legislation enhances the powers of the state which is likely to go against the interest of the marginalized groups, particularly in states where the communal forces control the governments. For the last few decades, people in different parts of the country are fighting against great odds to defend the secular fabric of our land. This battle continues despite changes in governments. Communal parties like BJP may get defeated in elections, but the strength of communal organisations like RSS is not affected. In this context it is necessary to further – the secular forces and organisations. For this reason, it is proposed to bring together people who care deeply and are concerned about the survival of secular democracy in India to meet in Delhi on 26, 27 Jan, 2006. This meeting is intended to take stock of the communal situation in various parts of the country, particularly the steps adopted by communal organisations during the last two years. Through such reporting we hope to chalk out a future course of action to counter communal activities. This meeting would like to arrive at a possible future course of action for secular interventions and bring into being a network of communication among secular groups and activists. The meeting would also explore the possibility of the formation of a monitoring group. *Structure of the Two day Consultation*: Twelve sessions will be distributed over two days. The morning session on both days will be a two- hour consultation sessions, where activists working on each sector will go into consultations on the specifics of the processes of communalization in their sector of work. Each consulting group will have note takers and two to three felicitators who will guide the discussion. Based on the discussions, the afternoon-evening sessions will be report back sessions from each consulting group. Post report back discussions will also be noted and added to the initial notes. Overall Chairs for the Consultation: Five senior academicians, social activists would chair two sessions each. Sessions : Communalisation of: 1. Adivasis 2. Dalits 3. Educational & Academic Institutions 4. Cultural spaces and Institutions 5. The State, Police, Administration, Judiciary 6. Media 7. Voluntary sector 8. Obscurantism and Assault on Rationality and Scientific Thinking 9. Minority communalism 10. Women 11. Political Parties, Political Organisations and Trade Unions 12. Communalization of Indian Middle Classes 13. Consolidation of findings. Discussion of report writing process and timeline. 14. Future Strategy. Yours sincerely Prof .Kn Panikkar Harsh Mander Shabnam Hashmi Biju Mathew -------- Anivar Aravind GAIA -- The great moral question of the twenty-first century is: If all knowledge, all culture, all art, all useful information, can be costlessly given to everyone at the same price that it is given to anyone -- if everyone can have everything, everywhere, all the time, why is it ever moral to exclude anyone from anything? - Eben Moglen
