We - the undersigned - met yesterday for a preparatory meeting to discuss
the agenda and proposals for the next larger meeting. (This preparatory
meeting was meant to be for 3 hours but eventually lasted 6 hours!!)

Anyway, given that many useful suggestions had been forthcoming from many of
us at that Saturday meeting at Bhupesh Gupta Bhavan, we set about grouping
them under areas that need to be addressed in this struggle. Also, some
people had responded to our previous e-mail with suggestions for this
preparatory meeting.

The following are the sub-groups that we're proposing should be formed from
among all of us, to address specific areas respectively. We will discuss
each of these areas and their programmes for action at the larger meeting on
the 25th. Those of us who would like to volunteer for one or more of these
sub-groups can do so at the meeting this Saturday - based on our skills and
inclination. A co-ordinator can be appointed for each sub-group and work on
the same can begin immediately thereafter. (It is also quite natural that
several of us can contribute to more than one sub-group and that several
tasks of these sub-groups will dove-tail into one another symbiotically.)


1. RELIEF WORK AND INFORMATION GATHERING IN GUJARAT

Apart from the need for material and other resources for the victims of the
violence, there is still an overwhelming need for volunteers to actually
visit Gujarat (not just Ahmedabad) to help in the relief work. We have been
trying to mobilise more people to come - even for three-four days at a time
- but there is an acute need for more help, more numbers.

Secondly, all of us know that the government is afraid of the truth and is
therefore either actively covering it up or ignoring the task of recording
facts. We need volunteers who will go around to smaller towns and villages
to gather information about what really happened, how many people have been
actually affected, and other relevant details. Volunteers will be guided and
accompanied by NGO activists. This effort will be invaluable for legal
purposes, for procuring relief and compensation from the government, and for
eventually recording the reality of the Gujarat episode for all of us and
the world to see and understand what is happening in India.


2. EDUCATION

All of us agree that prejudices begin to form pretty early in life. There is
a clear need to intervene at the level of schools and colleges to encourage
students to question the myths and propaganda that are being thrown at them
from everywhere. There is a need to sensitise young people to the
implications of their prejudice, to the dangers of generalisations, and to
try to understand the social processes underlying the Gujarat issue.

We have approached several teachers in colleges regarding this effort. The
response has been heartening, as they too are trying to work out ways to
include this issue in their courses/project work/even syllabi. We are trying
to arrange a meeting of college teachers to understand their need for
support for this. The Centre for Education and Documentation has volunteered
to compile dossiers on a variety of topics concerning communalism. Some of
the ideas that came up yesterday were:
Form a group of teachers that we meet with regularly
Help CED and other Centres construct information dossiers for teachers and
students
Approach organisations/companies to sponsor an annual inter-college (or
inter-school) debate competition on communalism
Organise exhibitions of posters, film shows, other events for school and
college students

3. MEDIA AND INFORMATION

The mass media - especially the press and TV - are the prime channels for
ideas and information. The propagandists know that and have used it
effectively to spread their disinformation. We must set up a cell that will
Monitor the English and regional language newspapers and magazines for
falsehoods, disinformation, hate propaganda
Identify journalists and writers who have a secular outlook
Set up a documentation unit (an information bank - that'll include material
from the press, journals, statistical reports, government documents, census
material, demographic information, and all other relevant material that will
help INFORM people, will help counter the on-going hate propaganda with
information).
Create site/s on the Net, or sub-sites of existing sites like Sabrang/CED
Be regularly in touch with secular journalists
Counter hate propaganda by immediately providing material to journalist
friends to help them contradict it
Encourage proactive secular writing in the press
Aim to institute an annual award for the best writing on issues of
communalism (Say a Rajiv Tiwari Annual Award). A citation plus say Rs.1
lakh. (We could approach a corporate house to collaborate.)
Explore the possibility of raising resources for a professionally-run daily
paper that will fight the propaganda of communal organisations

4. BUSINESS

That Saturday all of us agreed that if the business sector were to become
more proactive about this issue and take a stand, it would definitely impact
the State. Fortunately this time, some industrialists have spoken out. Our
business cell should
Aim to lobby with business forums (Chambers of Commerce, Trade Associations)
to pass a resolution on Gujarat, take a stand on it in the press, issue
public statements condemning it, bring pressure upon the government to act
to restore normalcy.
Try to get journalists to conduct a poll immediately with fund managers on
how Gujarat has affected investments into the country.
Prepare a dossier on Gujarat for Foreign Institutional Investors and their
clients (notably the pension funds) and for organisations that advise them
(such as Pensions & Investment Research in the UK) so they know exactly what
has happened in Gujarat, the sheer scale of the crimes committed, and are
encouraged to intervene in some form.
Investigate the several business houses that have been pouring money into
the coffers of the Sangh Parivar. We are aware of a few of them at least,
and plan campaigns against these financiers of genocide.
Contact the appropriate authorities internationally to seek an investigation
into the funding networks behind the VHP in the US.

5. CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

The most vibrant method of spreading feelings of harmony, solidarity and
peace is through arts and cultural forms. In earlier days almost every
performing art had a bunch of progressives making their own plays, films,
that served as symbols of protest and also highlighted social issues. Can't
we work towards reviving such movements? Already, organisations like IPTA
(Indian People's Theatre Association) are revitalising themselves to respond
to the growth of communalism. There are also many individuals in different
arts that are agitated by Gujarat. Our cell must aim to
Hold cultural festivals and events celebrating the richness of a diverse and
secular culture such as we have
Liaise and collaborate with existing associations like IPTA and others to
help them hold theatre-festivals, other activities
Approach the Azmi family with the idea of instituting a Kaifi Azmi Award for
the best progressive writing (plays, screenplays, novels, short stories,
poetry) that combats communalism of all kinds.

6. LEGAL CELL

Already people like Mihir and friends have been moving on this count in a
very focussed way. They need lots of help. This cell needs volunteers to
compile the evidence that will go into building a case around specific major
indictments; this will require considerable and focussed investigation in
the state
File more FIRs on individual cases to help victims
conduct the sort of scrutiny of the print media that will help file a case
against the media (two newspapers in particular)
launch a campaign to get India to sign and ratify the Statute of the
International Criminal Court
For all this and more, the cell will need volunteers immediately who are
interested in helping to compile reports from the media on these issues,
conduct legal research, etc.

7. WORKERS AGAINST COMMUNALISM

A group of individuals interested in constructing an anti-communal platform
among trade union activists and workers more generally. This will require a
great deal of imagination and hard work and cannot succeed without the
active involvement of the best trade unionists in the city.

There are many ideas, and lots of scope to do something. That is why we had
all got together on the 11th at Bhupesh Gupta Bhavan - because we feel
concerned enough to do something, whatever we can, in our own way. At this
meeting, we have to concretise that urge into action.


In solidarity.

Mihir, Sandhya, Jairus, Rohini, Bharat, Ammu, Leena, Gaurang, Anjum