This will be a part of the Peace Festival being organised by the
Bangalore Initiative For Peace, Vimochana is organising this workshop
that seeks to initiate discussions on two issues that are starkly
confronting us in the aftermath of the Gujarat carnage …
At : Gandhi Peace Foundation, Kumara Park, 2 - 4 p.m. June 8, 2002
There are two issues involved ... One is the active involvement of
women in the growing communalisation, fundamentalisation and
militarisation of our societies. A fact reflected in the total
participation of particularly Hindu women in the violence, rioting
and looting in Ahmedabad. On the other hand is the absolute
victimisation of the women in all conflict situations when there is
little hope of justice or redressal due to the existing laws and
legal processes that are totally inadequate to deal with mass rapes.
In Gujarat it was the muslim women who were victims not only of
organised rapes but also of a totally indifferent and communalised
state machinery. This dichotomy forces us to re-look at empowerment
of women and women's roles as peacemakers vis-a-vis given concepts
like secularism, communal harmony and the State as the final
arbitrator between feuding individuals and communities.
Speakers: Kalpana Sharma, Journalist, Arvind and Roopa, Alternative
Law Forum; Geeta Menon, Stree Jagriti Samiti; Chair - Shakun Mohini,
Vimochana
Please do come and share your thoughts and concerns with us.
Madhu
For Vimochana