M Hasan Jowher has been a fighter all his life. An Ahmedabad-based
management and infotech consultant, he founded SPRAT (Society for
Promotion of Rational Thinking) with the specific aim of fighting
obscurantism and superstition. The riots that devastated Gujarat
shattered him too. Yet, rather than wallow in self-pity, today he is
back in combat mode, fighting for the educational, economic and
professional empowerment of the riot victims. In an interview to
Vidya Subrahmaniam, Jowher looks ahead at possible ways to heal
Gujarat:
How do you react to the news of the dissolution of the Gujarat assembly?
That Narendra Modi regards the massacre of Muslims as deserving of an
electoral mandate deeply disturbs me. More than the future of
political parties, this election will test the electorate's
commitment to secularism and the Hindu community's rejection of
Modipolitik. Given the state of insecurity, displacement and state of
mind among the minorities, holding elections now would effectively
disenfranchise a vast populace and militate against true democracy.
Are you satisfied with the rehabilitation work?
I would describe what is happening now as "cheque violence", or the
destruction of the last vestige of hope. Compensation is payable for
movable possessions, immovable property and loss of productive
assets. While ridiculous amounts - sometimes as low as a cheque for
Rs 300 - have been paid in the first two categories, we are yet to
see loss of productive assets being compensated for. In the Halol
camp, one man died on getting a compensation of Rs 4,000 for his
destroyed home. Another went insane. This tragedy is best illustrated
by the case of a family that bought undergarments with the money paid
out as compensation for the loss of a house.
Compensation came as an opportunity to heal the wounds of the
victims. But sadly here too prejudices operate, resulting in
arbitrary awards. The compensation schemes themselves were faulty.
The guidelines applicable to earthquake victims were used as a
framework, overlooking the fact that the structure itself may have
survived the wrath of the rioters. Thus, a house with everything gone
- doors, windows, floors and all household items - save the bare
structure will not qualify for compensation. The compensation for
permanent handicap and murder hardly provide hand-holding support. As
for rape, given our social set-up, most victims may never receive
anything at all.
Have the riot victims returned to work?
Breaking the Muslim economy was a distinct agenda of the rioters as
is obvious from the effective boycott enforced by the saffron
brigade. Muslims employed as drivers, garage mechanics and shop
assistants have been chucked out. Others, who formed a part of the
manufacturing supply chains, find that these chains have snapped,
facilitating the entry of new Hindu competitors.
What is the state of prosecution?
Prosecution is a big farce. High-profile accused, as in Naroda where
nearly 100 Muslims perished, are yet to be arrested. Most FIRs have
been falsified; they do not name specific individuals, and often lay
the blame on the victims themselves. Former chief justice Ravani is
on record as saying that he has never before seen the prosecution
defending the accused so brazenly.
Do you see no change in the perception of the common people?
Thanks to the systematic hate propaganda against Muslims for over 10
years in Gujarat, Hindus readily believe anything against Muslims.
The Muslim leadership is equally responsible for its colossal failure
to correct this perception in time. Real security of a community
emanates from its social positioning. And this is where the Indian
Muslim leadership generally failed.
Do you see any glimmer of hope?
Yes, but it will take a very hard, constructive effort. I firmly
believe the common Hindu subconscious will eventually militate
aga-inst such barbarism. Indian secularism, to my mind, is largely
the product of Hindu flexibility. Besides, Gujarati mercantile
considerations warrant peace.
What do you believe needs to be done for the return of normalcy?
I wish our secular activists would employ an idiom and metaphors that
the common man, fed on a religious diet, understands. Invoking
dharma, citing Guru Aurobindo, Swami Vivekananda etc will be more
effective than concepts like human rights, democracy and even
secularism.
Likewise, progressive Muslims must do their bit to identify and
correct Muslim practices that feed such hate campaigns. We must truly
empower the community as citizens of India. I would also like
representative Muslim leadership to be realistic. If they could
openly declare forgiveness for all minor cases of rioting, it might
become easier to pursue the major ones.
The state must effectively prosecute major criminals purely as a
matter of law, order and justice, in the sole spirit of the
Constitution. And the enlightened bureaucracy must ensure this.
Finally, one hopes that Gujarat's Hindu clergy is alarmed by the
scale and depth of violence. It needs to spread acceptance - not
tolerance - of multi-religious identities.