My reply to Ms. Wahi of Himmat

Dear Ms Wahi,

Thank you for your reply which you have ended with a certainty of not satisfying me? What surprises me more is your perceiving my question's intent for a particular community? Trust me, I was not trying do so. I really wanted to know what I asked you in simple and straight question!

I asked you this because you are working in the field and are certainly more knowledgeable than I am. Please mark that I humbly wanted to get 'educated' about some similar activity of the past, but till the date, have not been able to secure any information what so ever, as if such an activity never took place? And presuming it actually didn't, then I'd like all of us to ponder, why? Why didn't it stir our sensibilities then? Shall we also presume that people have become more humane now?

In honor of your kind and beautifully worded reply, I'd like to submit that much more than Gujarat- which has in any case attracted much of public and 'content hungry' media attention- another area needs the kindness of well meaning and well intending people like you! You need to look into the Naxal infested areas which are overflowing with incapacitated, orphaned or widowed victims but no one wants to talk aboutthese poor, uneducated tribals. Ma'am, I assure you, evenyou will not be able to do anything in this field, despite your good intentions, for obvious reasons!

I am not romantically involved with my views & vision so, in the process of my evolvement, I'll not hesitate to alter them, only if I know that I have erred. Please do give me a chance!

I also apply to enroll myself as a volunteer in your organisation HIMMAT, if it decides to speak for these poor tribal victims; to work for them in their land, as vigorously and vociferously as it is doing for victims of Gujarat !
Best Wishes!
SHYAM

Ms.Wahi of Himmat replies

This is the reply I got to my question about the efforts that various organisations might have made for the victims of Punjab and J&K terrorism?
SM

Dear Shyam,

Thank you for writing in. I am sorry I opened my mail only yesterday because I have been out of my office since more than a week.

I am sure other people too would have responded in their own way, but I will also try to.

I do not think any one of us believes that communalism, communal discourse or communal massacres started happening only after ’84. Nor are these confined to merely our part of the world. Nor are they committed by any one section or community.

I would probably be speaking for everyone here when I say that our sympathies and support go to people of Kashmir who have been victimized both by the militants and by the states (both governments of India and Pakistan). To those who have been displaced and driven out. To those too who have been killed in numerous landmine accidents and who have been caught in the crossfire between the militants and the army. To those who have been tortured while being perceived as informers of either the militants or the armies. To women who have to bear the burden of the continuing conflict again from all sides.

We also understand the particular situation of the minority (pandits in Kashmir, muslims in Gujarat). But in Kashmir it gets further complicated because of the claimed stakes of both governments and their actions or inactions. I also feel terribly for those displaced in Kashmir – because even though a lot of political parties speak on their behalf, they do not do anything to reach out to the victims nor do they try in anyway to work towards a settlement of the Kashmir problem.

I went to Gujarat as a volunteer to help in the relief camps – and stayed on – as I built relationships with women survivors and Himmat was born. I would also like to go to Kashmir but till now haven’t been able to. But of course there are a lot many organizations and well known activists who have been consistently working with people there across the regional and religious divide. Some who work for rehabilitation and others who work for re-conciliation. As I say this I am aware that a few widow homes here and there can not in any ways be an answer to a crisis of such magnitude. But everyone responds in their own ways, according to their understanding and capacities.

I know of Veer Munshi – an artist who has brought the plight of being Kashmiri on canvas. He himself had to migrate from the valley. Sonia Jabbar – noted activist and journalist – her film Autumn’s final country and photo exhibition (along with Sheeba chachi) – ‘When the gun is raised, dialogue stops’ – are voices of ordinary women from J&K. There are many others who have been trying to give space to voices of sanity. Someone more familiar with Kashmir would be able to tell you that.

I am responding to you because I feel often when some of us work actively in a certain area and with a certain group – it is automatically assumed that we are for or against some religious communities. But in reality those of us who work closely with survivors know that one person’s pain cannot cancel out another’s. Just as one person’s loss cannot be blamed on another person’s community.
But what is possible and what should happen is to build bridges – between victims and survivors – from Kashmir to Gujarat to Punjab.

If we keep seeing each other through the prisms of what religion the victims and perpetrators belong to and in the process miss out the complexities and nuances that lie underneath and choose to ignore state backed fundamentalism and injustices – among other factors – we will overlook the pain that ordinary people have to go through and we would miss opportunities towards reconciliation and justice.

I am aware my response may not satisfy you. But I have attempted none the less.

Warm wishes

Monica Wahi

Display of Gujarat muslims by sham-secularists

I received this mail from my friend, an enlightened and sincere-to-the-cause, Aridamanjeet Singh:
Sent: Friday, October 27, 2006 7:24 AM
Subject: Invitation to an exhibition of paintings by carnage survivors
Dear friends,

As some of you already know the girls at HIMMAT * have been involved with an art education project designed by artist Vasudha Thozur. Six of our girls – Tahira, Shahjahan, Tasleem, Rabia, Farzana, Helen – survivors of the Gujarat Carnage - have been working with Vasudha since January 2005 to create their personal responses towards loss / survival, rehabilitation / displacement.

The art workshops have helped the girls and those of us working closely with the survivors to use visual understanding to engage with community mobilization. The art education has been supported by the India Foundation for the Arts, Bangalore.

Besides the works of art created over a year through Vasudha's workshops, the exhibition also displays work done independently by the girls.

These include placards created by Tahira and Shahjahan for the commemoration of Bibi Bano's death. Bibi Bano was a founding member of Himmat. The placards locate her death in the wider context of gender violence.

Supported by Drishti Media Collective, Ahmedabad - Tahira, Rabia, Shahjahan and Tasleem won a fellowship to create visual stories which speak about the struggle for water and for education in the new colonies of the survivors. These visual stories were shared with the community along with an oral narrative created and performed by the girls themselves.

All these paintings, posters, placards and postcards will be on display along with a short video "Chai Cutting" which the girls have shot.

Please do come to the opening at Khoj on Friday the 27 th of October at 6pm.
The exhibition will continue till 31st October (11am to 6pm)
(For details please read the invitation below)
Along with artist Vasudha Thozur, there will be an interaction with members of Himmat. Tahira and Rabia will be there. This is the first display of their art, so they are excited and nervous at the same time about how their work will be received.

Your presence at the opening will assure the girls and enthuse our efforts.

in peace and strength,

Monica Wahi
HIMMAT
I could not resist writing to Ms. Wahi, thus I wrote:
Dear Ms. Wahi,
I received the forwarded mail below, that you had sent to various people, about the painting exhibition by the girls of Gujrat. Your efforts need much more than just appreciations, I so feel
While much is being done about Gujrat, I fail today, and failed in the past as well, to see any such thing being done for the people from J&K as well as pre-84 Punjab, who also went through similar pogrom in their respective states. The history of violence these days begins with 84 riots in Delhi? What about some years before that? I had a chance to ask this to Mrs. Mohini Giri, but she only had description of her camp for widows in J&K and praises of widows of Punjab, for not needing any kind of help- as answer?
You'll do me a great favour by educating me about similar efforts that are being made or were made for the tormented people of Punjab and J&K .
Thanking you.
Best wishes!
SHYAM