by Nihla_ag, Student Counselor.
Gujarat ke firaq se hai khar khar dil
Betaab hai seene mein aatish bahar dil
Marham nahin hai iske zakhm ka jahan mein
Shamshir-e-hijr se jo huwa hain figr dil
(My heart is thorn-filled with longing for Gujarat
Restless, frantic, flame wrapped in the spring
On earth there exists no balm for its wound
My heart split asunder by the dagger of separation)
- Vali Gujarati (born 1650, death 1707)
The targeting of women in the Gujarat carnage calls for a sectoral investigation into how women in particular have been affected. The evidence of the role played by the police and other state institutions in protecting women under the new elements in the current spate of communal violence of Gujarat, determine the role of organizations like the VHP and Bhajrang Dal in both- the build up of to the current carnage as well as in actually unleashing the violence.
There is compelling evidence of the most extreme form of sexual violence against women during the massacre in Gujarat. There is evidence that the current carnage was preceded by an escalation of tension and build by the VHP and the Bhajrang Dal. There is an alarming trend towards ghettoisation of the Muslim community in rural areas for the first time. the violence against minorities was pre-planned, organized and targeted. The screams and cries of the women begging for their izzat (honor) could be heard all over the city. Various violence stories have to embody the numerous experiences of evil that were felt by the Muslims.
In many ways women have been the central characters in the Gujarat carnage, and their bodies the battleground. The newspapers in the Gujarat literally became a weapon of war.
Nilofar, aged 9, is a victim of child rape. She shared with her neighbors in the celebration of Holi, the fireworks of Diwali yet she does not understand why the fanatics victimized her. The fear and fury exists even in the minds of the immature. There is clearly long road road ahead to justice, rehabilitation and recovery for the victims of Gujarat.
The police to played an in important role in the eruption and maintenance of the riots. The police was aiding, abetting and colliding with the looting and marauding mobs.
The violence in Gujarat has left in its wake deprivation, despondency and desperation. Their life savings are burnt. Single women and widows, who had acquired economic independence, now rely on the community patriarchs for survival. The impact of fear on Muslim women can already be seen. With the entire community under threat, women in particular are paying the price- with their freedom and mobility. Mothers fear for the safety of their daughters. Husbands fear for the wives and the first response to fear is the imposition of restrictions. Gains of emancipation are being slowly eroded. Muslim women voices are already being stifled.
The question then is: what can we each of us do? One thing is clear: no matter what an individual beliefs and persuasions, what is happening I Gujarat- whether measured by the erosion of humanity, the break down of law and order, business loss or the decline in tourism and foreign investment- it harms everyone equally.
What each can do in big and small?
Write letters and articles to press
Petition the Gujarat regime through consulates
Educate the community through gatherings in homes and places of worship
Host interfaith gatherings
Raise funds for relief work
The conditions in relief camps are still continuing to be the same, rather worse. The feelings of humanity should awake in all of us to heal the wounds inflicted on our motherland. It is the duty of all Indians to fulfill the wishes of its sage-like father of nation, Mahatma Gandhi, who was born on the Gujarati soil, to preserve the beauty and culture of our country and safeguard it form the riots, disasters and disruptions.
Allama Iqbal, the poet of universal love, writes:
“Har subah uthke gaayen mantar meethe meethe,
Saare pujariyon ko mai peet ki pila dain,
Shakati bhi shaanti bhi bhakton ke geet main hai,
Dharti ke baasiyon ki mukti preet main hain.”
Let’s awake each morning with a chant of mantras,
Let’s make all devotees share the wine of love,
There is strength and peace too in the songs of devotion,
And salvation lies in love for the mankind.
