Convention on the Present Situation in Gujarat
Delhi, July 14

Dear Friend,

It is over four months now since the carnage in Gujarat commenced. Contrary to what the leaders of the Sangh Parivar, the state chief minister and ministers of the central government are asserting the situation is far from normal. The victims of the carnage in Gujarat, to this date, survive in sub human conditions in over crowded relief camps, which the state government is threatening to close down without any meaningful compensation or rehabilitation. Even a complete and comprehensive documentation of the damages has not been compiled.

And quite ironically the state cabinet ministers are going to visit different states to invite investment, the business community is inserting advertisements inviting people to conduct business as usual while the marauding mobs of the BJP_VHP-BD continue to issue statements asking for economic boycott of the Muslims, asking Muslims to withdraw FIRs and accept all kinds of humiliating conditions for their return to their homes.

Meanwhile, a misconception is created by the Sangh Parivar that the Gujarat society as a whole is endorsing the carnage. There has been a barage of misinformation by the Sangh Parivar channels and state government machinery. The talk of five crore Gujarati´s ‘asmita´ is the prime example of this. The sane voice of Gujarat is being stifled through coercion and misinformation.

In order to discuss the current situation in Gujarat and identify the areas in which all of us can mobilise relief etc, as also to provide a platform for the articulation of the sane voice of Gujarat and for Gujarat a one-day Convention is being organised at the Constituion Club, Rafi Marg, New Delhi on July 14, 2002 from 10am onwards.

Yours sincerely

Shabnam Hashmi
Secretary, SAHMAT
8, Vithalbhai Patel House,
Rafi Marg,
New Delhi-110001
Tel- 3711276/ 3351424,
sahmat@vsnl.com

Convention on the Present Situation in Gujarat
Deputy Speaker Hall, Constitution Club, Rafi Marg, New Delhi-110001
Sunday, July 14, 2002
Session I
10.am-11.15am

Chairperson: Achut Yagnik

Condition of the Relief Camps: Ismail Malla, Camp Organiser Godhra Camp
Mechanism of Misinformation : Amrish Patel
Role of Media : K Stalin

11.15am-11.30am Tea Break

Session II
11.30am to 1.15pm

Legal Aspects-Compensation / Criminal: Mukul Sinha & Mahesh Bhatt
Medico-Legal Aspect: Harsha Hegde
Rehabilitation: Housing, Livelihood, Compensation: Teesta Setalwad

Lunch 1.15pm-2.00 pm

Session III
2.00pm-4.00pm
State of Children: Presentation by TISS, Mumbai
Education: MH. Jowher
State of women: Trupti Shah
4.00pm-4.15pm Tea Break

Session IV
4.15pm – 5.30pm
Economic Blockade of Minorities: Wilfred D´Costa
Societal Responses/ advocacy: Fr. Cedric Prakash
Camps: Not an Open & Shut Case Shefali Nautiyal