On 9th August, Saheli completes twenty-one years of its existence. We take this opportunity to stand firm and reiterate our commitment to resisting forces of fundamentalism and patriarchal control. We hope this meeting will give all of us the opportunity to talk about the horrors of Gujarat, to grapple with the overwhelming scale of the violence and to move forward together.

The Programme is as follows:

SESSION I: 9.30 a.m. - 1..30 p.m.

1. Women Bear the Brunt of Communal Violence: Issues and Challenges

        Sheba George, Sophia Khan - Citizen's Initiative, Ahmedabad
        Trupti Shah,
        Jahan Ara Rangrej - PUCL-Shanti Abhiyan, Baroda

2. Scope of Legal Intervention

        Sandhya, Apporva - Forum Against Oppression of Women, Mumbai
        Veena - Majlis (expected), Mumbai
        Indira Jaisingh - Lawyers Collective, Delhi

3. Strategising for Justice

        Open Session

SESSION II: 02.00 p.m. - 06.00 p.m.

1. Rise of Religious Fundamentalism: Impact on Women

        Roop Rekha Verma - Lucknow University

2. Combating Right-Wing Mobilisation

        (a) Experiences from Rajasthan
                Kavita Srivastava - PUCL, Rajasthan
                Indira Pancholi- Mahila Jan Adhikar Samiti, Ajmer
        (b) Muslim Women's Identity in the Present Context
                Yasmeen - Awaaz-e-Niswan, Mumbai
        (c) Dalit Women's Movement: Can it Pose a Challenge?
                Rajni Tilak - CADAM, Delhi

3. Campaign Strategies

Open Session

The persons mentioned above will initiate discussions, but we hope the meeting will be as participative as possible so that effective campaign strategies can be evolved.

DATE & TIME: Saturday, August 10, 2002, 9.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.

VENUE: Miranda House College, Student's Common Room, Chhatra Marg, Delhi University.
Lunch and Tea will be provided.

Do join us and confirm your participation as soon as possible. Looking forward to your active involvement.

In solidarity,
All of us in Saheli