Gujarat Documentation
Disasters, Genocide, Relief Efforts, Mobilisations And Analyses

Gujarat Development evolved in Feb.2001 after the earthquake as a response to lack of coordination of relief efforts and need for greater information on relief needs and target areas, mobilisations by quake victims and their organisations and analyses of the situation and these efforts by NGOs, researchers and international financial organisations. It was an effort undertaken by Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF) on behalf of the forum of over 60 grassroots groups "Earthquake Affected Relief & Rehabilitation Services (EARRS)"

The maillist continues to disseminate grassroots information on the Gujarat Carnage 2002 (genocide progrom of Hindutva) with a view to share information about the victims, disseminate anti-fascist and secular efforts, and aim to mobilise the progressive forces.

One of the major triumph of this net campaign during the earthquake relief phase was to force the agenda of caste/communal discrimination in the mainstream. While fascist organisations of the Sangh Parivar and village-level discriminatory social structures were systematically discriminating against dalits and Muslims in relief, most NGOs working in these areas were turning a Nelson eye. Apart from a few EARRS member organisations, no other networks even supplied us grassroots information. Only after our investigations and consistent media campaign the issue was highlighted, so much so that the government has always been targeted on the question of relief bias in national and international media.

The same saga is repeating once again. Very few civil society organisations are coming out openly against the fascist attacks on Muslims in Gujarat. Most of the internationally known civil society leaders from Gujarat have either chosen to keep mum or are busy working with the fascist government in refief and rehabilitation. In the absence of left-democratic forces in Gujarat, the victims of disasters and genocides have only to choose between BJP, Congress, NGOs and fundamentalist religious groups!
 
The entire Gujarat Development documentation is regularly put out through an e-group and can be viewed at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GUJARATDEVELOPMENT

In addition, important fact-findings, investigations, studies and reports are also available in the files section at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GUJARATDEVELOPMENT/files
 
For more details contact:
Wilfred D'Costa
Secretary (Coordination)
INDIAN SOCIAL ACTION FORUM (INSAF)
P O Box 4188, Navrangpura,
Ahmedabad 380009. INDIA
Email: willy@vsnl.com