The Hindu : Women show the way in Gujarat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 10, 2002

Other States

Other States - Gujarat

Women show the way in Gujarat

By Kalpana Sharma

AHMEDABAD Dec. 9. "We the women of Gujarat," they shouted in unison, "pledge to fight against communalism and casteism."

At an extraordinary gathering of over 1,000 women — Hindus, Muslims, Dalits and Adivasis from all over Gujarat — a pledge to rid the State of communalism ended a day full of moving testimonies and stirring songs and slogans.

This was not a political meeting. There were no big leaders. Yet, hundreds of women sat through an entire day to relive the terrible events of the last nine months in Gujarat and to assert their determination to prevent such events from recurring.

They came not only from as far away as Kutch but also from Panchmahals, Surendranagar, Dahod, Ahmedabad and Baroda to participate in the Mahila Ekta Sammelan organised by over 30 women's groups.

There were few dry eyes in the packed Tagore Hall, when woman after woman spoke of her experience during the terrible weeks that followed the Godhra tragedy.

"Eight out of my 11 family members were killed," said Bibi Bano of Naroda Patiya. "When we turned to police for help, they told us that they did not have orders to protect Muslims. Are Muslims not citizens of India?"

Kulsum Bano, also from Naroda Patiya, could say little more than: "My seven-year-old daughter was killed before my eyes. What was our fault?" Her head covered in a white `dupatta,' the 60-year-old Alima Ghanibhai of Pandarva could not speak much before she broke down. "My daughter-in-law and I are left to look after five small children — a boy and four girls," she said. "I can name every one of the men who killed my son and other members of my family."

The women demanded justice and wanted the perpetrators of the crime to be brought to trial. "We don't want a government that can't deal with this," said Naroda Patiya's Noorjehan Bano. Many expressed their incomprehension over the "absence of humanity" that marked the communal carnage. Why did their neighbours of decades not help them? Latifa, who worked in a camp for the displaced in Godhra, narrated how Muslims from Fatehpura, 10 km from the Rajasthan border, were sheltered by Hindus in the neighbouring State.

"So why did Hindus in Gujarat not help us," she asked.

"What is Gujarat's gaurav (pride)" asked Sophia Khan, a lawyer. "That we rape Muslim women? That we have slaughtered thousands of Muslim men? Today we feel ashamed to say that we are Gujaratis." As the women spoke of their traumatic experience, those present in the audience also wept. Many of them, especially Hindus, admitted that they were not aware of the atrocities on women during the days of post-Godhra violence. But a few who had seen the killings went on stage and apologised. Said Ilaben Parmar from Gomtipur, "I feel great sorrow at what happened to Muslim women. But whom all can we apologise to? We must not let this happen again."

Outside the meeting, most of them said they would vote. "If we don't vote, someone else will use our vote," said a woman from Malliya.

Many Muslims said that they had been assured of security and were not afraid to go out and vote.

The significance of this meeting did not lie in the numbers but in the fact that with just three days to go for the Gujarat polls, the women reminded the people that violence against Muslim women in Gujarat was unprecedented and crossed all boundaries during the riots.

They reiterated that this was a crucial election issue and not, "whether there will a mandir, or a masjid or another war against Pakistan."

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

Stories in this Section

Women show the way in Gujarat

Campaign in Godhra totally communal