Reconciliation in Post - Godhra Gujarat : The Role of Civil Society
Contents: List of abbreviations. Preface. Acknowledgements. I. An overview: 1. The social architecture of reconciliation in India: the perspective from above. 2. Contemporary Gujarat: a socio-political profile. 3. The Gujarat Carnage 2002: a descriptive account. 4. Civil Society Intervention: The Gujarat Harmony Project. II. Case narratives: 5. Empowering women for reconciliation: AWAG and Olakh. 6. Energizing youth for reconciliation: centre for development. 7. Reconciliation through expansion of the Frontiers of Civil Society: GSWT and XSSS. 8. Mobilizing the public for reconciliation: KSSM. 9. Reconciliation through secular values: Samerth and Sanchetna. 10. Reconciliation through equitable development: Saath. 11. Training for reconciliation: Tribhuvandas foundation and Saath. 12. Psychosocial intervention for reconciliation: the role of NIMHANS. 13. Conclusion: lessons learnt and cautions required. References. Index.
"Communal violence is often a deliberate product of human design, seemingly provoked by national or religious passions. Attempts to contain it by encouraging ideas of secularism, unity in diversity and composite nationalism have failed to produce the desired results as is evident from the recurring inter-group conflicts, particularly Hindu-Muslim conflicts. To achieve a durable inter-group harmony, there is a need to impart lessons of reconciliation at the grass roots level and involve the participation of the civil society. Professor Oommen has forcefully argued this point in Reconciliation in Post - Godhra Gujarat : The Role of Civil Society.
As chair of the Gujarat Harmony Project (GHP), initiated by CARE India and comprising 12 partner NGOs, T.K. Oommen was closely associated with the rehabilitation programme in Post-Godhra Gujarat. While there were numerous attempts to provide relief and rehabilitation in post-riot situations, none of them were specifically aimed at reconciliation. In this regard, the GHP\'s role--with its focus on reconciliation along with re-building livelihood, as well as psychological healing and therapy among the victims of the 2002 Gujarat Carnage -- can be viewed as an \'innovative intervention\'. This book records the efforts launched by the GHP and challenges faced by it in building inclusive communities. In the process, Oommen has analyzed the dynamics of communal violence by situating the description of the carnage in a historical context and providing a detailed socio-political profile of Gujarat." (jacket)
