From: jakhan@IASTATE.EDU (Javed A Khan)
Subject: Re: Conflict: Remedies
Reply-To: jakhan@IASTATE.EDU (Javed A Khan)
Organization: Iowa State University
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 17:23:18 GMT

In article <sdviQq200VB=8=skUV@andrew.cmu.edu>, "Arun K. Gupta"
<ag3l+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
> 
> 
> Continuation of:
> 
> Hindu-Muslim Conflict in India: Causes and Remedies
> 
> by Iqbal Ansari (Dept. of English, Aligarh Muslim University)
> ***
> 
> People's conscience has to be sensitized and aroused against the
> brutalization of society. There is a danger of people becoming
> insensitive and callous to the killings, maiming, torturing,
> mutilating, raping and burning alive of innocent men, women and
> children.  The worst aspect of communal violence is that in most cases
> the victims are absolutely innocent people.  They are subjected to
> violence and cruelty just because they happen to belong to a particular
> community, and because they are mostly weak and unprotected members of
> the community.  It would be admitted that this is worse than bloodshed
> in wars between nations, where war objectives are defined and rules of
> the game are known.  Whenever there are violations of the rules, voices
> are raised asking combatants to adhere to the rules. Even in a civil
> war objectivers are known. Chances of one party emerging victorious and
> the other being vanquished are not negligible.  But as in a nuclear
> war, there are no victors or vangquished after the devastation of a
> communal carnage. Objectivess are none else than letting out of anger
> and hatred against the `malicha' and the `kafir', i.e., letting the
> beast in us have an upper hand.  There used to be a code of honor which
> prohibited one from attacking an unarmed person or a child, a woman and
> the aged. This has to be revived. Ther could be on greater cowardly act
> and heinous sin in the eyes of God than to kill a rickshaw-puller, a
> school-child, an old woman or a lone bus passenger just because one's
> wrath has been aroused by some religious or political leader's saying
> or doing somewhere. If at all there is a need for revenge, let it be
                                                   ^^^^^^^^^

> enacted according to the rules of the game with a code of ethics and
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> code of honor.
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^



Whats this guy talking about? He wants to codify the art of exacting revenge.




> 
> Human rights bodies need to document the brutalities of communal
> violence and present them to the people not only through the print
> media but also through the visual media.
> 
> There is also a need to document and present through visual media the
> brutalities of police violence against people during communal riots as
> well as against other disadvantaged sections of people. This will be
> possible only if we replace the `hush-hush' policy with that of frankly
> admitting reality and letting everyone see the consequences of communal
> hatred and violence. Investigative reporting in the press sometimes
> does this. But documentary films and exhibition of stills depicting
> gory incidents as well as scenes of arson and destruction are likely to
> be more effective in rousing people's conscience. (after this paper was
> presented in July 1987, Tamas the TV film on communal violence in the
> wake of partition was screened. Although this was bitterly opposed by
> some quarters, people in general, according to press reports, welcomed
> it.)
> 
> But `seeing' is not enough. One can get shocked once or twice by visual
> representation of heinous acts, but that may make one develop immunity
> as a device for survival. It makes us realize how important it is to
> develop in us a sense of human values and human rights. It is this that
> the Indians or the sub-continentals are most lacking in.
> 
> The following institutional measures are suggested to meet the
> situation on a permanent basis:
> 
> 
> (a) Community Relations Council
> 
> This is to be a watch-dog body  monitoring, analyzing, reporting all
> events, deeds, words -- in the print and the visual media -- that are
> likely to adversely affect communal harmony and peace. Apart from an
> apex body at the Center, it has to have branches in almost all
> communally sensitive districts.
> 
> On the basis of its research and analysis of events, deeds and spoken
> and written words having a bearing on communal peace, the council will
> send reports to all concerned -- political parties, religious
> organizations and leaders, textbook writers and boards of education,
> newspapers, AIR and Doordarshan. Efforts will be made to persuade the
> concerned persons and bodies to mend things. In case persuasion fails,
> the council will initiate legal action, for which it will be empowered
> statutorily.
> 
> The council will have a cadre of research officers, experts and social
> workers, headed by a committee of eminent persons to frame policies and
> directions.
>


His recommendations are exotic.
But his concern is legitimate and genuine.

There has to be an honest effort by both the Hindus and Muslims on one hand and
the govt. on the other to actively prevent riots rather than having to defuse
them once they have started. 

The mutual acrimony and the increasing pile of accusations and
counter-accusations
by both sides has to be stopped and a lead should be taken by sincere people to
increase understanding and trust between the two communities and dissolve the
eviron-
ment of hysteria which has polarised the nation today.

The distressing thing about the state of the nation is that the intellectuals
..the educated elite.. have fallen prey to the 'communal logic' advanced by the
politico-religious pressure groups and extremists on both sides of the divide
and have been singularly lacking the ability to rise up to counter the
challenge
from the 'communalists'.


--Javed




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