For lasting peace
NARESH GULATI
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ANHAD organised a seminar on communal harmony in Ahmedabad the other day.
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Every region has its local heroes whose legend motivates people down the ages and inspires many to emulate the cause they espoused. Even going by the general inertia and the modern-age indifference, even if cynics would debate the veracity of such a belief, let us accept that people at least come forward to commemorate the yesteryear heroes.
The cities of Ahmedabad and Vadodara are currently remembering Vasant-Rajab (Vasant Rao Hegishte and Rajab Ali Lakhani) on the 60th anniversary of their martyrdom. The duo laid down their lives while combating a frenzied mob bent upon killing a Dalit family on July 1, 1946, the rath yatra day. The duo had saved the day earlier by pleading with groups from two communities to avert clashes following some trouble with the yatra. But the turn of events brought wrath on the hapless Dalit family by the evening; that's when the saviours lost their own lives as a consequence of their intervention.
If it weren't for the New Delhi-based non-profit organisation, ANHAD, which started observing the day from 2002 onwards as the Anti-Communalism Day, not many outside Gujarat would perhaps known the feat of the duo who were Seva Dal members committed to the cause of harmony. In a city that saw their kind of heroism for amity 60 years back, to think and look back at the events of 2002 makes them all the more tragic and ironical.
Well, to come back to the commemoration (the year also concurrently marks the centenary of Vasant Rao), it started on June 30 under the aegis of Movement for Secular Democracy, Akhil Bhartiya Seva Dal, Gujarat Sarvodya Mandal, AWG, PRASHANT, Janpath, Pragatisheel Lekhak Sangh, Cultural Education Forum and Gandhi Peace Foundation. ANHAD organised a seminar and a special cultural tribute at Vadodara on July 1. It organised in Ahmedabad a similar seminar this past Saturday. The seminar during the day was followed with an evening of poetry and Sufi singing at the Heerak Mahotsav Sabhagar of the Gujarat Vidyapeeth, a stone's throw from the Char-Rasta on Ashram Road that holds a statue of Gandhi.
Sufi shayari
Coming from a stage done with a huge ANHAD backdrop comprising a rising sun and flying pigeons, both symbolising hope and peace, the poetry in Gujarati and Hindustani brought enough appeal for the audience comprising students, teachers, writers, intellectuals, activists and other citizens gathered at the venue. While poetess Swaroop lamented in her verses the silence of the writers and the onslaught on women in the 2002 riots and Raju Solanki pitied a city that remained a mute witness during the genocide, the climactic applause came for verses by scientist-poet-filmmaker-activist Gauhar Raza. Raza's "Mujhe Yaqeen Hai", "Naya Libas" and "Main Chahta Hun" underscored the themes of hope and rebuilding of confidence while expressing wonder at the psychology of the killer mobs. Going by the mood of the evening, singer Vidya Shah remained focused on Sufi shayari and successfully created an aura of humanism and brotherhood as she sang from the repertoire of Yari, Wali Gujarati, Kabir and Khusrau. Vidya did deviate briefly, though, to relate to the romance of the season with a verse or two from Nazir Akbarabadi.
By the end of the programme that had no formal speeches, ANHAD did succeed in proclaiming loud and clear - all we are saying is, give peace a chance!
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