[Reader-list] NO CAVILING AT GUJARAT'S HARD FACTS

[Britta Ohm]

Ok, I think you all got it now. Sorry for criss-cross posting, there  
seems to have been a server problem.
Britta

Am 28.05.2010 um 16:31 schrieb Britta Ohm:

> Oh, thanks for your appreciating 'a German' to visit camps in  
> Gujarat, which seems to suggest that you would not expect anything  
> but a guided excursion to the Taj Mahal (or rather Akshardham, I  
> suppose), given that you seem to know that I landed at New Delhi  
> (which I mostly don't, but 'hard facts' can, as we know, become  
> anything that's stated in a way which does not allow contradiction,  
> let alone disproof). I'm not that much of an exception, let me tell  
> you. And I do not suffer from selective amnesia either but am very  
> aware of the Kashmiri Pandit camps. I find it odd, though, that they  
> only seem to come into play when other atrocities and displacements  
> of minorities are being mentioned, they do not seem to be of any  
> real concern to anybody, nobody "feels" for them, isn't that  
> strange? And how come that not even the BJP-government ventured into  
> compensation for them? The expulsion of the Kashmiri Pandits was  
> terrible but it's probably even more terrible that they became a  
> useful tool for politics. There seems to be a big interest that the  
> Kashmiri camps are "there" (always), which corresponds with the  
> interest that the Muslim camps are not "there" (at all). Or what  
> have you done, if I may ask, to highlight the pandits plight, to  
> campaign for solutions or to help?
> I'm not going to venture into your abstruse suggestion that amongst  
> the religious minorities you would not find extreme subdivisions,  
> Christians as much as Muslims in India follow variations of the  
> caste system, there are countless different sects and spiritual  
> practises (the Bohras, for instance, only exist in Western Gujarat  
> and would certainly not be seen at friday prayers in a Sunni mosque)  
> as much as syncretic traditions (which you seem to find treacheous),  
> many of whom, regretfully, have been severly endangered or made  
> extinct in Gujarat as much as in Kashmir (under very different  
> political conditions) and in many other places, and that NGOs do not  
> wear the halo of accountability and responsibility is not exactly  
> breaking news. But I also do not want to even imagine some  
> situations - such as the aftermath of the Gujarat pogrom - without  
> them. The main point here, though, was whether the camps exist at  
> all or not, and you said it yourself. I'm totally cool now, thanks.
>
>
> Am 28.05.2010 um 15:36 schrieb Rajendra Bhat Uppinangadi:
>
>> Not bad for a german to visit the camps in gujarath, and feel for  
>> the "muslims" but as you landed at new delhi, did you notice the  
>> camps of displaced people of Kashmir exisiting there for over six  
>> decades, madam, i wonder. Selective amnesia does no good for any  
>> activist.
>> By the way to term muslims and other followers of faith as Minority  
>> is misnomer for the simple reason, the other individuals in  
>> "majority" faith are so badly divided on caste, sub caste, clans  
>> and sub clans that they are the real minorities compared to the  
>> gatherings of sunday mass or friday prayers, which mobilise 90  
>> percent of the followers of the minority faiths.!
>> wprse still, is the minority have hindu names with their faith  
>> nomenclature assigned by the priests, like Mahesh maqbul batt,  
>> Naveen Ignatious D'souza, so one can easily hide the faith that he  
>> is following.!
>> That apart, all this minority and majority is the guise to grab  
>> votes to ascend the throne of power, so cool it.NGOs have not much  
>> of credibilty left as most of them are doing the business of  
>> procuring the grants and funds and very few actually use it for any  
>> worthwhile good work for the purpose it is given for. perceptions  
>> are managed to get more funds.
>> regards,
>> rajen
>>
>> On Thu, May 27, 2010 at 1:27 AM, Britta Ohm <ohm at zedat.fu- 
>> berlin.de> wrote:
>> I also have a few questions:
>>
>> a) Numbers being as stretchable to the creation of myths as any other
>> source, what about the displaced inhabitants of the 70 'semi-
>> permanent' camps scattered around Gujarat, not officially  
>> acknowledged
>> by the Gujarat government and maintained by NGOs (a few of which I
>> visited in 2007)? The Muslim inhabitants' voter IDs and ration cards
>> have to a large degree never been replaced, which means they would
>> never figure in any 'proper' survey. Does the physical displacement
>> and statistical/legal erasure of nearly 200 000 Muslims not  
>> constitute
>> a 'hard  fact'? Or is it precisely the necessary basis of 'hard  
>> facts'
>> creation?
>>
>> b) At what political and psychological price has this numerical
>> mystery been achieved? How many legal cases have been withdrawn under
>> what pressure? How many Muslims are imprisoned without seeing a
>> lawyer, or even knowing their case? What rights were sacrificed in
>> return for acceptance in employment? How many residential areas were
>> 'voluntarily' vacated (or not reclaimed) in order to not provoke
>> further exclusion? Which topics of learning and education have been
>> dropped so as to be admitted to higher education? What do the numbers
>> of primary schools close to a 'Muslim area' tell about kids'
>> discrimination? Any minority that knows it can't do anything to
>> profoundly change its situation will cooperate to the best of its
>> abilities - and after a while, helped by the outer circumstances that
>> play off 'cooperative' against 'non-cooperative' members - possibly
>> truly believe that it is doing really well and even start to  
>> discredit
>> 'non-cooperative' members of the same community. After all, it's  
>> their
>> fault if they do not progress and make their lives difficult, and  
>> they
>> better learn to adjust lest they soil the new good reputation of  
>> those
>> who cooperate willingly and see the advantages. The deal is
>> psychologically extremely straining but at the core dead simple:
>> inclusion for justice.
>>
>> The pogrom of Gujarat was not classified by the UN as an attempted
>> genocide because of the number of victims but because there was no
>> other way of doing categorical justice to the uncompromising will to
>> kill the Muslim minority. Everybody knew that it was, because of  
>> their
>> numbers, impossible to 'get them all'. Modi's 'success' thus lies not
>> in the pogrom itself but in having been able to employ it as a means
>> of ending the 'communal/minority problem' on another level. The
>> numbers of success and inclusion suggested here correspond with  
>> claims
>> and imaginations of fair and supportive minority politics. Nice. But
>> how should this be possible after a genocidal attack and the same
>> government in power? There are just things that do not go together,
>> whichever way you turn them, because they are humanly impossible, so
>> there have to be found other, more human explanations. And looked at
>> the 'hard facts' this way, it simply is more likely that they express
>> the 'actual' and realistically pursued outcome of the pogrom, namely
>> the renunciation or created sheer impossibility of democratically
>> claiming human and minority rights.
>>
>>
>> Am 26.05.2010 um 13:26 schrieb Pawan Durani:
>>
>> > Any idea of recent communal riot in Shahpur , Ahmedabad....I dont
>> > see anyone
>> > discussing that.
>> >
>> > pawan
>> >
>> > On Wed, May 26, 2010 at 4:43 PM, anupam chakravartty <c.anupam at gmail.com
>> > >wrote:
>> >
>> >> Bipin,
>> >>
>> >> I have a few questions for you: When was the Sachar committee
>> >> report filed?
>> >> Was there any such committee before Sachar to assess the condition
>> >> of one
>> >> particular community as mentioned in your post? Do you think a
>> >> comparative
>> >> analysis is required in ascertaining the conditions prevalent in  
>> the
>> >> community now and then?
>> >>
>> >> thanks anupam
>> >>
>> >> On Wed, May 26, 2010 at 3:30 PM, Bipin Trivedi <aliens at dataone.in>
>> >> wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> To an editorial published in the Indian Express on May 22  
>> titled "
>> >>> <http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hard-facts-to-face/622193/>  
>> Hard
>> >> facts
>> >>> to
>> >>> face" the Gujarat Government had sent a letter in response  
>> stating
>> >>> the
>> >>> factual position regarding the status of Muslim in Gujarat.
>> >>> <http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hard-facts/623677/0> A part of
>> >>> the
>> >>> letter
>> >>> was published in the Indian Express dated May 26, 2010. The  
>> complete
>> >>> version
>> >>> of the letter that was sent to the Editor Indian Express is  
>> enclosed
>> >>> herewith so that you will be conversant with the real hard facts.
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> Refer link:
>> >> http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hard-facts-to-face/622193/0
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> No caviling at Gujarat's hard facts
>> >>>
>> >>> How do Muslims fare in Gujarat? They fare much better compared to
>> >>> other
>> >>> states. The objective study by the Prime Minister's high-level
>> >>> committee
>> >>> headed by Justice Rajendra Sachar, appointed by Prime Minister Dr
>> >> Manmohan
>> >>> Singh in 2006, indicates that Muslims in Gujarat perform and fare
>> >>> much
>> >>> better when compared with other states in several key indicators
>> >>> such as
>> >>> education, employment, income and access to critical
>> >>> infrastructure. The
>> >>> editorial in the Indian Express dated May 22, 2010 is mostly  
>> based
>> >>> on
>> >>> perceptions and anecdotal evidences rather than hard facts.
>> >>> However the
>> >>> facts below speak for themselves.
>> >>>
>> >>> In trying to make out a case for Muslim children being given a  
>> raw
>> >>> deal
>> >> in
>> >>> primary and upper primary school enrolment facts that has placed
>> >>> Muslims
>> >> in
>> >>> Gujarat on the top of literacy ladder have been totally ignored.
>> >> According
>> >>> to Sachar committee report the percentage of literacy of  
>> Muslims in
>> >> Gujarat
>> >>> is 73.5 per cent, the highest in India. It is pertinent to note
>> >>> that this
>> >>> is
>> >>> much higher than that of national average of 59.1 per cent and
>> >>> also the
>> >>> percentage of literacy of Hindus in Gujarat which is 68.3 per
>> >>> cent. Even
>> >>> Muslim women in urban areas of Gujarat have average literacy  
>> rate 5
>> >> points
>> >>> higher than the national average and rural Muslim women are far  
>> much
>> >> better
>> >>> with their literacy rate of 57 per cent as compared to the  
>> national
>> >> average
>> >>> of 43 per cent. If Muslim children are not provided education how
>> >>> can
>> >>> Muslims in Gujarat attain the highest literacy rate in the  
>> country?
>> >>>
>> >>> During 2009-10 the enrolment of Muslim children has been 6.45 per
>> >>> cent
>> >> (as
>> >>> against 4.7 per cent reported). It should be kept mind that this
>> >> percentage
>> >>> excludes the enrolment in Madarsas and also some of the private
>> >>> schools
>> >>> which do not provide segregated data. The very fact that  
>> Muslims in
>> >> Gujarat
>> >>> have the highest literacy rate in the country proves that they  
>> have
>> >> access
>> >>> to education much better than in other states. If you look at  
>> Muslim
>> >>> education attainment those who have passed the primary stage are
>> >>> 74.9 per
>> >>> cent way ahead of the national average 60.9 per cent. In the
>> >>> category of
>> >>> those who passed secondary education Gujarat at 45.3 is ahead  
>> of the
>> >>> national average of 40.5 per cent. Even in the category of those
>> >>> who have
>> >>> passed higher secondary level Gujarat with 26.1 per cent is ahead
>> >>> of the
>> >>> national average of 23.9 per cent. In the average years of  
>> secondary
>> >>> schooling provided between the age group of 7-16 once again
>> >>> Gujarat with
>> >>> 4.29 per cent is ahead of the nationa Your reference to Juhapura
>> >>> area of
>> >>> Ahmedabad lacking schools due to "gradual disentitlement and
>> >> ghettoisation
>> >>> of Gujarat's Muslims" is specious to the say the least as the
>> >>> facts prove
>> >>> otherwise. There are eight high schools out of which three are
>> >>> government-aided schools. In Juhapura and surrounding areas there
>> >>> are 13
>> >>> municipal primary schools funded by the state government and  
>> also 15
>> >>> private
>> >>> schools. Far from being ghettoized there is ample opportunity for
>> >>> the
>> >>> Muslim
>> >>> children to enroll themselves.
>> >>>
>> >>> Secondly it has become a knee-jerk habit of secularists to pooh-
>> >>> pooh the
>> >>> good governance of the state of Gujarat. And as to your question
>> >>> if "his
>> >>> fabled governance genius translate into a better life for those  
>> his
>> >>> politics
>> >>> rejects?" the answer is clearly in the Sachar report which has
>> >>> called the
>> >>> bluff of those who have tried to besmirch Gujarat.
>> >>>
>> >>> In the very social sectors which your editorial cites as the
>> >>> indicator of
>> >>> percolation of development to the minorities, Sachar Committee
>> >>> report
>> >>> reveals the performance of Gujarat is far better than many other
>> >>> states.
>> >>> The
>> >>> document also reveals Gujarat is far ahead in terms of providing
>> >> education
>> >>> facilities and health facilities. If we take the case  
>> availability
>> >>> of
>> >>> schools in villages where there is Muslim population Gujarat is
>> >>> far ahead
>> >>> of
>> >>> the national average. In the category of villages with  
>> population of
>> >>> Muslims
>> >>> more than 2000 all the villages have education facility as  
>> against
>> >>> 98.7
>> >> per
>> >>> cent national average. In the category of 1000 to 2000  
>> population,
>> >>> 99.9
>> >> per
>> >>> cent villages have education facilities as against the national
>> >>> average
>> >> of
>> >>> 95.4 per cent. In the category of less than 1000 population 98.6
>> >>> per cent
>> >>> of
>> >>> the villages have education facility as against the national
>> >>> average of
>> >>> 80.4
>> >>> per cent.
>> >>>
>> >>> When we consider the availability of medical facilities in  
>> villages,
>> >> where
>> >>> Muslim population is more 2000, 89.9 per cent of the villages  
>> have
>> >> medical
>> >>> facilities as against the national average of 70.7 per cent. In  
>> the
>> >>> category
>> >>> of 1000-2000 population, 66.67 per cent of villages have medical
>> >> facilities
>> >>> against the national average of 43.5 per cent. In the category of
>> >> villages
>> >>> less than 1000 population, 53 per cent of the villages have  
>> medical
>> >>> facilities as against the national average of 20.2 per cent.
>> >>>
>> >>> Even in the case of other indicators such as road connectivity,
>> >>> availability
>> >>> of pucca approach road etc Gujarat is far ahead of national
>> >>> average and
>> >>> many
>> >>> other states. Even on per month per capita income of Muslims is
>> >>> more than
>> >>> the Hindus of Gujarat in rural areas. For Muslims it stands at Rs
>> >>> 668
>> >>> compared to Rs 644 for Hindus (SCs Rs 527 and OBCs Rs 594). This
>> >>> is much
>> >>> higher than many other states for example Andhra Pradesh (Rs  
>> 610);
>> >>> West
>> >>> Bengal (Rs 501); UP (Rs 509); Karnataka (Rs 532); MP (Rs 475) .
>> >>> The per
>> >>> capita income of Muslims in urban areas is also higher than the
>> >>> national
>> >>> average and many other states. (see Sachar report). The  
>> prosperity
>> >>> of
>> >>> Muslims in Gujarat when compared with other states is reflected  
>> in
>> >>> terms
>> >> of
>> >>> the bank account wise average deposit. For instance Gujarat it  
>> is Rs
>> >> 32,932
>> >>> compared to West Bengal Rs 13, 824, Assam Rs 26,319 to cite a few
>> >> examples.
>> >>>
>> >>> If you take the employment of Muslims in critical departments of
>> >> government
>> >>> such as home department, state transport dept and even in public
>> >>> sectors
>> >>> the
>> >>> percentage of Muslims occupying high posts is higher in Gujarat  
>> when
>> >>> compared with other States. Just to cite an example in Gujarat
>> >>> where the
>> >>> percentage of Muslims is 9.1 the proportion of Muslims in high
>> >>> posts is
>> >> 8.5
>> >>> per cent whereas in West Bengal where the Muslim population is
>> >>> 25.2 per
>> >>> cent
>> >>> the proportion of Muslims is merely 1.2 per cent.
>> >>>
>> >>> To discuss on each and every parameter to establish that Muslims
>> >>> fare far
>> >>> better in Gujarat is neither required nor possible to enumerate  
>> in a
>> >>> letter.
>> >>> Your editorial mentions that Modi should be open to verification
>> >>> of his
>> >>> claims of inclusive development. The above mentioned facts  
>> clearly
>> >>> demonstrate that better governance in Gujarat has been translated
>> >>> into a
>> >>> better life for all the people in Gujarat, including the
>> >>> minorities. Your
>> >>> editorial recommends open verification of the claims. The high-
>> >>> powered
>> >>> committee appointed by the Prime Minister has to a great extent
>> >>> not only
>> >>> verified the claims but also clearly established that these  
>> claims
>> >>> are
>> >>> true.
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> _________________________________________
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>> > _________________________________________
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>>
>> ---------------------------------------
>> Dr. Britta Ohm
>>
>> Institute of Social Anthropology
>> University of Bern
>> Laenggassstr. 49a
>> 3012 Bern
>> Switzerland
>> +41-(0)31-631 8995 (main office)
>> +41-(0)31-631 8997 (direct line)
>> britta.ohm at anthro.unibe.ch
>>
>>
>> Solmsstr. 36
>> 10961 Berlin
>> Germany
>> +49-(0)30-69507155
>> ohm at zedat.fu-berlin.de
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _________________________________________
>> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
>> Critiques & Collaborations
>> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with  
>> subscribe in the subject header.
>> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
>> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
>>
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Rajen.
>>
>
> ---------------------------------------
> Dr. Britta Ohm
>
> Institute of Social Anthropology
> University of Bern
> Laenggassstr. 49a
> 3012 Bern
> Switzerland
> +41-(0)31-631 8995 (main office)
> +41-(0)31-631 8997 (direct line)
> britta.ohm at anthro.unibe.ch
>
>
> Solmsstr. 36
> 10961 Berlin
> Germany
> +49-(0)30-69507155
> ohm at zedat.fu-berlin.de
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _________________________________________
> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> Critiques & Collaborations
> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with  
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> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
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---------------------------------------
Dr. Britta Ohm

Institute of Social Anthropology
University of Bern
Laenggassstr. 49a
3012 Bern
Switzerland
+41-(0)31-631 8995 (main office)
+41-(0)31-631 8997 (direct line)
britta.ohm at anthro.unibe.ch


Solmsstr. 36
10961 Berlin
Germany
+49-(0)30-69507155
ohm at zedat.fu-berlin.de