March 13, 2013

 

FORGOTTEN CITIZENS OF 2002

 

As a follow up to the collective decisions made at the Eleventh Memorial of the Gujarat Carnage of 2002, Survivors and lawyer representatives of the CJP met with Gujarat Revenue Secretary DJ Pandian and submitted a detailed memorandum outlining the grave issues that they face in terms of absence of amenities. Attached is a copy of the memorandum given to the government today. Issues related to home and land regularisation, sanitation and public health in the Faisal Park, Vatwa, Ektanagar, Citizens Nagar areas have been raised in the memorandum. The Revenue Secretary assured the delegation that the Collector, Ahmedabad and Municipal Commissioner, Ahmedabad would look into the issues raised by the memorandum at the earliest.

 

Victim Survivors of 2002 who are also IDPs (internally displaced persons) continue to languish in sub-human conditions eleven years after the state sponsored massacre which saw the brutal killings of over 2,000 members of the minority community and rendered thousands homeless. A year long protest programme to demand dignified rehabilitation from the Gujarat government was launched from Citizen’s Nagar, Bombay Hotel area from Thursday, February 28 2013, the eleventh anniversary of the pogrom.  The year-long mobilisation on behalf of IDPs will continue and extend to other rehabilitation colonies and IDPs living all over Gujarat. The memorandum will be accompanied by a detailed survey of 180 homes from these localities. The CJP will assist IDP communities all over Gujarat throughout the state to ensure regularization of their lands and homes, the provision of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, access to primary health and education.

 

 

 

 

Fr Cedric Prakash                                                                                Teesta Setalvad