Initiative to develop self-help teams with ladies of each communities for financial empowerment and strengthen the bonds

Civil rights teams have set up peace centres in two locations affected by communal riots in West Bengal on each side of river Hooghly. The centres have been set up at Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas, the place communal and political violence raged from 2018 to 2021, and in Telinipara in Hooghly the place riots erupted in May 2020.

“Our aim is not to only talk about peace but to involve people particularly women from both the communities. At Bhatpara, the focus of the initiative is to develop self-help groups with women of both communities. This will not only help in their economic empowerment but also strengthen the bond between the two communities,” stated Subhaprotim Roy Chowdhury, from “AAMRA Ek Sachetan Parayas”, a collective of researchers and activists engaged on battle and coexistence research.

At Telinipara on the western banks of Hooghly, the place communal riots had erupted on the peak of pandemic throughout lockdown in May 2020, activists have targeted on educating and empowering the ladies.

Mr. Roychowdhury stated each “Telinipara and Bhatpara are inhabited by working class people, mostly working in jute mills largely Hindi and Urdu speaking who have co-existed with each other for generations spanning over 100 years”. These peace initiatives have been launched on August 15, on the seventy fifth Independence Day.

Mohit Ranadip, a physchiatric counsellor related to AAMRA, stated the riots would possibly final just a few days or months, however the scars and large psychological affect could take years to heal, and the peace initiative is a step in this course.

Mr. Randip stated AAMRA had ready two reviews —Telinipara Riot Fact Finding Report, 2020 and Bhatapara Fact Finding Report: 2018 to 2020 — and that the job of the rights group doesn’t finish with getting ready them.

After the riots whereas a number of households have returned to their properties, the distrust between the communities persists, the representatives of AMRA stated.

Complaints over compensation

People affected have additionally complaints over compensation paid to the riot victims by the State with a few of them claiming they haven’t received compensation.

Mr. Roychowdhury and different members of AAMRA stated they’ve plans of setting up comparable peace centres in different areas affected by communal violence in West Bengal.

courtesy The Hindu