07-05-2005, 05:48 AM
Oh! They already ARE supporting such <b>secular</b> activities!
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Association for Indiaâs Development
Project site visit report
NGO: Society for Promotion of Rational Thinking (SPRAT) <info@mysprat.org>
Program name: Empowering the Impoverished Location: Ahmedabad, Mahesana, Himmatnagar, Vadodara cities of Gujarat
Contact: Sudha Pandey, Hassan Jowher <{info,mhj}@mysprat.org>
Visited by: Nigamanth Sridhar <nigamanth@aidindia.org>
About the group
The Society for Promotion of Rational Thinking (SPRAT) officially <b>started
functioning as an organization immediately after the communal riots </b> rocked the state
of Gujarat in Feb â Mar 2002. The primary objectives of the group are two-fold. The
first is to correct the perception in people of both Hindu and Muslim communities, by
promoting rational thinking rather than religious sentiments. The other is to provide
support and empower the poor and marginalized communities.
(Note: So it was PLANNED long before the riots? )
The main idea behind SPRATâs work is the recognition that the Hindu and Muslim
communities have been intentionally kept apart by political and social forces from
within both religions. In order to fix this situation, SPRAT aims to create alternative
linkages between the communities so that some amount of dialogue is possible
between the Hindu and Muslim people. To this end, Mr. Jowher, being a Muslim
himself, talks with people of the Muslim faith. These meetings, called Nai Subah
meetings are targeted at Muslims of all age groups, especially 20-40. He sits in front of
them, and talks to them in Urdu, full with quotes from the Quran, and asks them to
introspect a little and think about why the Hindus hate them so much. He asks them
simple, yet difficult questions such as "Why do you cheer when Pakistan wins a
cricket match against India?" He patiently explains to them that it is acts like these â
simple day-to-day acts that fuel hatred against Muslims among the Hindus; that they
should stop doing these things, and recognize and honor the reality that they are
INDIAN Muslims.
(Note: See above newsletter re: "standing in line at hospitals run by <b>KAFIRS</b> )
So far the response to these meetings have been mixed. Older people are generally not
very supportive of the idea, and the youth are not very happy at being told the truth
either. The people in the age group of 30-40 are, however, in support of the idea that
dialogue is essential between Hindus and Muslims.Â
About CARAVAN
The CARAVAN centers that SPRAT is running are another effort aimed at rebuilding
these broken community linkages. As they have been described in the proposal and
the answers, these centers are intended to be learning and discussion centers. ...
..The centers also have a library and a reading room. <b>The library is well-stocked with
books in English, Gujarati and Hindi. The books are mostly non-fiction. </b>
(note: that means, there are a few things there other than the DYFI-approved Thoughts of Chairman Mao, the Communalism Combat Teesta/Sabrang magazine, and the Sabrang/FOIL Report co-authored by Angana Cheaterji, Biju Mathew, Shalini Gera etc.)
There is also an adjoining reading room that the visitors to the CARAVAN can use. The reading
room also serves the purpose of a discussion center. There is a notice board in the
reading room which is kept current with job postings, and other
advertisements/articles of interest to the youth that frequent the CARAVAN.
Currently there are three operational CARAVAN centers â Vatwa (Ahmedabad),
Mahesana, and Himmatnagar. There is one more in Shah-e-Alam (Ahmedabad)
which is ready, but cannot be started due to lack of funds. I visited the Vatwa and
Shah-e-Alam centers.
Assessment
The group is certainly a fine one. The staff is committed and they have a vision that
they are working toward. I was especially impressed by the idea of the Nai Subah
meetings. They hold a lot of promise. The CARAVAN centers certainly have the
potential to be very useful, but as of now, the only drawback I see is that they are
located deep inside Muslim-dominated areas. <b>The possibility of Hindu people
participating in the CARAVAN programs is a little far out right now.</b> Even so, the
centers are a very useful program in the overall picture. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Association for Indiaâs Development
Project site visit report
NGO: Society for Promotion of Rational Thinking (SPRAT) <info@mysprat.org>
Program name: Empowering the Impoverished Location: Ahmedabad, Mahesana, Himmatnagar, Vadodara cities of Gujarat
Contact: Sudha Pandey, Hassan Jowher <{info,mhj}@mysprat.org>
Visited by: Nigamanth Sridhar <nigamanth@aidindia.org>
About the group
The Society for Promotion of Rational Thinking (SPRAT) officially <b>started
functioning as an organization immediately after the communal riots </b> rocked the state
of Gujarat in Feb â Mar 2002. The primary objectives of the group are two-fold. The
first is to correct the perception in people of both Hindu and Muslim communities, by
promoting rational thinking rather than religious sentiments. The other is to provide
support and empower the poor and marginalized communities.
(Note: So it was PLANNED long before the riots? )
The main idea behind SPRATâs work is the recognition that the Hindu and Muslim
communities have been intentionally kept apart by political and social forces from
within both religions. In order to fix this situation, SPRAT aims to create alternative
linkages between the communities so that some amount of dialogue is possible
between the Hindu and Muslim people. To this end, Mr. Jowher, being a Muslim
himself, talks with people of the Muslim faith. These meetings, called Nai Subah
meetings are targeted at Muslims of all age groups, especially 20-40. He sits in front of
them, and talks to them in Urdu, full with quotes from the Quran, and asks them to
introspect a little and think about why the Hindus hate them so much. He asks them
simple, yet difficult questions such as "Why do you cheer when Pakistan wins a
cricket match against India?" He patiently explains to them that it is acts like these â
simple day-to-day acts that fuel hatred against Muslims among the Hindus; that they
should stop doing these things, and recognize and honor the reality that they are
INDIAN Muslims.
(Note: See above newsletter re: "standing in line at hospitals run by <b>KAFIRS</b> )
So far the response to these meetings have been mixed. Older people are generally not
very supportive of the idea, and the youth are not very happy at being told the truth
either. The people in the age group of 30-40 are, however, in support of the idea that
dialogue is essential between Hindus and Muslims.Â
About CARAVAN
The CARAVAN centers that SPRAT is running are another effort aimed at rebuilding
these broken community linkages. As they have been described in the proposal and
the answers, these centers are intended to be learning and discussion centers. ...
..The centers also have a library and a reading room. <b>The library is well-stocked with
books in English, Gujarati and Hindi. The books are mostly non-fiction. </b>
(note: that means, there are a few things there other than the DYFI-approved Thoughts of Chairman Mao, the Communalism Combat Teesta/Sabrang magazine, and the Sabrang/FOIL Report co-authored by Angana Cheaterji, Biju Mathew, Shalini Gera etc.)
There is also an adjoining reading room that the visitors to the CARAVAN can use. The reading
room also serves the purpose of a discussion center. There is a notice board in the
reading room which is kept current with job postings, and other
advertisements/articles of interest to the youth that frequent the CARAVAN.
Currently there are three operational CARAVAN centers â Vatwa (Ahmedabad),
Mahesana, and Himmatnagar. There is one more in Shah-e-Alam (Ahmedabad)
which is ready, but cannot be started due to lack of funds. I visited the Vatwa and
Shah-e-Alam centers.
Assessment
The group is certainly a fine one. The staff is committed and they have a vision that
they are working toward. I was especially impressed by the idea of the Nai Subah
meetings. They hold a lot of promise. The CARAVAN centers certainly have the
potential to be very useful, but as of now, the only drawback I see is that they are
located deep inside Muslim-dominated areas. <b>The possibility of Hindu people
participating in the CARAVAN programs is a little far out right now.</b> Even so, the
centers are a very useful program in the overall picture. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->