Announcement: Upcoming Launch of Nagrik Ekta Manch & Release of Report on Communal Situation in Delhi (10 Dec at IWPC @ 10.30 pm)

LAUNCH OF NAGARIK EKTA MANCH , a platform of individuals, organisations and institutions for Justice and Peace & RELEASE OF A REPORT ON THE COMMUNAL SITUATION OF DELHI
By Syeda Hameed, Ashok vajpeyi, Harsh mander and Urvashi Butalia

10 DECEMBER,2014(WEDNESDAY),10.30AM
IWPC,5,WINDSOR PLACE,NEW DELHI

On November 14, 2014 some of us responding to communal conflagrations in parts of Delhi -
- notably Trilokpuri, Bawana, Ghonda, and Madanpur Khadar -- called a meeting of concerned citizens , groups and organisations while tensions still prevailed. The narratives that came forth at this meeting made it clear that communal violence was set deliberately to simmer in the city as Delhi's assembly elections were announced . This is in tune with the recent trends
during general and assembly elections which were turned into offensive exercises in communal polarisation.

Concerted efforts to stoke hatred were reported from various localities across the city and communal violence threatened to rage. Assorted community based activists, teachers and students, and other concerned citizens rushed to respond in whatever way was feasible for them -- holding dialogues with community members where tension prevailed, informing and
pressurising the city administration, the minorities commission and the police into action, standing guard with the community members for stopping violence from further spiralling, providing legal and medical aid to those affected by it. The fire-fighting was not futile. While these mitigation efforts were uncoordinated they did have some positive impact.

While fire-fighting is the need of the hour, we realise that a longer range view of the situation is needed. Nagrik Ekta Manch is one such broad-based and coordinated effort towards countering the serious challenges.

From the narratives in the report it is evident that we are faced with communalism in power.
We deduce that these processes are being utilised to produce a Hindutvisation of public spaces and the public sphere. Communalism in India has entered a new phase and we feel an urgent
need to understand the uniqueness of this ruling Hindutva communal project.
Thus, the approach adopted in defending the secular character of our public sphere and polity must be well-considered, multi-pronged and strong. Many of us as individuals or as part of civil society organisations are already responding to these challenges. Nagrik Ekta Manch is a coming together of all these efforts by groups, organisations and individuals in Delhi. The chosen name of the forum symbolically gesture at the spirit of civil society response to the 1984 Sikh

Massacres in Delhi which had coalesced under the same name.

NEM resolves to act as a platform for organisations and individuals working in Delhi and surrounding regions against communalism, for justice and peace. For practical reason while the Manch is limited to groups and individuals active in Delhi, we recognise that Delhi’s position as the capital city of the country has historically been leveraged to make all kinds of strategic and symbolic moves. This position puts Nagrik Ekta Manch too at a symbolically important position.

On 10 December, International Human Rights Day, we are meeting at the IWPC to announce the formation of NEM and also release of a report put together on the communal situation of Delhi. Do come and spread the word, invite others to join this campaign.