| We are a group of South Asian individuals who are deeply disturbed by the events in Gujarat. We feel the need to understand the unprecedented violence in the context of a state that has such a strong base in the concept of Ahimsa. Although the rise in fundamentalist thought seems central, the complicity of the State in allowing the rampages to proceed was unprecedented; this led us to focus on the behaviour of what might have seemed a secure majority. We thought we may begin our search by attempting to debate the issue of why this majority is threatened to the the point of falling prey to primitive and base behaviour. Our aims would be: • a clarification
of what is happening and why, and to move towards informed opinion
and policy both here and in India. |