SFG: GMB020
Duration: 01:02:23; Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1; Hue: 36.968; Saturation: 0.261; Lightness: 0.183; Volume: 0.211; Cuts per Minute: 3.013; Words per Minute: 37.523
Summary: This contains an interview with a camp organiser who talks about the difficulties of running the camp, having to fight in the court to get rations sanctioned from the state government, and about receiving threats to close down the camp etc. He shows copies of compensation cheques with ridiculously small amounts given to the survivors. This also contains an interview with a person from a locality (#AD4) which actually resisted the rioters for half a day. The last few minutes consist of camp residents complaining about the difficulties they are facing and the impossibility of returning home if the camp closes now. Residents complain against neighbours' involvement and police inaction.
Part of this video belongs to a collection documenting the events of three days in #AD4, a slum colony in Ahmedabad city, after the burning of Hindu activists on the Sabarmati Express at Godhra station on Feb 27th, 2002.
The Godhra killings were shocking in themselves, but the Hindu right-wing's systematic targeting of Muslim citizens for three days after Godhra shook the faith of all who had believed the country to be a secular democracy where the rule of law is upheld (for the most part), by the State.
For three days – Feb 27th, 28th and March 1st - the state government and state police allowed the right-wing mobs to "retaliate". They raped, looted, burned and murdered freely. We know this through thousands of first-hand accounts related by the victims and witnesses of the rampaging mobs and indifferent government agencies.
About a month after the post-Godhra carnage, citizen journalists formed the Shared Footage Group that travelled through the relief camps, decimated slums and housing societies to record people’s accounts of what happened in those three days. The stories are varied. Victims in some cases comprised Dalit Hindus, and saviours, in some instances, included local political leaders and policemen with a conscience.
See other videos documenting the events at #AD4:
From One Basti in Ahmedabad
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gives names of colleagues and himself
Interviewer is at a relief camp in Ahmedabad. He speaks to (#MN37) - The interviewee, a businessman, has been selflessly managing one of the relief camps since 28th February 2002. The pathetic facilities in the camp by different government agencies forced them to approach the High Court for relief. He laments that the people in the camp either haven't received their monetary compensation or have received very meagre amounts. Government relief started coming in from 10th March, but the harassment through deprivation continues in different ways. NGO's are the only ones helping. The government is adopting all kinds of ploys to force the camp to close down.
madhav mill compound camp
Interview
Shot on 18.06.02 03:45pm
Type Details:
int with #MN37, m, 40+, camp organiser madhav mill compound camp, talks about- government help got from 10th march, how government officials harass by coming for counting at any time of the day & government is forcing us to close the camp
madhav mill compound camp
Interview
Related Story:
Shot on 18.06.02
Type Details:
#MN37- mentions about #AD4 basti (#AD3 basti )
, 221 families with nowhere to go. Of the 358 families in the camp, 353 have not got compensation cheques
#AD4 story
The camp houses people from the lower and lower middle classes with small businesses like tailoring or rickshaw pulling. They represent almost all the areas worst affected by the riots. He alleges that the government's larger game plan is to ride the present wave of hatred and hold elections quickly to secure power. The police was not only inactive but abetted rioting. No one has a home to go back to; those who did leave to relocate, are not able to settle down there because of the neighbours; they are provoked and harrassed, so they return to the camp.
People in this camp, have nothing to go back to. It's not easy for even NGOs to rebuild so many houses. Government systems for relief especially for lost lands and property, are a mere eyewash. Officials never turn up when they are supposed to be there.
To the interviewer's question on how many people got monetary compensation, he said that only one man received 50,000, another 35,000 and a third 15,000. None of the others in the camp have recieved more than 4400/-
On why this distinction in relief, he says it depended on the Surveyor. But in most cases, it was not a local surveyor but someone from another district, who didn't know anything of the place. He went by his own area's understanding of land rates etc, which vary significantly from place to place, so most people have received barely 20% compensation for their losses.
On the imminent prospects of rain and its impact on homeless people, he says the government is making empty promises but no arrangements. Even the basic amenities are not available to the people in the relief camp.
He credits NGO's with having made some arrangements to protect people from rain. Putting them up in schools as proposed by the government, is not a solution since children can't be deprived of their school space. There is no saying how long the affected people will have to stay there.
The camp, he says, is within a very old mill, dating back to the British times. which has been lying closed for some time. The owner is a respected man, who has opened up a part of it, to house the relief camp. Even some Hindu families are in the camp.
On why the mill closed down, he says the mill has been closed for long. The space has been let out to small businesses.
The camp has a mix of people including the Hindus, all affected by the riots. Even they haven't received any compensation. The camp has over 1700 people making up for 358 families today.
On when and why the need for a relief camp, he says people had come running after their homes were burnt down so there was no choice but to start the camp. Some businessmen, like him, made personal contributions to start the effort. Then came the NGO's and much later, the government. Official relief is mired in paperwork and massive procedural delays.
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mentions colleagues
Detailing government relief in the 7-years since the camp was set up, he says nothing came their way easily and on time; no rations, fuel, water, sanitary facilities, garbage clearing etc. It's only after the High Court's intervention that government started giving relief. Court cases for these basic facilities, are pending final disposal.
The government agencies come thrice a week to do a head count, and each time finding a variation in numbers, come down heavily on camp managers. They want all the people living in the camp to be present when they come for the count. Thats an impossibility since they all have other things to do, for which they have to be away from the camp. Its a relief camp, not a jail! Completely fed up with this approach of the government, they have sought the closure of the camp from the Collector. Fed up with government's antics and threats, and stoppage of all relief by the government, the camp has officially been closed. Unofficially, it is still on.
Interviewer asks for clarification on government's stated policy of giving 6-months' rations for people whenever a camp closes down
These are all empty promises by the government. People have still not received their bare minimum monetary compensations. Ration cards have been issued, but there is a lot of discrepancy in the numbers. The government has fixed 19th May as the cut-off date for ration cards; those living in camps before that are not eligible. What is to be done?
Interviewer asks to be shown a card.
He says the cards detail relief, but there is no certainty of what will actually be received.
He shows a big bunch of cheques received as relief; all for small amounts ranging from Rs. 2000/- to 4000/-
madhav mill compound camp
Interview
Shot on 18.06.02
Type Details:
#MN37 shows the cheque and mentions the amount
Visual
Pink ration card being shown. Then he shows the yellow card which was given at the start of the camp.
madhav mill compound camp
Interview
Shot on 18.06.02
Type Details:
shows the pink colour card which government gave to the victims for vacating the camp & also the card which was given initially when camp started- also talks about both the card
Visual
Interviewer asks for the difference between the two cards
The yellow card, he says, is proof of all relief received by the holder of the card including monetary compensation. It gives details of where the person has come from, a head count of his 6-family members entitled to rations and the the daily ration quota that is fixed by the government per head per family (flour, rice, oil, pulses, sugar and milk powder), plus Rs. 5/- to have their meals cooked. These five rupees come to the camp managers for cooking meals. Government rations have to be supplemented. Half the time, the column for receipt of cheques is empty; the government doesn't pay!
The government issues them pink cards when they leave the camps. These cards carry details of rations stipulated to be given to them by the ration shops for 6-months after they have left the camp. But they have no money to buy rations from the shops. These ration shops too are closing down because there are no supplies by the government. So people don't want to leave the camp.
On the future of the camps, he says, they will be there till people stop fearing for their lives; the ensuing Rath Yatra is a big cause for concern. People fear a repeat of what happened; Police has been most ineffective in dealing with the riot situations. The victims are in jail, while the perpetrators enjoy life. The government also doesn't want the minorities to come up in life.
The rath yatra is a month away; till then at least these people will reamin in the camps; they have nowhere to go.
Not enough homes have been rebuilt by the NGOs. The compensations people have received are too meagre to build homes. At least Rs. 20000-25000/- is needed to build a house; they have been given only 2500!
On why NGO's too are not so active any more, he says the riots were too long-drawn this time, from 28th Feb to 21st April; small incidents are still happening. NGOs had built houses initially, but people were too fearful to move into them. Today they want to go there, but there are not enough homes as NGO's have withdrawn. Government plans are only on paper. Even Police is unable to handle any situations; their numbers too are on paper; most of them are not there for actual policing.
Interviewer asks him to detail areas people have gone back to, from the camps
Those who had come here out of fear and not really loss of property, have gone back to old homes or new rented premises. Camp life's dependence on others, is humiliating for them.
On the possibility of Hindus and Muslims again being able to live together in close proximity with each other, he cites the previous history of riots, which led to the ghettoisation of both Hindu and Muslim communities especially in Ahmedabad. He claims that in areas which have mixed dwellings, the Hindus are safe in predominantly Muslim areas, but it is not so for the Muslims in predominantly Hindu localities. Some Hindus continue to visit their Muslim friends in these camps. The riots were pre-planned; the Hindu homes were markedly spared. The government generated these riots, he alleges, to stay on in power by winning the elections on a communal card at any cost; it will not succeed. Everyone has been a loser in these riots, the Muslims, the Hindus and even the government.
On the role of the local press, he says, they fanned the fire, they spread the riots all over Gujarat; the police never divulged facts. So the press had a field day.
Shows a newspaper which he says, printed false reports about their camp. The paper claims that there are 5000 to 7000 Pakistani agents who are living in camps. Is it believable? They have asked the government to come and inspect if any terrorists or Pakistani agents have sneaked into the camps, but the government hasn't even bothered to come here, even to take note of all this.
Interview
Visual
madhav mill compound camp
Shot on 18.06.02
Type Details:
shows the newspaper(gujarat samachar) which has printed that in camps 5-7 pakistani isi agents are there & mentions about the vernacular media's role in this riots
He shows the interviewer the date of the newspaper which published this report.
He dismisses the alleged notion that Indian Muslims have a 'Pakistan connection'. Indian Muslims are just as Indian as the Hindus are. Pakistan is an outside entity.
New Interviewee (#MN38): He is a small trader like his father and grandfather, selling artificial jewellery. Everything was burnt in the riots.
Interview
madhav mill compound camp
Related Story:
#AD4 story
Shot on 18.06.02
Type Details:
int with #MN38, m, 30+, resident of #AD4
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gives name
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gives address
He tells the interviewer that his community members were originally Hindus (Adivasi) from beyond Bhavnagar. They were known as 'Bell sellers'.
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mentions own community
About the riots from Feb 28 onwards, he says he saw rioters vandalizing and burning vehicles on the road. So he ran away with others. But some people came back to fight the rioters, but were forced to run away to safety next door. Stayed there for 3-4 days till provocation drew them out, but they were no match for the 3-4000 strong mob that attacked repeatedly through the day. Everyone ran away once more.
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mentions locality
He says that his community has never had any problems with the Muslims who lived in the neighbourhood.
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crew member mentions locality
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mentions community
Who were the rioters? No idea. Everyone ran away in the riots; so none knows.
The police arrested some of the boys who tried to save their properties from the rioters by pelting stones; the rioters ran away but these boys were caught.
He reached the camp site with 4-5 others and was told to stay in the camp for some time for safety. He has been in the camp for about 3 months, where everyone is safe and well looked after.
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mentions activists' names
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mentions community and locality
Once here, they all received government compensation of Rs. 3000/- each in cheque and Rs. 1200/- in cash. They have yet to be covered by the survey for new homes. Losses have been very high for each family. The rioters burnt homes and looted whatever they could.
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mentions activist's name
Have lived in Gujarat for generations; never really leave this place except for brief trips to their hometown.
All of them are small traders; they buy artificial rings, bed-sheets etc. at wholesale rates and sell in retail to earn Rs. 50-100 per day.
Close-up of his hands with several rings on fingers, as he speaks to the interviewer.
Of the two earning members in his family - one brother who has four children has disappeared in the riots. After the first bout of riots and arson, he had come back but the second time around, he vanished; he hasn't returned so far. Police complaints have been lodged; efforts are being made to trace him, but no success as yet. It's been two months. Mmaybe he is in Mumbai.
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mentions community
He hopes to go back home in about two months' time; that's when the camp will close down. The burnt homes are being rebuilt.
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mentions activist's name
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mention of activist's name
Supported by the social workers, all the affected residents of his area had marched in two or three rallies to protest a proposed demolition of their 'basti' (colony). This saved their 'basti' from demolition.
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mentions activists' name and locality
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mentions activist's name
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mentions activist's name
Earlier too, all the residents had collectively fought the rioters for over four hours from six in the morning. But had to run when the mob strength grew to 3000.
Shots of forms (for monetary relief) being distributed in the camp. Chaos reigns as not enough forms available.
madhav mill compound camp
Shot on 18.06.02
Type Details:
shot of long queue for the collection of the card of the victim for the distribution of some help
Visual
Interviewer asks an old man the reason for the queue: For the card, comes the answer. Another voice is heard saying that it is for those who haven't received compensation. Complaints pour out about the delay despite the survey; officials do not entertain their queries either. Social workers have again initiated a fresh move to get the compensation for over 300 out of the 600 odd families staying in the camp, who have still not received their compensation. Fresh forms are being filled, and these applications will be sent to the Collector, to pressurize him to release the compensation. Nothing has happened so far despite repeated efforts.
A young boy says his house hasn't been surveyed as yet. an old widow with 3 young daughters has the same story; no survey, no money, a broken home. She continues to live in the camp.
Several other women's voices chime in to add to the same lament, and that the government is not bothered.
They have been in the camp for 4-5 months, which they fear may close soon. There is nothing to go back to. They blame the police for instigating the rioters. While outsiders burnt their homes, the neighbours entrusted with the safety of their homes looted them.
On whether they will feel secure in their homes once they are rebuilt, the women express fear that the next time around, they may not even be able to escape. They are still threatened against returning.
Shot on 18.06.02
Type Details:
victims telling about what is the purpose of this line, about not receiving no compensations, closure of camp, wrong type of survey, about the loss........
madhav mill compound camp
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mentions #MN37
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