Post
Conflict Reconstruction
Interview
of the Week
Ela
R Bhatt – Founder of SEWA spoke to Purba Kalita
How have the
riots affected SEWA Members?
There are total
of 1 lac and 20,000 members in Ahmedabad. They belong to the informal
sector of the city’s economy. They are self employed, poor,
home-based producers, tiny entrepreneurs, providers of services
who sell their manual labour like rag-piuckers, loaders, unloaders,
bidi and agarbatti makers, vendors, larri and kioskwalas. All
of them have been economically affected and 40,000 of them have
been directly affected and staying in relief camps. Many people
have either themselves left to their villages or have transported
most of the members of the family there.
What is loss
of income among the informal sector workers in the city?
Some 77% income
is generated from the informal sector and the riots during period
from February 28th to April 8th, the loss
of income have been estimated at Rs.179 crores.
What has been
SEWA’s role in rehabilitating the riot affected?
We are functional
in five relief camps both the Hindus and Muslims. Since March
4th we have been helping people resume links with their
traders so they can work from the camps. We have set up child
care centres where children in various age groups are being taken
care of. Our health unit co-ordinates with the Municipal Corporation
and the State Health Services to conduct routine check-ups. We
also help to maintain hygiene and provide mobile toilets. The
literacy team of SEWA Academy conducts classes for young people.
What about their
housing?
Most people are
restless about going back to their homes. Some of them have also
started spending a few hours during the day in their homes for
cooking and bathing purposes before retiring to their camps. We
also visited their neighbourhoods to talk to the people there
and get asssurance that they will not be beaten again. Those who
want to go back are gathering their courage and SEWA is helping
them in the process. But people who don’t want to go back
should not be rushed into that.
What about those
who have lost their houses?
The government
has already started the assessment of the losses. Local representatives
have to taken along while it is carried out. The packages have
to delivered effectively and ver fast. One room house can be made
available in no time if raw materials are available. Because the
people themselves can help to build them.
When do you
see things coming back to normality?
It will take time.
There is a total mistrust in the society. It can come only by
living and working together. At SEWA people are known only by
their occupations. We have a Gandhi Prarthana which talks about
‘Sarvo Dharma’ and teaches values that help in working
towards peace everyday. One-third of our total membership are
muslims. The president and secretary of SEWA are muslims, out
of the 25 executive council members, 7 are muslims, 2 christians
and many of them are dalits.
What else needs
to be done?
The most important
thing will be providing people with security. The governement
will have to provide with more police points. Policy makers will
have to look at not just urban economy, but also household economy
because 77% of the city’s employment comes from that. Most
importantly the significance of women should not be lost. Their
role in peace keeping should not be neglected. Last but not the
least, people from informal sector should be covered under General
Insurance.
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