Two dedicated Mumbai journalists wage war against communalism

THE resolve had been long in the making, but for Mumbai-based journalists JavedAnand and Teesta Setalvad, the ’93 Bombay riots formed the turning point. Thepogroms, the manipulation of half-truths, the political subterfuge shook them deeply.Successful careers at the Sunday Observer and Indian Express suddenly meantvery little, and both opted out, choosing instead, to quote Teesta, the "tremendoussatisfaction of cause-related journalism." The logic was, if the R S S, Shiv Sena and  Jamaat-e-Islami could have the Organiser, Saamna and Radiance—why couldn’t they have a publication that would work as a watchdog and expose therhetoric of hatred ?

Thus was born Communalism Combat (C C), a slim but feisty monthly, under theumbrella of Sabrang Communications. It was exhausting work; steeped with passion, butfinancially taxing. Besides exposes on issues like the Talibanisation of Pakistan, theSrikrishna panel report and the Staines’ killing, CC translates and extractsarticles from journals and rabid mouthpieces in India and abroad— cautioning readersagainst their implications.

Their stance is clear: they’ll not abide by the fundamentalists’ intoleranceof dissent; majority and minority communalism are two sides of the same coin; and thestate should be held equally culpable for communalist violence. "Our aim," saysTeesta, "has been to marshall facts and arguments to help people counter the half -truths in which communalist forces deal." It hasn’t been an easy crusade to dothis from within the Sena’s bastion. Distributors and printers are hesitant, and CCeven had to close shop briefly in ’96-97— until well-wishers bailed it out. CCstill has a small readership— 3,500 subscribers, 12,000 print run— most of whichTeesta and Javed reach through direct mailing.

Sabrang also works as a unique media monitor— culling out issues and compilingfact-sheets, pamphlets and backgro unders , routinely sent out as "alerts" tojournalists, academics, party offices, even N R Is. Because of inherent ambivalences intheir work, over the last six years, Sabrang has had its detractions; the chief one beingthat it errs on the side of simplicity. This year, when prior to the elections, C C rana bold, strident, ad campaign against the collusive attitudes of the B J P-R S S, murmursagainst it came to a head. Angry detractors suggested that C C had been coopted bythe Congress. Teesta is undeterred and sees the flak as a sign of success; anger as anindex of impact. But even the most noble convictions, looked the other way around, can beread as biases. Mumbai playwright Vijay Tendulkar puts it best in perspective: "There’s no such thing as complete neutrality. It’s clear on which side they are, butwhat they publish is very honest. That is why I’m interested in their work."

Less visible, but perhaps more crucial is Khoj— a programme of alternativeeducational modules, being developed by Teesta. Disturbed by reactions she received fromteachers and children after the riots, she realised there were no emotional links betweenwhat one studied in the classroom and what one felt. Khoj workshops try to "createspaces for conflicts to be expressed and resolved". Besides running orientationprogrammes for teachers, Teesta works with 25 schools, private and municipal— usingfilms and interactive sessions on topics ranging from water and who controls it, incidentsof police firing to the rights of the girl child. The aim is a truly democratisededucation. K.N. Panikkar, an eminent historian who attended a Khoj workshop on South Asianhistory recently, applauds this work. "They go a long way," says he, "inexposing how communalism as an ideology affects the teaching of history. It is trulycommendable work."

If you want join hands with this group of committed and concerned citizens, write toSabrang Communications at Post Box No 28253, Juhu post office, Mumbai-49; call6482288/6053927 or e-mail sabrang@bom2.vsnl.net.in.