Action by Churches Together (ACT)
Appeal - India
Emergency Relief to Victims of Gujarat Communal Violence - ASIN-21
Appeal Target: US$ 61,707
Geneva,  28 March 2002

Over 665 people have been killed in Gujarat since communal violence and
rioting broke out on 28 February. On 27 February, 58 people were killed at
Godhra on the border of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, in an attack on a
train carrying Hindu activists on their way back from Ayodhya. This
triggered violence against the Muslim minority in large parts of the
state, including Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat, Rajkot, Morbi, Bhavnagar and
the north-eastern tribal belt, bordering south Rajasthan.

The ACT implementing partners, Churches Auxiliary for Social Action
(CASA), the United Evangelical Churches in India (UELCI)  and the Lutheran
World Service India (LWSI), have been able to use their presence to bring
representatives of both majority and minority communities together and to
mobilise these communities at the village level to maintain peace and
harmony. This has resulted in keeping the villages in the respective
working areas free of violent incidents. The three partners have monitored
the situation closely, not only to see the impact of the implementation of
the Earthquake Rehabilitation Programmes, but also whether to provide
assistance to the victims of the violence. As the situation is still
volatile and politically sensitive, the ACT partners are very cautious in
taking up high profile activities.

This Appeal deals with the proposal of the United Evangelical Lutheran
Churches in India (UELCI) which plans to provide assistance to victims of
the violence in north Gujarat and around Ahmedabad, through their partners
SETU and CMAI, who are also involved in the Earthquake Rehabilitation.
The assistance comprises:

  - Food assistance and sleeping materials for 1,500 families
  - Medical assistance


Project Completion Date:  30 April 2002


Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance
Requested
                                           US$
Total Appeal Target(s)                   61,707
Less: Pledges/Contr. Recd.                    0
Balance Requested from ACT Network       61,707


Ms. Genevieve Jacques		Thor-Arne Prois		Robert Granke
Director			Director, ACT		Director
WCC/Cluster on Relations				LWF/World Service




GUJARAT COMMUNAL VIOLENCE 2002 - IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE


REQUESTING ACT MEMBER INFORMATION

United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India (UELCI)



IMPLEMENTING ACT MEMBER & PARTNER INFORMATION

The United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India (UELCI)  has been
working for many years on emergency action with the local NGOs in disaster
struck areas.  UELCI worked with Orissa Development Action Forum (ODAF) in
the Cyclone hit areas of coastal Orissa.  In Gujarat, UELCI works with a
local Partner Organisation named 'SETU' based at Ahmedabad and CMAI.

SETU, AHMEDABAD :  SETU has carried out relief operations during the
drought period between 1984-88, during communal disturbances in 1986-87
and 1990, during floods in 1993, cyclone relief in 1998-99 and is working
in the present earthquake relief and rehabilitation programme.

CMAI:  The Christian Medical Association of India (CMAI) is an association
of over 350 Christian health institutions and over 3,500 health
professionals in India, with headquarters in Delhi. CMAI has been
associated with the Gujarat Earthquake relief work.



DESCRIPTION of the EMERGENCY SITUATION

Background

Over 665 people have been killed in Gujarat since communal violence and
rioting broke out on 28 February. On 27 February, 58 people were killed at
Godhra on the border of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, in an attack on a
train carrying Hindu activists on their way back from Ayodhya. This
triggered violence against the Muslim minority in large parts of the
state, including Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat, Rajkot, Morbi, Bhavnagar and
the north eastern tribal belt, bordering south Rajasthan.


Sequence of  Events

Since 15 February, large-scale mobilisation of Vishwa Hindu Parishad
(World Hindu Council) activists started in Gujarat. Two or three carriages
full of these activists were going to and from Ahmedabad and Ayodhya
everyday in connection with the building of the Ram temple.  It is
reported that they used banners with messages to decorate the railway
carriages, got down at other railway station and made speeches about the
temple project. According to some newspaper and TV reports, the activists
were demanding free food from hawkers on the train and, in general,
'indulging in anti-social behaviour'. On the morning of 27 February, an
angry Muslim 'mob' surrounded the Sabarmati Express returning from Ayodhya
and torched three coaches. This resulted in the death of 58 passengers,
many of them women and children. Most of them were from Ahmedabad and
towns and villages of north Gujarat who had gone to Ayodhya as Kar sevaks
or volunteers of VHP. Almost immediately, stabbing incidents were reported
from Baroda. That evening a Gujarat Bandh was declared by the VHP at
Ahmedabad.  From the morning of 28 February, violence towards the Muslims
population began, which took the form of looting and burning of Muslim
shops, restaurants and businesses all over Ahmedabad, attacks on vehicles
and on Muslim residential areas leading to killings. Eyewitness accounts,
newspapers and TV reports confirm that the violence was exacerbated by
police complicity and inaction. Even though the law and order machinery
had broken down there was delay in calling in the army.  The Hindu groups
burnt the Wakf Board and Minority Economic Development Board located in
the old Secretariat building at the state capital, Gandhinagar. Trucks
driven by Muslims were burnt in front of the Gujarat High Court, shops
were burnt and a Dargah razed to the ground in front of the Police
Commissioner's office. This further suggests the extent of the breakdown
of the law and order machinery. Over the next five days the violence
spread in the villages and towns of Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Patan,
Mehsana, Sabarkantha and Panchmahal districts in the north, Kheda, Anand
and Baroda districts in central Gujarat. Violent incidents were reported
from Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Morbi cities and some villages.



Death Statistics as of 7 March 2002


Death


Place
By Police Firing
Deaths
Total

Meshsana
03
38
41

Ahmedabad
99
212
311

Ahmedabad - Rural
01
09
10

Vodadra
04
19
23

Vodadra - Rural
02
00
02

Surat
04
02
06

Rajkot
0
04
06

Anand
06
09
15

Godhra
02
33
35

Godhra - Western Railway
02
62
64

Sabarkantha
05
34
39

Kheda
10
08
18

Bharuch
00
01
01

Gabdhinagar
01
06
07

Junagarh
02
03
05

Dahod
00
10
10

Narmada
02
00
02

Patan
02
04
06

Bhavannagar
05
06
11


150
460
610



Impact on Implementing Partner -  SETU

Ahmedabad city was under curfew and the UELCI co-ordinating office, based
at SETU, could not function for a week. The tension and fear for safety,
lack of public transport and breakdown of law and order affected everyone,
both physically and mentally.


Impact of violence on Earthquake Rehabilitation areas and programme

In the areas were the earthquake activities are ongoing, there are people
belonging to both majority and minority communities. Despite the tension
and fear, SETU staff was able to mobilise the village level communities to
maintain peace and harmony. This contributed to keeping the villages of
UELCI areas free of violent incidents. However, due to the restriction on
movement and atmosphere of fear and tension, earthquake rehabilitation
efforts were slowed down, as reported in Update 01 / 02, of 19 March.

It is anticipated that as this violence is connected with the Ayodhya
temple issue the tension and sense of insecurity may continue over the
month of March as Muharram and Holi (two festivals with a history of
triggering of inter-community conflict) occur in the last week of this
month.


Implementing Partner's (SETU) response to the situation

Seeing the serious breakdown of law and order the SETU team focussed on
the issue through media advocacy.  SETU intervened through the Star TV
network, BBC and national and local English newspapers as well as
electronic newspapers such as Rediff.com.

The SETU team participated in networking with other NGOs for restoring
peace in Ahmedabad and also participated in a peace prayer 1 March and a
peace march on 4 March.

The SETU team co-ordinated with other NGOs as well as international donors
such as Oxfam and Actionaid to plan for relief activities in about 20
camps with 40,000 people, scattered over Ahmedabad. Setu team members met
the District Collector to finalise relief modalities, police protection
and prompt disbursal of compensation to affected families.


Locations of the Proposed Response

The proposed area to be covered under this programme lies in north Gujarat
where large scale destruction and arson has taken place.  Virtually no
village has been spared and the proposed 1,500 families beneficiaries in
the relief programme are from almost 50 villages in the neighbouring areas
around the camps.  In the looting and arson, a total of 7 deaths occurred
and destruction of houses, shops and business establishments was 100%.
As a result the people moved to nearby villages and towns where their
community members are in greater number and where they could experience
some security and safety.  SETU would like to work in these villages
because they have roots in the area, having worked there for the past two
decades.  As a result, they have links with the community and a sister
organisation has office infrastructure and support staff to carry out the
programme.

UELCI/SETU will focus on seven camps as listed below. As many NGOs are
already engaged in relief activities in Ahmedabad, Setu would like to
focus on immediate relief activities in the affected areas of interior
rural villages of Sabarkantha District. This is a predominantly tribal
area, bordering Rajasthan. Relief efforts will be focussed on poor Muslim
families. This would be followed up with legal support and advocacy
efforts for compensation. As part of relief assistance Setu would like to
distribute food assistance and sleeping materials to 1,500 families as
given below:


Block
Village Campsite
No. of Families
Families came from
Distance from Ahmedabad

1
Idar
Sabli
151
Villages of Himmatnagar, Idar, Vadali, Khedbrahma and Bhiloda Blocks
115 kms.

2
Vadali
Vadali Camp I
600
Villages of Idar, Khedbrahma, Danta and Vijaynagar Blocks and some from Mehsana
125 kms.

3
Vadali
Vadali Camp II
246
Villages of Idar, Khedbrahma, Danta and Vijaynagar Blocks and some from Mehsana
125 kms

4
Idar
Mansuri Masjid
133
Nearby villages of Idar Blocks
105 kms.

5
Idar
Gambhirpura
141
Nearby villages of Idar Blocks
110 kms.

6
Idar
Madina Society
107
Nearby villages of Idar Blocks
105 kms

7
Idar
Madina Masjid
122
Nearby villages of Idar Blocks and Idar town
105 kms


2
7
1500




CMAI will focus its medical assistance around Ahmedabad, with their
partners who have been collaborating in the earthquake programme.




GOAL & OBJECTIVES

The main goal is to provide emergency relief to the most vulnerable of
those families affected by the communal violence in Gujarat.


Objectives

To provide immediate food assistance and sleeping materials for 1,500
families

To provide medical assistance

To undertake peace reconciliation efforts and public advocacy



TARGETED BENEFICIARIES

SETU assistance will focus only on the affected Muslim community as they
are the only ones who have been systematically targeted and attacked.
Not only have lives been lost, but their homes and entire means of
livelihood has been destroyed.  As they have fled they have been unable to
harvest the crops in their fields.  No other minority has been similarly
affected.  Four non-Muslim deaths have occurred in police firing and they
are being compensated by the state and also their homes and means of
livelihood are intact. The beneficiaries will belong to landless and
marginal farmers from the Muslim Community in 7 camps in Sabarkantha
District.



PROPOSED EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE & IMPLEMENTATION

Food assistance and sleeping materials

1,500 families will be provided with food materials such as wheat, dal,
edible oil, sugar and tea for 30 days @ Rs. 1167/Rs per family.

Each of these 1,500 families will also be provided with sleeping materials
- at least 4 bed sheets per family.

The affected families are living at camp sites and at their places of
worship.  There is an urgent need for food items as their homes were
destroyed and they fled without food or any possessions.  Food supplies
are needed in the community kitchens at the camp sites and sleeping
materials as the families have nothing to sleep on or cover themselves.



Medical assistance will be undertaken by Christian Medical Association of
India (CMAI) a unit of NCCI.

CMAI have requested some help towards medical assistance to be provided
together with their partners who have also been collaborating in the
earthquake programme.  The lumpsum mentioned in the budget includes local
travel, honorarium to medical personnel, purchase of medicines and cost
running mobile clinics in the affected areas in and around Ahmedabad city.



Advocacy

Although, at this stage it has been decided to concentrate on food and
sleeping materials, UELCI will prepare, simultaneously, relevant papers
for filing compensation claims and start legal support and advocacy around
these issues. While the importance of peace and reconciliation is clear,
certain conditions will have to be fulfilled - cessation of violence,
lifting of the curfew and some semblance of normalcy with people's
feelings and emotions cooling down before anything can be done in that
direction. To ensure that such work can be taken up a provision for this
is made in budget.

All the above activities will be carried out by the implementing partners
in close co-operation with the victims living in the camps.  To
co-ordinate the above activities volunteers, staff, travel and
transportation including office expenses is foreseen.



ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE, MONITORING & REPORTING


Administration

The relief work will be administered by the implementing partners in this
case SETU and CMAI. Both the partners work will be co-ordinated by UELCI.



Finance

The money will be received through an FCRA account of IRDWSI - a project
of UELCI. Once the money is received in this account, the money will be
transferred to the implementing partner's FCRA account in Gujarat and in
Delhi. UELCI will take the responsibility along with the partners to
operate within the existing management controls.



Monitoring

Meetings related to monitoring will be held as and when necessary both at
the central level (Ahmedabad) and at the Camps level.



IMPLEMENTATION TIMETABLE

The estimated time plan is one month to 30 April 2002. If there is a need,
funding an extension may be looked into.



COORDINATION

UELCI will have a continuous co-ordination mechanism to be in touch with
the implementing partners. Co-ordination meetings will be organised at the
camp to central level. The implementing partners will have their own well
established co-ordination procedures. Depending on the nature of work and
resource needs co-ordination will be facilitated. Reports will be shared
on completion.  Information is also shared with the other ACT implementing
partners.



BUDGET

ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE

Description	Type of	No of	Unit Cost	Budget	Budget
	Unit	Units	INR	INR	US$
DIRECT ASSISTANCE
CRISIS PHASE
Food Assistance for 1,500 Families
Wheat flour	Kg	90,000	8	720,000	15,177
Oil	Liter	9,000	45	405,000	8,537
Dal	Kg	9,000	27	243,000	5,122
Sugar	Kg	9,000	17	153,000	3,225
Tea	Kg	2,250	102	229,500	4,838
Sub Total				1,750,500	36,899

Shelter Provision for 1,500 Families
Bed sheets	Piece	6,000	115.00	690,000	14,545

Medical inputs
Medical inputs	Lumpsum			200,000	4,216

Total Crisis Phase				2,640,500	55,660

MATERIAL TRANSPORT, STORAGE, WAREHOUSING & HANDLING
Rental of truck and related costs	Lumpsum			75,000	1,581
Costs for labor and storage	Lumpsum			16,500	348
Total Material Transport, Storage, Warehousing and Handling		91,500 	1,929

PERSONNEL, ADMINISTRATION, OPERATIONS AND SUPPORT
Staff Salaries and Support
Coordinator	Month	1 	10,000 	10,000	211
Camp coordinators (3 persons)	Month	1 	15,000 	15,000	316
Volunteers' honoraria (15 persons)	Lumpsum			14,000	295
Staff Travel
Staff travel	Lumpsum			18,000	379
Office Operation
Documentation and reporting	Lumpsum			30,200	637
Total Personnel, Administration, Operations and Support 		87,200 	1,838

OTHER
Meetings	Lumpsum			6,200	131
Advocacy	Lumpsum			32,000	675
Coordination and monitoring	Lumpsum			40,000	843
Total Other				78,200	1,648

AUDIT
Audit fees	Lumpsum			30,000	632

TOTAL ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE 			2,927,400 	61,707

Exchange Rate :  USD 1 = INR  47.44


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Action by Churches Together (ACT) is a worldwide network of churches and
their related agencies, meeting human need through co-ordinated emergency
response.  The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of
Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
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