Peace Building

Citizens of Bombay and outside responded in a multitude of ways following the violence of 1992-1993. The formation of the Mohalla Committee trust with its unique effort at community building through a citizens-policemen  relationship was modelled on the Bhiwandi experiment though modified for Bombay’s needs. Two of the prominent activists of this effort, Waqar Khan and Bhau Korde from Dharawi made some significant strides. The state executive, especially the police have tried on several occasions to dilute the impact of the Mohalla Committees and hence this effort remains an effort in the making...

Several films were made in 1993-1994 and again this year, 2012 by students of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (School of Media and Cultural Studies). KHOJ education for a plural India programme was a direct intervention started by Sabrang in 1994 that works with dozens of schools all over Maharashtra with a multi dimensional approach to social studies and history teaching. Recognising that moulding the young minds through manipulated histories has been at the heart of strategies of supremacist forces, KHOJ brings in attractive supplementary materials for students of middle school as also works with the teacher community through regular training workshops. Young minds must learnt how to think, how to raise questions not what to think, is the KHOJ motto.