Getting to the root of the issue..

First a look at the events ..

1984 - Anti Sikh violence - violence centred in Delhi and neighbourhoods. killings lasted 4-5 days. Trigger: Assasination of PM Indira in retaliation for Operation Bluestar.

1991 - Cauvery Riots - violence centred in Bangalore - killings lasted one month Trigger: Tribunal decision in Cauvery dispute

1993 - Bombay riots - violence centred in Bombay city and suburbs. Trigger: Babri Masjid Demolition.

2002 - Gujarat riots - nearly 150 towns and 1000 villages affected. killings lasted 2-3 months. Trigger: Godhra Train carnage .

2007 - Nandigram violence - nearly 5-6 villages affected. Killings going on for over 10 months. Trigger: WB Govt plan to allow SEZ in Nandigram.

Its with purpose that im leaving out the gory details. We have the difficult task of maintaining an analytical frame of mind.

Is there anything in common in these events? After reading various articles about the Nandigram violence, I could see one qn being asked frequently: "What exactly is going on in Nandigram?". We can safely assume this is a common qn whenver violence happens in Rural areas. We dont know exactly what is going on. That, to me, explains the longer duration for which violence lasts when it happens in Rural areas as compared to urban areas. The secondary problem, in my opinion, is that paucity of information affects response of those really concerned about restoring peace.

The primary problem. Please note that I have used the word "Trigger" and not "Cause" in the overview of violent events listed above. Thus, in my opinion, the violence was not caused, but simply triggered by the incidents, be it Godhra Train burning, or the Babri Masjid demolition. So, what were the causes? We dont have to look for an expert answer .. the point is.. Its important to ask this qn and discuss with the people around us, if we are to prevent such incidents from happening around us in future.

We are part of the problem and we know it .. Forget what the media says and think for yourself .. A statement from a Community media workshop : "Media is creating a gap between perceived experience and lived experience". Thus while Nandigram problem was brewing, we complained of inadequate media coverage of Ash-Aby wedding. Just imagine, would anybody in Nandigram watched news, except for entertainment till October, when Nandigram started making it to the headlines. See the difference between perceived experience(created by media) and lived experience(our actual lives)?

The point im trying to make is that there is a clear need for community media - localised and democratic. I remember a community media class when a speaker had predicted that in the Information Age, community media will give Conventional News Media a run for their money. I hope it happens soon, the first signs of violence in Nandigram would make Headlines in Nandigram Times the next day, prompting peace efforts from various quarters.