Caste Conflicts

An incident at Chunduru Village Andhra Pradesh, India

VIKAS GORA

Caste Hierarchy

Brahmins (Intellectuals)Kshytriyas (Soldiers)Vishayas (Entrepreneurs) Sudras (Work Force)

- Dalits (Untouchables)

Map of India & Andhra Pradesh

The Issue

August 6, 1991, Chunduru Village, 150 familiesGuntur District: Caste sensitive areaLand Issue between landlords and peasants8 Dalits were butchered after they stabbed todeath four Reddy Landowners.Dalit Bodies were packed in gunny bags anddisposed into irrigation canal.Brutality of murders struck the national news.

Onslaught

32 killed on both sides2 police officers investigating the crimewere murdered.150 were injured and 40 survived fatalinjuries.Govt. issued 21 day curfew with ‘shoot atsight’ orders

Pre 1991

50 years of co-existence within the villageSharing common schools and PrimaryHealth Centre.Both castes housed in the sameneighborhood.

Source: http://www.wider.unu.edu/conference/conference-2004-1/conference%202004-1-papers/Venkatesan-Thorat-0206.pdfAccessed on Sept. 4, 2007

Third Party NGO

Atheist Centre, an NGO with secular, nonreligious, Gandhian social developmentphilosophy.Started 1940.Founders : Gora (1902-1975) andSaraswathi Gora (1912-2006)

Govt. Recognition of Founder: GoraCommemorative Postage Stamp (2002)

NGO has 67 years of conflict resolutionexperience (Focal points: rehabilitation ofextremists, criminal settlements, landlordism,religious fundamentalists, inter & intra casteconflicts, witchcraft & sorcery, trafficking, templeprostitutes etc)

NGO as a Third Party Mediator on the request ofState Level Dalits & Reddy Organizations and theSupreme Court of India.

Plunged into action on the Fourth Day after theconflict.

The Actors

12 member NGO Team:6 Social Workers, 3 Doctors, 1 Member ofParliament, 1 Member of LegislativeAssembly & 1 Documenter.

Accompanied by:Police Commissioner,LawyersMedia.

Objectives of the Third Party

To work towards a consensus between thecaste leaders within one month.To isolate the conflict and not to make itcontagious to caste sensitive areas.To bring back collaboration and peaceamong the castes.To facilitate the germination of acommunity based conflict resolution plan

Gandhian Conflict Resolution Satyagraha Approach

Begins with negotiation & arbitrationOn site accumulation and analysis of facts, withopponent participationIdentification of interests in common withopponentsFormulation of limited action goal acceptable toall parties and mutual discussion of the same.A search for compromise without ceding onessentials.(If conflict not resolved: Direct Action – agitation,non cooperation, civil disobedience etc.)

Transformative ApproachLederach describes the paradox posed bycommitment to process vs. commitment tooutcome. Which is more important, themeans or the ends?He calls this the "Gandhi Dilemma," andnotes that the transformative approachsimilarly adopts a Gandhian solution.

Commitment to process becomesunderstood as a commitment to a particularphilosophy and lifestyle: the pursuit of truthand the restoration of relationships.

The desired outcome is also similarlyreconceptualized as achieving commitmentto truth and restoration.

Third Party Mediation ProcessTransformative Process was followed

Rapport Building:Interaction with Heads of both castes,Village Local Self Governments, thesurvivors of the victims, women & youth.

Conflict Analysis:Sharing of findings between the teammembers.

Designing the Plan: Based on the findings and rapport building.Methods used: - Public gathering and talking about solidarity of the community before the conflict- Peace March- Peace Circle - Cosmopolitan Lunches- Children’s and youth cultural evenings - Caste Heads sharing common dais

Community Based Conflict Resolution

Promoting tolerance among youth andcaste & religious leaders through trainingand capacity building.Strengthening next generationIntegrated development programs (Water,Health, Education, Livelihoods, Gendersensitivity etc)Peace Education as a component of MoralScience

ChallengesPoliticization of the conflictOver sensitization by the MediaStopping the triggering of the conflict fromlocal to regionalBalancing dialogue between the families ofthose murdered and of the murderers.Providing assurance to Govt. for lifting thecurfew.Conflict Resolution under the watchful eyesof police gunmen.

Positive Signs of Mediation

Caste Heads and Panchayat Leadersrecognizing & trusting the organization tobe the 3rd Party.A ‘public oath’ of both Caste Heads thatsuch incidents will not occur again andcoming to a Compromise.

Observations

Since 1991 till date, no caste conflict inthe village.Approx. 20 inter-caste marriages from thevillage were performed by theorganization.

Legal Action

Supreme Court set up a Special Bench.Outcome:21 people were sentenced to life imprisonment35 people were sentenced for one year imprisonment123 people had to pay a fine of Rs. 2000 each for burning the houses.

Life of the Intervention

Life of InterventionAddressing the event: 29 daysPeace Education : One month

ReferencesJohn Paul Lederach, "Introduction," and "A Framework forBuilding Peace," chapters in Preparing for Peace: Conflict TransformationAcross Cultures (Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press, 1995), pp3-23. Summary by Tanya Glaser. Copyright ©1997 by the Conflict ResearchConsortium.

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