The book, “Reconciliation: Karwan-e–Mohabbat’s Journey of Solidarity through a Wounded India,” edited by Harsh Mander, John Dayal and Natasha Badhwar, was released by Justice A.P. Shah, former Chief Justice of High Court of Delhi and Chairman of Law Commission of India in the presence of many dignitaries, social and human rights activists, including India’s noted constitutional expert and former Attorney General for India Soli Sorabjee at Indian Social Institute on September 7.
After releasing the book, Justice Shah said, “When I heard about the journey of Karwan-e-Mohabbat, it reminded me of, “Truth and Reconciliation Commission,” in South Africa and the effort made by Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu to bring Restorative Justice to the people in South Africa after the end of the apartheid. The objective of this journey was first, in the face of violence and hate, to respond with solidarity especially with those belonging to the minority communities such as Dalits, Muslims, and Christians and secondly to make a call to shake the conscience of the majority community that have remained silent for long against violence and hatred.”
After the release of the book there was a panel discussion which was moderated by renowned journalist Sagarika Ghose. The other panelists were Harsh Mander, John Dayal, Prof Apoorvanand, Farah Naqvi and Navsharan Singh.
On the prevailing atmosphere of hate, violence and lynching, Harsh Mander, who works with survivors of mass violence and hunger, as well as homeless persons and street children, Director of the Centre for Equity Studies and a Special Commissioner to the Supreme Court of India in the Right to Food case and who led the Karwan-e-Mohabbat along with John Dayal and many other social activists, journalists, photographers, said, it will take a couple of generations to address the partition of hearts and mind in India. The country has never been as divided as now since Partition and our Muslim brothers and sisters have not been as isolated, abandoned and vulnerable as they are today. On the series of lynching he said, it should not be seen simply as a law and order problem but a “command-hate crime.”
John Dayal, a social and human rights activist, said that the only way out is to have an ideological counter narrative.
On September 4, 2017, as part of an initiative called “Karwan e Mohabat” (Caravan of Love), a group of volunteers led by Mander travelled across eight states of India to express solidarity with the victims and their families who had been targets of hate attacks such as lynchings and violence against Dalits and the marginalised in various parts of India. The Karwan-e-Mohabbat team has made 21 similar journeys in the last 12 months and will continue to do so at least once a month.