International Association for Human Values Fostering Human Values through Service to Humanity Assam Relief Updated Report In July 2012 Assam saw outbreaks of riots between different ethnicities that displaced over 400,000 lives. Men, women and children have been killed; schools and houses have been burnt. Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri districts of northeast are the worst hit among five affected districts, the two others being Bongaigaon and Baksa. The resentment had ripple effects across the state and India, leaving an urgent need for intervention. IAHV Intervention IAHV volunteers are continuing to work towards restoring lives of the victims in the affected areas. Our response involves providing: Immediate material aid at our relief camps, food, water, clothing & shelter homes. Trauma Relief workshops releasing trauma and restoring hope. As a short term rehabilitation plan, we aim at fostering personal responsibility of individuals through service and mentorship programs conducted by community volunteers that empower self-reliance. IAHV is committed to rebuilding lives of the riot victims in Assam. His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of IAHV, visited the affected areas in Assam brought the victims much needed solace. He told them to face the tragedy with courage and to prepare themselves to reclaim their life. He urged them to work for a harmonious and a peaceful coexistence with the communities in the Bodo-land. In addition to immediate relief there have been several reputed Ayurvedic doctors who have been brought to provide holistic health care. So far 18 medical camps have been organized, lakhs of rupees have been spent on medicines benefitting over thousands of people. Volunteers are distributing immediate relief & medicines.
Trauma relief workshops are being conducted to help victims combat their grievances as part of their short term rehabilitation. Over 100,000 Bodos and Muslims have benefitted from our trauma relief workshops in over 3 districts. Trauma Relief Workshops being conducted for Bodos & Muslims. Sri Sri visited the relief camp at Kajalgaon Higher Secondary School in Chirang District. Addressing a large gathering of Bodo inmates, he advised them to face the tragedy with courage and prepare to reclaim their life. He urged them to go back to the villages with the feeling of belongingness. It s really painful that such a tragedy has happened in our country, he said adding the Art of Living is there with them. At the Basugoan camp of Muslim inmates, he enquired about their safety and comfort. Sri Sri expressed his concern over the conditions of many elderly inmates and spoke to them personally. He told the inmates who have gathered to receive him that with God s grace, things would come back to normal soon. In Kokrajhar, he visited Vidyapeeth High School camp and interacted with the inmates, listening to their woes, and consoled them to face the tragedy with courage. In his bid to help the inmates overcome the lingering trauma, he advised them to see whatever has happened as a bad dream and pray for a better tomorrow. Many inmates shared their helplessness with tears in the eyes. Many regretted how long-standing harmony among different communities has been destroyed by the current riot. He reassured them that the Art of Living will work for rebuilding the trust.in all the relief camps, Sri Sri himself distributed relief materials such as clothes, babyfood, toiletries, etc to the inmates. He said the Art of Living has brought reputed Ayurvedic doctors to provide holistic health care to the inmates. In the coming days, check-up camps will be set up in almost all relief camps. In Kokrajhar, Sri Sri held a series of meeting with the representatives of various organisation including All Bodo Student Union (ABSU), Bodo People s Front (BPF), BPPF and academicians from Kokrajhar University and discussed ways and means to end the conflict and find long-term solution to the problems of Bodoland. The representatives of
ABSU also submitted a memorandum to the spiritual leader. He also had a separate meeting with the representatives of All Bodo Minority Students Union (ABMSU) at Bongaigoan and listened to their points of view. He urged them to work for harmonious and peaceful co-existence of all the communities in the Bodoland. Later addressing a press conference in Guhawati on Thursday, Sri Sri commented that mistrust and fear in the people of Assam will take time to heal and added that the Art of Living is playing the role of removing them. Summary of IAHV work in Assam (Partial Listing) Camps/Workshops in riot hit areas 1 Camp touched 22 2 Inmates covered 1,07,000 3 Trauma care held camps 15 4 Inmates covered 50,000 5 6 8 9 No of inmates who attended complete Trauma Relief Workshop 3000 Ayurvedic medical camp held camps 18 so far Patient treated with free medicine 7700 so far Relief material distributed camps 19 10 No of volunteers working 50 Details Relief Material Distributed 1 Mosquito Nets (in units) 1000 2 Shirts (in units) 2000 3 Pants (in units) 2000 4 Sarees (in units) 2000 5 Baby Dresses (in units) 1000 6 Baby Food (Kg) 1000 7 Buckets (in units) 250 8 Mugs (in units) 250 10 Ropes (in units) 250 11 Bath Soaps (in units) 3000 12 Hair Oil (in units) 250 12 Detergent (in units) 1000 13 Phenyl (in bottles) 200 15 Mosquito Coils (in packet) 500
Type of IAHV Intervention by District SL No Name of Camp District Inmates Community Type of Intervention 1 Bhotgoan Kokrajhar 5000 Muslim Material Relief 2 Titaguri Higher Sec School Kokrajhar 4500 Bodo 3 Viyapeeth School Kokrajhar 5000 Bodo 4 Commerce College Kokrajhar 4500 Bodo 5 Swarang ME School Kokrajhar 4500 Bodo 6 Sukhanzwara Kokrajhar 5000 Bodo 7 Gambarbil Kokrajhar 6500 Bodo Trauma Relief, Material Relief 8 Gosaigoan Kokrajhar 6500 Bodo 9 Kakrikola Kokrajhar 2500 Bodo 10 Basugoan Chirang 5500 Muslim 11 Kajalgoan Chirang 4500 Bodo 12 Mongolian Chirang 5000 Bodo 13 Motilal Bogoria Chirang 5000 Muslim Material Relief 14 Pura Diya Chirang 2500 Bodo 15 Lakhiganj Dhubri 8000 Muslim 16 Bilashipara Dhubri 10000 Muslim Material Relief 17 Ladanguri Chirang 3500 Bodo 18 Subaizar Chirang 3500 Bodo 19 Namjaipara Chirang 3500 Bodo Relief 20 Haktiguri Chirang 5000 Muslim Relief 21 Dhubri 2000 Muslim Material Relief 22 Lakhigoan Goraimara Chirang 5000 Muslim Material Relief
No. of patient treated at medical camps by district SL No Name of Camp District Patients treated (approx) 1 Titaguri Higher Sec School Kokrajhar 300 2 Viyapeeth School Kokrajhar 300 3 Commerce College Kokrajhar 300 4 Swarang ME School Kokrajhar 300 5 Sukhanzwara Kokrajhar 300 6 Gosaigoan Kokrajhar 500 7 Kakrikola Kokrajhar 200 8 Basugoan Chirang 1000 9 Kajalgoan Chirang 250 10 Mongolian Chirang 1000 11 Motilal Bogoria Chirang 300 12 Pura Diya Chirang 350 13 Lakhiganj Dhubri 800 14 Bilashipara Dhubri 500 15 Ladanguri Chirang 500 16 Subaizar Chirang 300 17 Namjaipara Chirang 200 18 Haktiguri Chirang 300 Total 7700
Distribution of Immediate Relief Kokrajhar Vidyapeeth Higher Secondr school Bodo Relief Camp Basugaon Higher Secondary School Non-Bodo Relief Camp Kajalgaon Higher Secondary School Bodo Relief Camp
Trauma Relief Camps
Medical Camps
Conflict resolution meeting Basugao muslim camp 1700 familie Conflict resolution meeting at Kokrajhar Circuit House