(A synopsis of the report submitted to National Human Rights Commission)

The following describes over a two year period, the trauma faced by children after the Gujarat riots. It also describes the psyche of the children and their families and the resilience shown by them through their trauma.

It has been no easy task for the Swanchetan to work with so many traumatized children and their families at one time. Many times staff got emotionally affected with the kind of atrocities they had to hear and feelings of children that came out during their sessions. Many children have remained scarred because they were unable to find any support and therapy and they narrated their stories openly for the first time.  

Through our work, a number of children, because of counseling in groups and individually, could see the universality of what the whole community had faced and how many symptoms were common. It is envisaged by us that the counseling will continue and can lead to rehabilitation for many. We used a number of trauma related exercises to reduce their fear in groups and used intervention techniques meant for trauma victims.

The work was done with survivors from most riot affected areas and a questionnaire was also administered to a large number of children to assess their PTSD after the violence. While going into of their feelings, we discovered that the cruelty inflected was deep rooted and we had to repeat the instructions to the children again and again for them to register and understand the questions.

Our work showed that nearly sixty percent of children continue to go through a high level of trauma and through various PTSD symptoms. The children who show signs of recovery, show personality traits unlike others who did not recover such as  they helped others and were more outgoing and extroverts.

Suraiya (name changed) was attacked with swords and got grievously injured. She finds the support given by her community and human rights bodies has helped her. Even though she finds remembering all that happened to her not too easy, there is some comfort that she gained in recalling the support that was available. She like all her friends does not trust other people and remains scared though much less now. She feels reassured that her fears are normal and will get alright. She has become deeply religious and also rigid in her beliefs.

Azeez (name changed) remembered his friends and Swanchetan providing counseling that supported him during the trauma. He remembers the day three hundred people attacked his house, his mother was seriously hurt and his sister was assaulted. In his words, he wanted to die at that time but has learnt to differentiate between good and bad people after two years. Azeez was not been able to give his 10th standard exams. He feels that people of his community are still lying on the road and are hungry.

Of the overall number of people affected by riots, almost everybody said it has changed them in some fundamental ways over the last two years. Most of them said that they live one day at a time, don’t feel much hope and still feel angry but want to move on. Like Rehana (name changed) says that she has seen so much pain that there is no going back. In her words “I am not going to look back but instead move on”.

Shakeela (name changed) had seen her father and mother being killed. In her words she became ‘mad’ and even used to excrete in her clothes. Today Shakeela is picking up the threads of her life again and doesn’t want to die.

Many children have developed an insight in human nature. In their words- they recognize between good and bad and know who will help them in time of troubled memories. The ones who continued doing the exercises taught by us, reported feeling better than those who could not do so. An overwhelming large percentage found it difficult to have relationship with others and have become loners after the riots.

Rukhsar (name changed) whose left hand was cut with the sword still continues to look at it. She clutches the hand of others and she feels very frightened. Meher (name changed) doesn’t feel good in her body. She still feels pain but it is less now. When asked if they have been able to take charge of their lives, a large number of children said ‘No’. Shabir (name changed) said he can’t wait for anything and has become very impulsive.

Asif (name changed) felt that he may not be able to feel peaceful again. His confidence has got shattered for which we had recommended some psychological exercises. He reported doing them infrequently but said when he does he feels better.

A small percentage of children and families who said they have taken charge of their lives were those who helped others to take charge of themselves. A very moving example was that of Ahmad (name changed), who said that after hearing us talk about helping others, he personally helped in burying a large number of dead bodies. In his words it was traumatic for him to bury people he had known and played with, but lovingly and with great care when he put them to rest he forgot his own pain. According to him this exercise was deeply healing for him and helped him to be closer to god. As we met him several times over the past two years, we could see a marked change in him.

Most children have become more spiritual and ritualistic after this. They maintain a survivor attitude e.g. Saira, Noori and Sakina (names changed) from Panchmahal district told us again and again that they have become more devout Muslims after the riots. Whenever they have flashbacks of the rioters, they turn to God.

To our suggestion that children, teenagers work in the community, only fifty percent could bring themselves to help others. The others reported that they were too depressed taking care of their own feelings and could not turn their attention to others.

A deep sense of helplessness pervades the children. Their marks have fallen down in school. They are hyper alert and get distracted with loud noises. Most of the parents do not know how to handle these symptoms. Some parents were explained ways and methods of dealing with these symptoms by us.

To paraphrase Ronald Berths, “One was looking at it from inside our freedom”. This is my India. In these trouble times when heroes are scarce and villain abounds, there were people who deserve to be worshipped. For example, Ahmad who helped bury many people he played with, Sameena who held on to her mentally challenged cousin and protected her from any future trauma, innumerable young boys and girls who took care of their younger siblings.

The aim of the project was to offer counseling to the traumatized children. It was to help them deal with their nightmares, their fears of rioters and help them let go off their traumatic memories. Swanchetan succeeded towards that goal.

Much more needs to be accomplished. If more than anything, it has convinced us that the bond that joins different communities in India under no circumstances should be broken again. That the complacency of the state and the indifference of the civil societies should not in future rob innocent children of their rights as free citizens. In the end we at Swanchetan have felt deeply moved by this trauma and wish to continue this work with the community in Gujarat.