At the turn of the century India's progress seems stalled by the prevalent ambience of fear and terror along with a nostalgia for happier and more secure times.

The scale of displacement, the deep divisions, the smouldering hatreds, the continuing politicisation of events-all these are threatening the secular fabric of out society.

What is disheartening is that the threat is continuously being reinforced by a Sustained campaign of hatred by the fundamentalist and fascist forces. They have and still are distorting religion to build a fascist regime by spreading misinformation, false propaganda and distrust for each other in the hearts of the common citizens.

The question is whether we will remain passive onlookers or take steps to ensure harmony and progress among the people.

Given the present situation of uncertainty and insecurity, if serious attempts are not made to counter the campaign of communal hatred, the very unity, integrity and progress of the country is at stake.

One has to adopt a multidimensional approach to combat the communal menace. While it is necessary to fight it politically and through an intensive campaign, it is also necessary to undertake serious research about various controversies generated by communal forces. It is therefore necessary to undertake serious academic studies and link-up with activists engaged in countering the communal campaign.

It was this concern over growing communalism and the need for redefining the concept of secularism for a cohesive society that mobilised a group of eminent academics, social activists and prominent citizens to set up the Centre for Study and Society and Secularism.

The first consultation-cum-planning session was organized by the Centre in May 1993 with noted academics, social activists and other concerned people from all over the country that gave the Centre its present shape and contents.

• To spread the spirit of Secularism and communal harmony and social peace
• To study problems relating to Communalism and Secularism
• To organise inter-faith and ethnic dialogue and justice

• To undertake study-research projects in the field of religious, communal and ethnic conflicts and comparative religions.
• To organise lectures seminars, workshops and symposia on communal problems.
• To organise Inter-faith discussions.
• To conduct training programmes.
• To prepare community based mass awareness programmes through Street Plays, Youth Camps and propaganda materials like pamphlets booklets, posters.
• To publish books, booklets and research materials.
• To network with other organizations.
• To expand the library and documentation facilities.

In a short period of time, from May 1993 onwards the Centre has carried out the following multifarious activities:

1. SEMINARS

   All India level and state level seminars have been organized by the centre. Some of them are:

   • All India Seminar on Mahatma Gandhi and Communal Harmony - Delhi - organized to commemorate 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
   • Shiv Sena-BJP Government and Its Implications for the Minorities in Bombay.
   • Communalism and Communal Violence in Ahmedabad. Papers analyzing the genesis of communalism in Gujarat were presented.
   • The Uniform Civil Code, Personal Law and Gender Justice - Bombay.
2. FIFTY YEARS OF SECULARISM IN INDIA TO CELEBRATE GOLDEN JUBILEE OF INDEPENDENCE
3. WORKSHOPS

   In its quest to shape public opinion conducive to communal harmony, the Centre has organized several workshops in communally sensitive areas.

4. YOUTH CAMPS

   The Centre has conducted youth camps to instill in young minds ideas pertaining to communal harmony and secularism.

5. RESEARCH

   Research is conducted by the Centre to analyse the multifarious problems of communalism facing the society. Some of the research projects undertaken are:

   • Study on the Socio - Economic Background of the Bombay Riots
   • Study on Gandhi and communal Harmony.
   • Study of Students and Communalism
   • Study of Post Independence Riots in India
   • Study on the Police and the Minority in Mumbai
   • Study on Teachers and Secularism
   • Communal Riots in Post Independence
   • Crime and Muslims
6. FIELD INVESTIGATIONS

   Field investigations are undertaken by the Centre with an objective of presenting a clear and unbiased view of communally charged situations.

   Some of such investigations conducted are:

   • Impact of Communal Riots on Women.
   • Impact of Communal Riots on Industrial Workers.
   • Investigations of Communal Riots in Surat, Bangalore, Hubli, Moradabad,Coimbatore and Aligarh.
   • Immigrants in Bombay : A Fact Finding Report.
   • The findings of some of these studies have been published in leading newspapers like The Times of India, The Indian Express, The Hindu etc.
7. JOURNALS
   1. Indian Journal of Secularism
      A quarterly journal is published by the Centre. Each issue contains a wide range of articles, research papers with focus on secular and communal problems from the historical, political economic, cultural and sociological perspectives.
   2. Secular Perspective - Fortnightly
8. LIBRARY AND DOCUMENTATION CENTRE

   In an endeavour to disseminate information, documentation is undertaken by Research Fellows. Elections, Communalism, Bomb Blasts and secularism are some topics on which documentation is undertaken. Reference and Library facilities are provide to scholars, journalists and students.

9. STREET PLAYS

   The street play is an effective device which stimulates interest in the public mind and appeals to their emotions. It serves the purpose of educating the masses and creates an awareness among them.

   The Centre has organized street plays in the slums of Mumbai to generate an awareness regarding the perils of communalism.

• Organizing series of training camps for activists, teachers, trade unionists, Dalits, feminists and other groups at the all India level.
• Organizing zonal seminars on communalism, communal violence and ethnic strife in highly sensitive areas.
• Hooking up computer facilities with Internet for having worldwide access to information on religious and ethnic problems.
• Organizing workshops on ethnic and communal violence in South Asia.
• Undertaking studies at the micro and macro levels on the genesis of the causes of sectarian conflicts and various controversial issues arising from time to time.
• Appointing well-qualified and experienced staff to undertake activities for the Centre to promote communal harmony among the slum and pavement dwellers - the most vulnerable section of our society.

By seeking to bring along these ideals into reality the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism works towards promoting communal harmony arid containing the communal menace that has already if we succeed, taken deep seated roots in our society. Then every day would dawn with new hopes instead of fears.

"Where the mind is without fear and the head is held' high...... Into that heaven of freedom, my father, let my country awake." - Rabindranath Tagore

ADMINISTRATIVE SET-UP

In order to meet its goals, the Centre plans to supplement its existing staff with a well-qualified and experienced faculty from inter-disciplinary backgrounds to undertake various activities.

Various noted people from inter-disciplinary backgrounds form the Advisory Board who ensure that the quality of the Centre's programmes are not compromised.

• Prof. S. Gopal (Historian)
• Prof. K.N. Panikkar (Historian)
• Mr. Rajni Kothari (Political Scientist)
• Prof. Ram Bapat (Political Scientist)
• Vinod Mubayi (Physicist)
• Prof.D.N.Dhanagare (Sociologist Vice - Chancellor Shivaji University)
• Ms. Shabana Azmi (Actress/Social Activist/Theatre Artist/M. P.)
• Prof. Imtiaz Ahmed - (Anthropologist)
• Mr. Krishna Raj (Economist cum Editor)

The Centre solicits donations (eligible for deduction under 80-G of I.T. Act) for the noble cause it promotes. Cheques may be drawn in favour of Centre for Study of Society and Secularism