The model of Dharavi has now been revered by people across the globe with Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Chief, praising the efforts taken to control the spread of coronavirus in the densely packed slums. However, this was made possible with a sum of efforts by different people, NGO’s and communities coming together.
The team of Mumbai Live got in touch with activist Gulzar Waqar Khan, of the Hum Sab Ek Hain Organization, to speak about the measures the team took to help the people residing in Dharavi.
Khan speaking about the initiative stated that the organization has been working with NGOs Praja Foundation and Public Concern for Governance Trust (PCGT) to raise funds to source supplies and then coordinate with the police to distribute food packets to the residents of Mumbai. He further informed that all of this takes place late at night to avoid violating the social distancing norms.
Speaking about the challenges the team faced while conducting the food drive, Khan informed, “When the lockdown was imposed, we had to abide by the many restrictions, for example, we could not come in direct contact with the public. What we did, we went door-to-door in Dharavi during the nighttime asking if the families have any ration left. Some had some left; some did not have any. What we were trying to do was give supplies to the person who had none left. In this, what was happening was, we were not coming in contact with the people, in doing so, what happened was that the certain challenges or restrictions that we had to maintain while distributing food, we overcame,”
When asked about raising funds, and how difficult it was to raise money in order to buy supplies for the people, Khan responded by stating, “We got the ration kit from Julio Ribeiro who used to be the Commissioner of Police, in Bombay, from 1982 to 1985. They are running an organization called PCGT. They got the ration kits from Praja Foundation. So, Julio Ribeiro knows me as my father used to work with him. My father has passed away now. However, Julio Ribeiro had started the Mohalla Committee Movement Trust, which was formed after the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the Mumbai riots. So, because of my father, he knows me and we attend monthly meetings where we organize and plan such drives to distribute ration kits. Other than, I have received funds from the local people or anyone who wants to help in this moment of crisis,”
Speaking about the foundation of his organization, Khan added, “After the 1993 riots, my dad made the Hum Sab Ek Hain poster, which used to hang in police stations. I was dressed as the pandit boy in the poster. My father wanted to give out a message so he made that, the importance of which I understand now.”
Waqar Khan, the father of Gulzar Waqar Khan, was the recipient of the peace prize from the Maharashtra State Minorities Commission. Khan had spent his entire life trying to foster peaceful relations between the Hindus and Muslims. The exemplary yeoman service towards communal harmony won him the ‘Gandhi Peace Award’ in March 2008.
Curated by Khan, the poster Hum Sab Ek Hain depicts four children against the backdrop of the Indian Flag, each one dressed as a member of different religion, a Hindu with a U-shaped tilak on his forehead, a Muslim wearing a dark brown traditional skullcap, a Sikh with a beige turban and a Christian with a silver cross dangling around his neck. In order to work more systematically in the field of communal harmony, Khan had joined Dharavi Mohalla Committee, one of several such committees established throughout the city by Mumbai Police after the 1992-93 riots in an effort to bring together Muslim and Hindu community leaders.
While Khan had been inspirational to many in his life and journey, Gulzar Waqar Khan, his son, has similarly decided to walk on the footsteps of his father, where his organization is continuing to help people even with funds running low and no end to the coronavirus crisis in sight.
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