Skip to main content

Working at ground level to build leadership skills, empower marginalised sections

By Malladi Shashank, Rohit Kumar, Shubhangi Agrawal, Sourabh Meena, Strivathsav Ashwin* 

Mr. Hozefa Ujjaini is a very active social worker and youth leader in and around the region of Ahmedabad. His journey from a small kid to a dedicated social activist is nothing short of an inspiration. Since a very young age he got involved in working towards social causes concerning communal harmony. Apart from this, Mr. Hozefa Ujjaini has also worked for Dalit rights, Internally Displaced Peoples right etc. Mr. Ujjaini was in class 12th when the Gujarat riots took place and the relief camps for the same was set right near his house. He frequently visited these camps which provided him with a chance to play with children over there and to observe other victims. This laid the foundation for his choice of dedicating his life to social cause and communal harmony. He started to volunteer in relief work right away and he along with many young people from his colony associated themselves to numerous organizations and started to work on relief, rehabilitation etc. Mr. Ujjaini realizing that the problem was not arising from an overnight issue but was happening because of deeply engraved communal hatred among the religion masses, went on to form a “peace group”, a project supported by Action Aid.

Out of the box methods for communication

Mr. Ujjaini opted for out of box methods to educate people about the importance of communal harmony and that all people are equal. He integrated art into his methods and opted for mediums like street theatre, poems etc to engage with the community in a more simple and easy manner. His team has created various street plays like “Gujarat ke Muhajir” etc which showed the sufferings of people during the 2002 Gujarat riots
Mr. Ujjaini and his team has also made training modules to educate people at grassroot level.
For example, his team has made a training module on Freedom of rights, wherein people are trained and educated about the importance of rights and how they can fight for it. Apart from that, they also have training modules for Right to freedom of religion, Leadership development etc.

Associated Organizations

Janvikas: Mr. Hozefa Ujjaini started working towards rehabilitation and recovery of Internally displaced people and victims of riots with the organization Janvikas. A few years down the line, Mr. Hozefa Ujjaini went on to establish Buniyaad and under his leadership, the organization was incubated in Janvikas. Apart from working for Internally displaced people, Mr. Hozefa worked towards making the community self-sufficient and motivating groups of communities to fight for basic civic amenities and entitlements. He also worked towards forming issue-based communities to target specific issues more effectively. He also worked with the youth of marginalized communities to help them identify the root cause of conflict in society and how it can be resolved.
Buniyaad: Founded in 2007 by Hozefa, with an objective to inculcate the leadership values and improve socio-economic rights among the youths of marginalised communities (Muslim, Dalit, etc.). 
CSSS: Hozefa Ujjaini also works in collaboration with Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS). In December 2021, he represented Ahmedabad peace centre to highlight the importance of cultural diversity and role of composite culture that can act as a bridge to reduce strife between the communities.
Street play “Gujarat ke Muhajir”
In the last two years, Mr. Ujjaini has focused mostly on the protests related to CAA and NRC. He was involved in educating people about the wrongs of CAA/NRC and to mobilise people to fight for their rights. He was actively involved in sending messages against CAA/NRC using mediums like songs, poems, plays etc. As of now, Mr. Ujjaini’s primary focus is on working at ground level and build leadership skills among the members of the community and empower them to fight their own battles.

Motivation

Early days: As quoted by Mr. Ujjaini, he along with his mom, would visit the relief camps on a frequent basis to help the victims. This, since a very young age, created questions in the mind of Mr. Ujjaini as to why these things are happening? What are the root causes of the issue? How can it be solved? This became the fuel for his choice of working for the communal harmony and the betterment of the community overall.
Current days: The minute changes that are happening in the society because of the work done by him motivates him to keep continuing his work. He also says that the work he is doing gives him more happiness in long term which further motivates him.

Challenges

1. State: Here, in the context of the issue the state government machinery is a hurdle to go ahead with the initiatives/ activities planned by Hozefa Ujjaini. These hurdles can range from not getting permission from authorities or getting tangled with police. For instance, recently when Buniyad, an NGO founded by Hozefa, planned to conduct a street play titled ‘Gujarat ke Muhajir’ in a marginalised community to highlight the aftereffects of the 2002 riots and mass exodus of victims from strife hit regions to shelter camps. The play covered the issues such as the absence of support from government, rehabilitation of the victims and lack of basic amenities to people such as gutter overflow, etc. after the 2002 riots (Journey of suffering, March 2019). Hozefa was taken to the police station and was allowed to conduct the event only after lot of convincing. Finally, his group performed the act at the place where they were detained. Such incidents, he says, happen regularly and officials try to stop other activists as well from organise such events.
2. Community: According to Mr. Hozefa, one of the hurdles in bringing the change in the community is the community itself. Few members within the community preferred status quo when people like Mr. Hozefa and other activists put forth rational ideas. The path to change is being obstructed by the dogmatic beliefs in the archaic practices where we as a human civilization have come a long way in the modern times. Mr. Hozefa states that in all communities (Muslim, Dalit, etc.) you will find custodians who are responsible for perpetuation of orthodox practices, hence bringing about a change becomes difficult. To progress further the community needs to leave behinds its outdated practices and embrace the change.

Message for students from Mr. Hozefa Ujjaini

Mr. Ujjaini asks student to play the role of a active citizen. He also suggests students to take up courses related to social causes and policy making and contribute towards it in the future.

References:

1) Journey of suffering. (2019, March 21). Ahmedabad Mirror. https://ahmedabadmirror.com/journey-of-suffering/68504920.html
2) https://www.compassion-contagion.com/interfaith-bridges/hozefa-ujjaini
---
*IIM Ahmedabad PGP2 students

Comments

TRENDING

Eight years of empowering tribal communities through water initiatives in Chhattisgarh

By Gazala Paul*   In the heart of Chhattisgarh, amidst the echoes of tribal life, a transformative journey has unfolded over the past eight years. The Samerth organization has diligently worked to elevate the lives of indigenous communities in the Kawardha district through the project, "Enabling Baiga Community to access safe drinking water." 

Regretful: Kapil Dev retired not leaving Indian cricket with integrity he upheld

By Harsh Thakor  Kapil Dev scaled heights as an entertainer and a player upholding the spirit of the game almost unparalleled in his era. In his time he was cricket’s ultimate mascot of sportsmanship On his day Kapil could dazzle in all departments to turn the tempo of game in the manner of a Tsunami breaking in. He radiated r energy, at a level rarely scaled in his era on a cricket field. Few ever blended aggression with artistry so comprehenisively. Although fast medium, he could be as daunting with the ball as the very best, with his crafty outswinger, offcutter, slower ball and ball that kicked from a good length. Inspite of bowling on docile tracks on the subcontinent, Kapil had 434 scalps, with virtually no assistance. I can never forget how he obtained pace and movement on flat pancakes, trapping the great Vivian Richards in Front or getting Geoff Boycott or Zaheer Abbas caught behind. No paceman carried the workload of his team’s bowling attack on his shoulders in his eras muc

Martin Crowe played instrumental role in making New Zealand a force in world cricket

By Harsh Thakor* Late Martin Crowe was the perfect manifestation of how mere figures could not convey or do justice to the true merit of a batsman. Crowe was arguably the most complete  or majestic batsmen of his era or the ultimate embodiment of batting perfection, or the classical batsmen. He perished 7 years ago, due to a rare and aggressive form of cancer, follicular lymphoma, which originated in 2012. In September, we celebrated his 60th birthday but sadly he left for his heavenly abode.

How the slogan Jai Bhim gained momentum as movement of popularity and revolution

By Dr Kapilendra Das*  India is an incomprehensible plural country loaded with diversities of religions, castes, cultures, languages, dialects, tribes, societies, costumes, etc. The Indians have good manners/etiquette (decent social conduct, gesture, courtesy, politeness) that build healthy relationships and take them ahead to life. In many parts of India, in many situations, and on formal occasions, it is common for people of India to express and exchange respect, greetings, and salutation for which we people usually use words and phrases like- Namaskar, Namaste, Pranam, Ram Ram, Jai Ram ji, Jai Sriram, Good morning, shubha sakal, Radhe Radhe, Jai Bajarangabali, Jai Gopal, Jai Jai, Supravat, Good night, Shuvaratri, Jai Bhole, Salaam walekam, Walekam salaam, Radhaswami, Namo Buddhaya, Jai Bhim, Hello, and so on.

Towards 2024: Time for ‘We the People of India’ to wake up before it is too late

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*  It is Constitution Day once again! We, the people of India, gratefully remember 26 November 1949 when the Constitution of India was passed and adopted by the Constituent Assembly. The Constituent Assembly comprised women and men of distinction, who were able to represent the heart and soul of the people of India without fear or favour. They gave of their best, so that we may a visionary Constitution, which would be the mainstay for and of democracy in India!

1982-83 Bombay textile strike played major role in shaping working class movement

By Harsh Thakor  On January 18th, 1982 the working class movement commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Textile Workers Strike that lasted for 18 months, till July 1983. It was landmark event that played a major role in shaping the working class movement. With more than 2.5 lakh workers from 65 textile mills joining in this strike for almost two years, this strike became one of the most significant strikes in terms of scale and duration All democrats should applaud the mill workers’ united battle, and their unflinching resilience an death defying courage continues to serve as a model for contemporary working-class movements. Many middle class persons harboured opinions that the Textile workers were pampered or were a labour aristocracy, ignorant of how they were denied wages to provide for basic necessities. The Great Bombay Textile Strike is notably one of the most defining movements in the working class struggles in Post-independent India. Bombay’s textile industry flourished in

Ceasefire a tactical victory for Palestinian resistance, protests intensify across globe

By Harsh Thakor*  The Zionist leadership and Netanyahu’s government were compelled to concede the defeat of their first attempt after almost 50 days of daily fighting in the Gaza Strip.  Netanyahu was forced to concede that he was unsuccessful in suppressing the Palestinian Resistance; and that the release of the prisoners was only plausible because they accepted Hamas’ terms.

Odisha leadership crisis deepens: CM engages retired babus to oversee depts' work

By Sudhansu R Das  Over decades, Odisha has lost much of its crop diversity, fertile agriculture land, water bodies, employment potential, handicraft and handloom skills etc. The state has failed to strike a balance between the urban and rural sector growth; this leads to the migration of villagers to the urban areas leading to collapse of the urban infrastructures and an acute labor shortage in rural areas.  A large number of educated, skilled and unskilled Odia people have migrated to other states for higher education, quality jobs and for earning livelihood which plummet the efficiency level of government departments. Utmost transparency in the recruitment and promotion in the state government departments will improve governance mechanisms in the state.  "No near and dear one approach" in governance mechanisms can only achieve inclusive growth for the state on payment basis. This is a moral hazard. When so many educated young people seek employment outside the

Massive tropical deforestation: Big finance's $307 billion go to forest-risk commodities

A note on report by Forests & Finance coalition -- Rainforest Action Network, TuK Indonesia, Profundo, Amazon Watch, Repórter Brasil, BankTrack, Sahabat Alam Malaysia and Friends of the Earth US: *** A new report released on ‘Finance Day’ at COP28 by the Forests & Finance Coalition , provides a comprehensive look into the role big finance plays in driving deforestation, biodiversity loss, climate change and human rights abuses in tropical forest regions. The report reveals that since the Paris Agreement, banks have pumped over $307 billion into high risk forestry and agriculture companies linked to tropical deforestation, proving that the policies of major global banks and investors are failing to prevent continued widespread forest and biodiversity loss.

20% of Indian businesses have no emission plan in place despite climate emergency: Report

By Jag Jivan   New research underlines urgent need for strategies and transition plans to combat climate change, remain successful and meet stakeholder expectations.