Rwanda, Africa – A tribute to Human Spirit
The killings were especially brutal
because primitive weapons like Panga, Machete and Knives were used. Subsequent third party investigations
revealed that many organisations, government and even leaders of religious
orders and tribes participated or abetted the genocide. A specific event recalled was about 1800
Tutsis, who had taken shelter in a church.
A few Hutus fell on them with Pangas and systematically cut the victim’s
tendons near the ankles so that they are unable to run. And at leisure all the victims were
subsequently hacked to death.
The name Rwanda invokes a strange
set of opinions in every internationally aware person. I visited Rwanda in Nov, 2013 on business. This is my on ground account of Rwanda and
the power of transformation.
Rwanda is in the centre of Africa
bordering Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Burundi. Part of the Belgian Congo holdings, it became
independent in 1962. The divide and rule
policy of the Belgian colonialists left the country deeply divided between the
Hutu majority tribe and the highly educated Tutsi who were the minority tribe.
A simmering cauldron of ethnic
strife for a number of years led to civil wars and social unrest. In 1994 it all culminated in a mass genocide
where the Hutu majority killed almost 1 Million (10,00,000) Tutsi Minority
people. An
estimated 350,000 women were deliberately infected with AIDS through rape
during the genocide, and are continuing to die from the disease even today.
After my meetings with Rwanda Development
Authority and visiting their Special Economic Zone it was time to visit the “Kigali
Genocide Memorial Centre”, in Kigali the capital city. The Genocide Memorial is a neat building
surrounded by gardens. As I entered the Memorial
I saw a direction board indicating – MASS GRAVES. Instead of going into the Memorial building,
I went in that direction and came across a nice garden, with pathways
interspersed with rectangular cement structures slightly projecting from the
ground with small glass opening on the top.
Laying side by side 5 of them in all.
Only when I read the boards did I
realize that this is the resting place for 2,50,000 people killed in the
genocide. 2,50,000 people. Can you
imagine!! As I walked amongst these
graves I could see a few families sitting on benches in silent contemplation,
probably remembering their loved ones and repeatedly asking one question “Why?”,
“Why their loved ones were killed?”
I could see flower bouquets laid
here and there and people bowed in respect in few places. I was jolted back to reality when my mind
suddenly realized that there was so less space to bury 250000 people. I realized that trenches had been dug using
bulldozers and bodies were piled in thousands and covered with mud in the
aftermath of the genocide. The rectangular cement structures were built above
mass graves.
Shocked by what my mind was
conjuring, I felt shivers, cold sweat and a mix of strange emotions to be in
the midst of so many souls who must have spent their last days, hours, minutes
and seconds in extreme agony and torture.
More shocks were in store for me
when I walked inside the Memorial. The Memorial
building is a no picture and no videography zone. As I went in a circular walkway, I could see
the genesis of the problem being colonial Europeans trying to stamp their
authority with no understanding of the local conditions, culture and way of
life. The story of Rwanda in many ways
is the story of India pre-independence.
Hutu militant groups fed with years
of hate fell on their neighbours and friends making a killing for over 4
months. No one was spared. Children, 1,50,000 of them in age groups from
few months to 12 years. A separate
section is dedicated only to children. Photos
of 14 Children who died represent all the 1,50,000 dead.
Under each of those photos, trivia like age, favourite
food, favourite drink, favourite person, cause of death. It no longer seemed trivia any more. So poignant. I was in tears. I was shocked again and again. One child’s favorite drink was Fanta and
another one’s Coke. A common thread in
all of them killed by Machete.
My agonized mind was in turbulence
asking myself again and again “what tribe or religion or caste do these
children belong to?” I always thought
that we are one species – Homo sapiens, but we are not. We are deeply divided. Deeply prejudiced. Down underneath our sophistication, we human
beings are still animals.
The killings were especially brutal
because primitive weapons like Panga, Machete and Knives were used. Subsequent third party investigations
revealed that many organisations, government and even leaders of religious
orders and tribes participated or abetted the genocide. A specific event recalled was about 1800
Tutsis, who had taken shelter in a church.
A few Hutus fell on them with Pangas and systematically cut the victim’s
tendons near the ankles so that they are unable to run. And at leisure all the victims were
subsequently hacked to death.
I left the Memorial with many
sobering thoughts, one thought was of a kid named Donata, 11 years old who had
seen his parents being killed in the genocide.
Donata writes, “Sometimes, I get terribly sad because I can’t imagine what my life will
be like. I will never see my parents
again, and yet I will see the people who killed them, and those people’s
children for the rest of my life. I
can’t bear the thought of it.”
Finishing my tour I came back to
the hotel and went to the dinner meeting with the Rwanda Minister for
Industries and other officials.
During the dinner the young Rwandan
officials spoke a lot about Rwanda being the leader in Africa for Innovation,
most progressive amongst the strife ridden neighbouring countries, most transformed,
etc, etc. Finally I came around and
asked them about the Genocide.
Surprisingly all the Rwandans were very candid and articulate about the
issues.
I understood that post 1994 a
progressive government under Dr. Paul Kagame had come to power. The government had driven home many points to
prevent reoccurrence of genocide, like abolition of tribalism, abolition of hate
based on ethnicity, inclusiveness and channelization of energy for nation
building.
One of the inclusiveness exercise
was “Umuganda”, pronounced as muganda.
One of the young Rwandan official explained more, “Every Rwandan come together on last Saturday of the month to improve
their community. This has been crucial
for reconciliation and building Rwanda anew.
Umuganda begins at 8 am at which time the community meets to work on a
project. The activity undertaken might
be building a road, rehabilitating wetlands, fixing erosion or building houses
for vulnerable people, or just cleaning of your vicinity. This is followed by a community meeting to
discuss national and local issues. The
concept is related to the idea of solidarity and community sense of living. Even the President and the Government come
out and participate fully.”
Our curiosity was piqued and we
asked whether we can witness and participate in Umuganda event since
providentially the next day was the last Saturday of the month. Though it was late in the night, the Minister
for Industries showed lot of dexterity and organized permissions for us and
gave us a government vehicle with pass to move around freely. He also attached two young Rwandans to
accompany us as guides.
All set for Umuganda, we woke up
early and set off to location earmarked for us.
As we got down from the vehicle we could see in the misty morning an old
lady with a shovel cleaning weeds clogging a road side drain and an old man
picking up papers and wastes from the side walk. We were taken to a hill slope and told that
the municipality has planned and placed markers to dig a trench of 4 ft wide
and 2 km length to prevent soil erosion and hold the rain water.
A group of people came in another
truck and shared their tools with us.
Pangas for cleaning the grass, Machetes to cut the shrubs and Shovels to
dig the trench. We started digging in
earnest but with troubled thoughts of how in the world will we finish a 2 km
long trench. In 30 minutes we were
tiring from digging and clearing the mud.
All around action was picking up, people-young and old, men and women,
volunteers from other countries, government officials started gathering. Everyone with their own tools, digging and
clearing a trench.
Singing started along with rhythmic
clapping, every sentence last word repeated and strangely motivating the tired
muscles and cleansing the minds from stress. We dug and dug and finally gave
up. I took my camera and started
clicking the action. Amazing number of
people, self-driven, self-managed, local leaders setting targets, marking and
digging, like a colony of ants. Each of
these people seem to know exactly what was needed and each seemed to be working
with a higher calling of the community service.
As I finished my photo clicking, I
could see the 2 Km target was going to easily achieved by noon. What is a 2 Km target for 100s of people
working together?
Finishing all these, when driving
back to the hotel, I was awash with many thoughts. We have so many failed states like
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Congo, Bangladesh, an endless list. Rwanda could have ended up in this list. However by sheer human spirit and an African
way, they have resurged into the global community of progressive nations.
 |
| A young garbage sorter also into cleaning act |
Positive thoughts apart there were
some troubling questions also, if such a killing can happen in Rwanda, is it
not possible in India? It is definitely
possible. It has occurred in our past,
and as recent as in the partition time during our independence.
As progressive people we need to
recognize that the only way such hate percolates in society is when we look for
exclusiveness, pocket development and ghetto behavior. Inclusive development, respect for all
religions, empathy and recognition of our plurality is very important for a
successful nationhood.
Rwanda marked twenty years since genocide
on June 28th 2014. I salute
the Rwandan spirit.
Photos
taken in Nov, 2013 in Kigali, Rwanda.
