• Six numbers of sensitization campaigns are planned in a year.
• Aashwas has identified a cluster of seven villages in each of six districts where there is a history of ethnic or terrorist violence.
• Seven such campaigns were already conducted in a groups of villages (1) Rangia under Kamrup District, (2) Majuli sub-divisions under Jorhat district (3) Namrup under Dibrugarh District (4) Rupshi under Dhubri District (5) Hahchara under Sivasagar District & (6) Singiaputani under Nagaon District. (7) Serfanguri under Kokrajhar District

• The 5th Sensitization campaign of Project Aashwas was held in a cluster of seven villages under Sivsagar sub-division of Sivsagar District from 26/11/2002 to 30/11/2002.
• The villages were of mixed communities like Assamese, Manipuri, Marwari, Naga, Kachari and Hindi speaking people.
• The Campaign incorporated the following Villages.

• i) Sinha Duwar Gohain gaon, ii) Railug Chetia gaon, iii) Hahchara Chetia gaon, iv) Moiramora Handique gaon, v) Kujibali Habi gaon,
  vi) Jathipatia gaon, vii) Sunpara Habi gaon.

• The villages mentioned above have been traditionally regarded to be strong holds of ULFA militants. The people in all these villages have been living a life of terror. The children are quite traumatized. Distrust, fear inter-community tension, movement of extremists and action of the state have caused a serious breach in social life in general causing irreparable damage for the village children mentally, educationally and socially. Educational, cultural and sports activities are found missing amongst the young ones.

• The campaign has started on 26th November, 2002 at Hahchara High School Field. At about 0900 hrs the Aashwas Flag was hoisted by Shri Ghana Kanta Chetia, Freedom Fighter, Sivsagar with a march-past by school children and NCC group. After Flag hoisting there was a briefing session was conducted by the Aashwas team with the important persons of 7 ( Seven) villages and a group of 52 boys. The local groups of volunteers donning while 'T'-shirts were dispatched to the each households of the 7 villages with a questionnaire. The questionnaire was on health, access to medical facility of children concern for children etc.
• Shri K.V. Singhdeo, IPS Superintendent of Police, Sivsagar had inaugurated the photo galleries of Project Aashwas.
  

• In the afternoon session there was also a public meeting at Hahchara High school's filed where above thousand of people had gathered. Mrs. Gayatri Baruah, Deputy Commissioner, Sivsagar, Shri Dilip Borah. IPS , Inspector General of Police, (OSD), Assam, Guwahati, S.P. Sivsagar, and other dignitaries had attended the meeting and delivered lectures on child issues.
• The 2nd day of the campaign was the day of Medical Campaign. The medical camp was inaugurated by Shri Sankar Barua, IPS, Addl. Director General of Police (Admn), Assam, Guwahati In the campaign one workshops on health awareness was organized at Hahchara High School's filed . In the workshop Dr. Anil Sarmah, Joint Director Health Services, Dr Arun Madhab Baruah, Gynecologist , Dr. Mrs Binapani Hazarika, Dr. Udayaditya Rajkonwar , Surgeon Civil Hospital, Dr. Ranjeet Gogoi, Eye Specialist, Civil Hospital Sivsagar Shri R.I. Meena, Commandant 27th Bn CRPF, Sivsagar had interacted with women & children of all the 7 villages on issues like mother and child care, health and hygeine. The enthusiasm of village women could be gauged from the questions they asked the experts on rearing of children and other issues. Street-plays on issues on health and hygeine were also performed.

• Mr. Nipon Goswami and Mr. Dinesh Das noted cinema artists had also attended the session and delivered lecture on child and mother care. They also appealed to the villagers not to do anything than can hamper peace and the future of the children.
• There was also a health check up camp besides the venue , which was organized by the district police.
• On the same day a joint session with the victim families of Sivsagar district was held at Hahchara High School premises.
• The resource persons who interacted with the victim families are following :
  

(i) Dr.(Mrs) M. Phukon, noted psychiatric Assam Medical College Hospital, Dibrigarh .
(ii) Dr. (Mrs) . Kaveri Baruah , Clinical Psychologist, AMCH, Dibrugarh
(iii) Mrs.Gayatri Baruah, Deputy Commissioner, Sivsagar,
(iv) Shri Sankar Barua, IPS, Addl. Director General of Police, (Admn), Assam,
The session has been a great learning experience for all who attended. The victim families narrated the ghastly incidents and the subsequent trauma faced by the children.
Psychiatrists examined the cases and offered to render free psychiatric treatment/ counselling to most of the children of such families and arrangement was made accordingly.

• On the 3rd day of the campaign in the morning session a children sport and games for all the 7 villages were arranged at the Hahchara High School field. The Children took part in the following events.
  i) 100 mtr race for boys junior & senior and girls junior & senior.
  ii) Long jump for boys junior & senior and girls junior & senior.
  iii) High jump for boys junior & senior and girls junior & senior.
  iv) Volley ball
  v) Kabadi boys junior and sinor.
  vi) Extempore speech competition..
  · On the same day Mr. Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, IPS Deputy Inspector General of Police (Admn) and Nodal Officer Project Aashwas, Dr Anil Saikia and other dignitaries had delivered lectures. While entertaining the audience with their participation and histrionics, they appealed to the villagers to treat their children as the central issue in their lives. They also appealed the audience not to do anything that can hamper the peace process.
• · On the 4th day of the campaign was the day of Educational Assessment of the 7 villages. A team of eminent educationist comprising of Shri Imran Shah, Retired Professor Sivsagar College, Shri Sarat Mahanta, Retired Professor, Sivsagar College, Shri Dombaru Kakati, Retired Professor, Sivsagar College and Shri Punya Mohan Baruah Retired Principal, Sivsagar Govt. boys Higher Secondary School had attended all the Schools of 7 villages and noted down their observation in a set of questionnaires provided to them. The observations were primarily on the following.

• · School discipline,· Teachers commitment, · Commitment of the student, · Dropout rates, · Building and infrastructure
• On the same day session. Shri Imran Shah, Retired Retired Professor Sivsaga. College, Shri Sarat Mahanta, Retired Professor Sivsagar College Shri Dombaru Kakati, Retired Professor, Sivsagar College and Shri punya Mohan Baruah Retired Principal, Sivsagar Govt. boys Higher Secondary School and other dignitaries had attended the campaign where they delivered lectures and emotionally appealed to the gathering to embark on a new path of non-violence and work-culture. The dignitaries also interacted with the schoolteachers and parents and correct methods of imparting education to the children for their moral, physical and mental upliftment.

• The last day was the day of Peace campaign. More than 400 youths of 7 villages took out a procession in bi-cycle covering of all the 7 villages calling upon people to usher in peace and denounce violence. The procession was accompanied by Smti Gayatri Baruah, Deputy Commissioner, Sivsagar , Mrs and Mr. Khagen Mahanta the famous artists, artists Shri Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, IPS Deputy Inspector General of Police, (Admn) Assam, Shri Debajit Hazarika, APS, Superintendent of Police, SFSO had all also attended in the procession. The Simaluguri Yuba Dal had also performed street play where huge number of public were gathered and emotionally appealed to the gathering to embark a new path of non violence. At the end of the procession all the people gathered in the Hahchara High Schhol Field and formed a human chain and pledged to live in amity.
• On the same day people of all the villages gathered in the closing function where a stock of all the days of campaign were evaluated. Shri H. K.Deka, IPS, Director General of Police, Assam & Chairman , Project Aashwas, Dr. Kulendu Pathak, Vice Chancellor, Dibrugarh University, Noted artists Mrs and Mr. Khagen Mahanta spoke eloquently in the function on need for peace. Shri K.V. Singhdeo, IPS, Superintendent of Police Sivsagar thanked all the District administration and NGOs for their whole hearted support, which has helped Aashwas to make the campaign a success. The dignitaries also distributed prizes and certificates to the winners' team of Sports & Games, drawing, Extempore and quiz competitors.

• As it is observed , the project was one of the most welcome breather of fresh air in an area that was long struggling with a sense of insecurity, mutual suspicion and total lack of confidence in the administrative institutions. During the wrap-up sessions when flags were returned to the seven village-headmen amidst all the volunteers, there were tears in the eyes of the people and a resolve to work towards bringing out a positive change in the society with a better concern for the children and issues of peace in society.

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