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'You are more energized when there is hostility. You fight harder, too'

A P Kamath

Bhairavi Desai and Bijoo Mathew have been criticized by some sections of the media for letting the cabbies use strong language -- some carried placards calling Mayor Rudolph Giuliani a fascist. "Calling him so had nothing to do with his Italian origin," Desai says. "After all, he called the taxi drivers terrorists, didn't he?" With hindsight, she believes the strike should have been carried out for many days. "Three days?" she wonders. "Better, a week." And that was one of her New Year's resolutions.

Nisha Anand, who admires Desai and Mathew's work, believes that with much focus on America's booming economy, students in particular have little interest in the poor and dispossessed not only in America but abroad too.

"When they see people like us -- especially those who are second generation Americans and who come from affluent families -- fight for a better society, they will get motivated," she says. "But someone should take the first step -- and then the complacency will be shaken."

Ananya Bhattacharjee echoes her thoughts. A co-founder of Sakhi, a group that assists battered South Asian women not only find a refuge but also acquire self-esteem, she became active in social causes during her studies at the University of Texas about 15 years ago. She then moved to start a unit within Sakhi to help domestic workers from India in the New York tristate area. Many of them worked for 12 to 15 hours a day, seven days a week. About two years ago, she and a group of other activists started an independent organization called Workers Awaaz.

She says she knows -- given the wide publicity the organization has received in mainstream and ethnic publications -- that there will be branches in other American cities. Last year she was appointed Activist in Residence at New York University where she interacts with students and professors in advancing the cause of social activism.

Despite fellowships and articles in mainstream publications, the task of social activism is far from easy for anyone, particularly to someone whose roots are abroad.

"Many Americans do not like the idea that their cabbies are from the Indian subcontinent and not from Eastern Europe as was the tradition once," Desai says with a sigh. "Imagine their anger when they see someone like me or Mathew leading a strike to support these very taxi drivers."

Some onlookers have barked racist comments at them during the strike. Some with their clenched teeth have said, "Go back to India."

But Desai and like-minded fighters are made of sterner stuff. "You are more energized when there is apathy and hostility," she says with a chuckle. "You fight harder, too."

For Sapna Chatpar and Nisha Anand the fight against inequity has to be waged not only in America but also abroad. Like many other Indian American activists they are also influenced by the nonviolent militancy of the Mahatma. But they do not want to limit themselves to Indian American causes. For both are involved in the free-Burma movement.

Last year, the two activists wanted to see if their idealism and commitment could face real life risk.

It was one thing for Anand to organize the Free Burma movement at American University in Washington, and raise over $ 10,000 last year for the cause of that country's democratic leader, Nobel Prize-winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

It was another thing to travel to Thailand in August to work for a few weeks with the Burmese refugees.

It certainly was not easy to accept the challenge to slip into Myanmar pretending to be a tourist, and distribute business card sized pamphlets, proclaiming solidarity with the Burmese people.

The trip was organized by Alternative ASEAN that has been helping pro-democracy groups in Burma for several years.

The cards carried the picture of the fighting phoenix and the number 8888, representing August 8, 1988, on which thousands of people were killed in a uprising against military rule in that country.

Chatpar and other activists had deliberately chosen not to distribute the pamphlets on August 8. "We knew the Burmese authorities had issued a red alert on that day," she says. "We waited for the next day. We were taking risks, but not foolish risks"

Even then, they could not escape the government's vigilance.

"We were nimble-footed," says Chatpar. "And we moved from one busy part of Rangoon (now Yangon). Yet we were spotted by the military police and arrested less than half an hour after we started giving away the pamphlets. By then 8,000 cards had been given away." From the expression on the faces of the recipients, Chatpar says she could make out excitement. "It was a reminder to them that they were not alone," she says. "They also felt a thrill – we were doing something they could not."

Also nabbed were 18 other activists including Nisha Anand, Chatpar’s collegemate. They had split into six groups. It would take another five days before a court sentenced each member of the group to five years hard labor. Before the verdict was announced, the arrests had been published in major newspapers and announced on several American television programs. There was a vigilance meeting at AU, and the parents and friends of the detainees had spent long hours meeting with lawyers and the diplomats from their respective countries.

The activists were released after a mock trial. "We had to promise we would never return to Burma," Anand says. "They wanted to get rid of us the soonest."

"Weren't we relieved when we were released!" says Anand. "But we also felt sad that there are hundreds of political prisoners there who are facing a real rough time." After their release and homecoming, the two have organised several conferences to highlight the Myanmar cause.

In more than one way, Chatpar, 20, and Anand, 21, who were born and raised in America, believe their involvement with human rights issues in America, and now in Myanmar, have been inspired by the non-violent movement's success in India and elsewhere.

"Isn't it significant that we were released on August 15, the anniversary of India's Independence?" muses Chatpar.

Both say their parents have been supportive of their passion for human rights, though they themselves are far removed from leftwing politics. "My father would only tell me that I should not get involved into something that would be dangerous," says Anand with a chuckle. She has been involved with a number of human right groups on campus, leading protests against Nigerian military rulers

"But slipping into Burma," she says, "Now, that was something I felt needed to be done, for such actions strengthen one’s resolve, and separate us from armchair idealists."

Chatpar too says she was influenced by her Indian heritage. "Before I was drawn to the cause of Myanmar, I have been involved in a lot of issues including child labor and women's issues connected with the developing world," she says. "But when I started hearing about what was happening in Burma, and that struggle was led by a woman who, like Mahatma Gandhi, believed in nonviolence, I decided to be involved."

For Chatpar, Desai and dozens of other Indian American community activists fighting for social issues is the best contribution they could give to America. "We are here to stay, and we are here to create a better America," Desai says.

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