Mere Ghar Aake To Dekho: A national campaign to fight institutionalised hatred

Platform to combat hate

K Satyavathi adressing the press. (South First)

K Satyavathi, secretary of the Bhumika Women’s Collective, summed it up thus at a press meet in Hyderabad on Friday, 11 August: “We all are humans first.”

Explaining the concept of “Mere Ghar Aake To Dekho”, she spoke about how, in India today, hate and bias against those who are different from the majority is growing.

About the need for such a campaign, Satyavathi said, “This campaign is an attempt to create a platform, a common space for people to know each other, to rise above the differences.”

She added, “Call us to your home or come to our home, we can share a meal, maybe a cup of coffee or tea. If not anything, we can offer each other at least a glass of water.”

Related: IIM-B faculty urges Corporate India to stop funding hate speech

Culture of fear

Tashi, a transgender rights activist, spoke about a “culture of fear”.

“It’s nothing new, we have been seeing such fear of others for long. But now, it has become a political tool, the political parties are asking votes in the name of fear, and hating others.”

The activists questioned the very idea of homogenising everything, “How can one expect such a diverse population to follow one path? How can we eat the same food, and wear the same clothes?”

One of the attendees, Lalitha, speaking about the campaign. (South First)

“‘Mere Ghar Aake To Dekho’ will help people accept each other’s differences and embrace them. Sharing a meal and having a conversation will help people understand each other.”

Tashi told South First that though the campaign may only reach a certain number initially, the aim is to create an impact in the long run.

“Before WhatsApp and other propaganda reach us and tell us how someone is dangerous and we should hate them, we should figure out if that is the path we want to choose. Hating is an exhausting job, both in body and mind. We should surpass the barriers and know others for what they are,” Tashi said.

Speaking about the campaign, they added, “Campaigns should happen at community and local levels more than state or national levels. For example, there are a lot of migrant workers from Bihar who work here, there are a lot of misconceptions about them. So if we get to know them, and offer them a glass of water at least, the campaign will be a success.”

Also Read: Activists, civil society demand action against hate speeches

Normalised hate

Rachana Mudraboyina, a transwoman and a member of the Bhumika Women’s Collective, said that hate and violence had been institutionalised and normalised.

She said, “Every day we see some or the other news about violence and hate, it has been so normalised that only a few people are questioning it.”

Rachana said that they hope this campaign will break at least a few biases. “With the elections around the corner, it is extremely important to bring any change in perception possible,” she said, adding: “We deserve better leaders.”

It is expected that by this Independence Day, 15 August, one lakh families will have been reached through this campaign.

The families or individuals who are opening their houses to strangers, or people who are visiting the houses of strangers, would take a photo or video and that would be uploaded onto the social media platforms of “Mere Ghar Aake To Dekho”.