Dr. Harsh Mander

Harsh Mander is the founder of Aman Biradari, a people’s campaign for a secular, peaceful, just and humane world, established after the Gujarat communal carnage of 2002. Aman Biradari works closely with other people’s organizations and groups for the defence of secularism; for public compassion; and for promoting the values of the constitution.

From the autumn of 2017, he established and led the important national initiative which he called the Karwan e Mohabbat, or Caravan of Love, to try to counter rising hate and fear in the country, but not with hate; instead with love and solidarity. The Karwan, a wide-based, collaborative civil society initiative of independent individuals, people’s organisations and social movements, visits in their homes the families of those who lost loved ones to hate violence and lynching. It undertakes these journeys for atonement, solidarity, healing, conscience and justice with people who were targets of hate attacks across India.

The Karwan e Mohabbat also geared itself for a massive relief effort during the pandemic lockdowns. The team members organised 10 million meals across the country; they also ran helplines for migrants, organised buses for them to return to their villages, as well as for homeless people (with Medicine Sans Frontiers and other organisations)  covid detection camps, and isolation and treatment centres.