Week 4

1. Week 4 Dr SupriyaAkerkar

2. Building upon the last lecture • In the last lecture, we learnt how new self-consciousness: caste, ethnicity, tribal emerged as a result of the ‘invention of tradition’ in Zimbabwe/Africa/India/South Asia • In this lecture we will understand how new self consciousness about ethnic identities got polarised, using the case of Rwanda and its implications

3. Outline of the lecture • Understanding the Rwanda conflict • Historical antecedents • What happened in 1994? • Who is responsible? • Is there a way out?

4. Rwanda Small country: 26,338 sq km Mountainous: above 1000 m High population density Groups: Tutsis, Hutus, Twa Economy: mainly agriculture

5. The genocide of 1994 What happened?

6. What happened? • http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2008/dec/18/rwanda-genocide

7. Why did it happen? • What were the reasons for the genocide?

8. Understanding the history of differentiation of social groups in Rwanda • Hutus, Tutsis and Twa • Same language: Bantu • Lived side by side and intermarried • Displayed different physical features • Are these social groups or tribes? • Rwanda and colonial rule • German presence (1897-1916): indirect colonial rule • Belgian colonial rule was effected since 1916 through military conquest

9. How was the difference marked in social terms?Source: Prunier, 1997 p. 6 Twa: “He is small, chunky, muscular and very hairy.... He is quite similar to the apes whom he chases in the forest” Hutus: “short, thick-set with a big head....like to laugh and lead a simple life” Tutsis: “ ... Is of good race has nothing of the negro, apart from his colour. He is usually tall... His features are very fine, a high brow, thin nose, and fine lips... He is a natural-born leader, capable of extreme self control and of calculated good will”

10. Creating of New Myths • The superior Tutsis were invaders of the Hutu territory and have skillfully subjugated the ‘inferior’ Hutus. • “The Tutsis were meant to reign. Their fine presence is in itself enough to give them a great prestige vis a vis the inferior races which surround” • Belgian administrator in 1920s • Source: Prunier, p11

11. Colonialism and changing political economy of Rwanda • Considered as ‘better’, ‘active and ‘intelligent’ the Belgian government consciously decided to work mainly with the Tutsis from 1916. • Existing Hutu chiefs were replaced by Tutsis making their dominance total. • By the end of 1959, 43 chiefs out of 45 chiefs were Tutsis and 549 sub-chiefs out of 559 were Tutsis.

12. Colonialism and changing social-political economy in Rwanda during Belgian rule • Introduction of forced labour or corvee as individual obligation. • Tutsis used the social support of Belgian rule to gain traditional Hutu lands. • Grazing lands were privatized. • Transformation of Ubuhake contracts • Introduction of Christainity, a new moral order and creation of centralized, non-traditional, modern and brutal ‘Rwanda’.

13. What are the end results of these changes? • Introduction of racial prejudice with Tutsis as superior race • Rwandan kingdom was centralised with Tutsi kingship although real power was with the Belgian administrators • Deprived of all political power, Hutus felt materially exploited by Tutsis and European colonizers. • Tutsis (including poor Tutsis) started to believe that they were a ‘superior’ race.

14. Genocide and its antecedants • “It has a massive impact on the natives themselves. The result of this heavy bombardment with highly value-laden stereotypes for some sixty years ended by inflating the Tutsi cultural ego inordinately and crushing Hutu feelings until they coalesced into an aggressively resentful inferiority complex........ A dangerous social bomb was almost absent-mindedly manufactured......” (Prunier, p.9)

15. Do you agree that the racialisation of the Rwandan society during the colonial rule led to the 1994 Genocide?? • Discuss

16. Some facts about Rwanda • There was no history of violent ethnic violence between Hutus and Tutsis before the arrival of Europeans or in pre-colonial Rwanda. • Much of the wars were against rival kingdoms. Such war also acted as social coagulant where Tutsis, Hutu and Twa although unequal were first and foremost ‘Banyarwanda’ facing a common enemy. • These wars were never on the scale of 1994 genocide..

17. A time line since 1959 • A violent ethnic conflict had started in 1959 after the end of the Belgian rule. • In 1959, the Tutsi king and several other Tutsis ran away to live in exile in Uganda. Later an Armed Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) of Tutsis was formed from Uganda. • Hutu political party comes to power with Hutu president in 1959. • In 1994, the plane of the Hutu president, Habyarimana who had signed a peace agreement with the Tutsis was brought down killing him and the Burundi president. A massacre followed, led by the Hutu militia group ‘Interahamwe’ of the Tutsi residents in Rwanda.

18. videoRwanda: The Human Brutality, part 1 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sks8UYcYw2I&feature=related

19. videoRwanda, the human brutality, part II • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgWOOwQNGtU&feature=related

20. Discussion Question: Who was responsible for the Genocide? • The unwillingness of the international community to intervene? • Racialised ideology amongst Rwandans? • Burden of history?

21. Making a difference • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2WFMtJUVz0 • http://www.unmultimedia.org/tv/21stcentury/2008/07/rwanda-lessons-from-a-hero.html

22. Discussion question • Is there a way out of the felt ethnic polarities? • What can we learn from the acts of those who resisted the ideology of genocide?

23. Next lecture • The next lecture will focus on The Idea of Human Rights: Exclusivity and Universalism

24. Thank You